Jack the Ripper and Oscar Wilde: the Influence of the Late-Victorian Press in the Development of Their Reputation

Abstract

[eng] The late-Victorian press had the duty to keep their readers informed about the murders of Jack the Ripper in 1888 and the trials of Oscar Wilde in 1895. Not only did these cases become progressively sensational due to the peculiar personalities of both the Ripper and Wilde, but they were seen as the means to express disapproval of the habits associated with an area like Whitechapel, and the practice of homosexuality, respectively. This dissertation aims at identifying the methods employed by Victorian journalists to either downplay or accentuate certain aspects of both cases, aiming to satisfy the curiosity of the reading public. Using the British National Archive as the primary source, this thesis undertakes a synchronic analysis of the publications of Victorian newspapers and cartoons about the episodes for which Jack the Ripper and Oscar Wilde are responsible. The research shows a strong correlation between the journalists’ subjectivity and the impact it had on the reputations of Jack the Ripper and Oscar Wilde. The thesis concludes with the realization that Jack the Ripper became a legend in a short period of time since the publications during the “autumn of terror” were more oriented towards unveiling his identity than condemning his crimes. Conversely, Oscar Wilde’s references in the Victorian press were restricted to attacks on his persona. Only after the development of sociobiological theories of homosexuality was Oscar Wilde rescued from the catalogue of disowned public figures, thus achieving a reputation far better than he had in the nineteenth century.