Short Story Review of The Body Snatcher

Illustration of The Body Snatcher 
via rottentomatoes.com




Author : Robert Louis Stevenson
Year : 1884
Page : 19 Pages
This short story Inspired by the Burke and Hare murders of 1828, “The Body Snatcher” is a Gothic tale that follows two mad students, involved in crimes of grave robbing, in order to keep their anatomy professor supplied with instructional cadavers.
Main Participants : Fettes, Wolfe Macferlane, and Robert Knox (Mr K).
Figure Participants : The Undertaker of The George at Debenham, Landlord, and Wynd.
Place : Debenham and Edinburgh, UK.


Plot of The Story


A group of friends share a few drinks, when an eminent doctor, Wolfe Macfarlane, enters.

One of the friends, Fettes, recognizes the name and angrily confronts the new arrival. Although his friends all find this behaviour suspicious, none of them can understand what might lie behind it. It turns out that Macfarlane and Fettes had attended medical school together, under anatomy professor Robert Knox. Their duties included taking receipt of bodies for dissection, and paying the pair of shifty and suspicious men who supplied them.


On one occasion, Fettes identifies a body as that a woman he knew, and is convinced she has been murdered.

 
But Macfarlane talks him out of reporting the incident, lest they are both implicated in the crime. Later, Fettes meets Macfarlane at a tavern, along with a man named Gray, who treats Macfarlane in a rude manner. The following night, Macfarlane brings Gray's body along as a dissection sample. Although Fettes is now certain that his friend has committed murder, Macfarlane again convinces him to keep his silence, persuading him that if he is not courageous enough to perform such manly deeds as these, he will end up as just another victim. The two men make sure the body is comprehensively dissected, destroying any forensic evidence.

Fettes and Macfarlane continue their work, without being implicated in any crime. However, when a shortage of bodies leaves their mentor in need, they are sent to a country churchyard to exhume a recently buried woman. As they are driving back with the body seated between them, they begin to feel nervous and stop to take a better look. They are shocked to discover that the body between them is that of Gray, which they thought they had destroyed.


     Favourite Line : “We were all startled by the transformation, as if a man had risen from the dead.” What makes this line so intriguing is the way it seems to strongly foreshadow Stevenson’s grotesque ending.

Advantages of The Story
An intriguing plot of the story make people  interested to read more. The Body Snatcher have clear settings and characterizations. Also raise the theme of the horror and dare make this story more interesting.

Disadvantages of The Story
This short story using diction that difficult to understand. Moreover, the end of the story hangs, looks like something is lacking and missing, still needs continuation, and thats all make the reader uncomfortable. Also there are some confusing parts of the event, which is not so clear about the situation.

In spite of the above disadvantages, this short story making readers feel as if they experienced and witnessed the story directly. Intriguing plot, clear settings and characterizations,  also theme of the horror and dare make The Body Snatcher is really recommended reading. So, do not hesitate, and feel the impression of horror and tense of the story.
By :
Ahmad Mujibur Rohman
183211054
1B

Komentar

  1. Arynaa05330 Oktober 2018 pukul 04.12

    The story indeed gives a rather chill atmosphere, and the ending is unexpected. Good job.

    BalasHapus

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