Re:presentation of Murder and Mayhem

Hi everyone,

How does everyone feel now that the presentation is over. I found it really nerve racking, despite all the work we had done I still felt unprepared.

That said, I felt I have learnt alot, particularly about the time and place of Jack the Ripper. Through that information I can imagine the hell of the poor in Victorian London, and how much life has changed for the 'Joe Bloggs' of society. Jack the Ripper caused questions to be asked then and I think reflecting on the events and their surroundings can cause us to assess life today.

An example of this - in the 1980's I worked in a geriatric hospital called St Edmunds, in Northampton. I can remember the distress of some of the people that were admitted there, either from home or from the wards of the general hospital (infact the staff used to dread telling the over 60's that they were going to St Edmunds, they used to swear that it killed them off). Why? well it used to be the old workhouse. I didn't relise at the time that most of the patients, probably all of them, remebered this. To them it was a fearful and shameful place. One that reflected your inability to look after yourself and your family. Perhaps had i known then what I known now I would have done less eye rolling and sighing.

Is it important or relevent? well if Jack the Ripper existed because of the times, the technology, the politics etc. If his existence can be tied into certain events that created a unique moment, then we may be able to stand back and review our world now and look to see which events are occurring that may create thos unique moments when apparently seperate and disparate events collide to create the 'perfect' time for an event. Good or bad, small or large, beneficial or devastating. Perhaps in recognising the cusp when all things collude to create those moments we can adjust our attitudes and our outlook to accomodate them.

If we put to much distance between subjects then the connections are not made. The sociological history of victorian is linked to the technological history, which in turn is linked to scientific history, Which I think is the point that we hoped to make. One did not happen without the other.

I gained, not just a knowledge but an understanding through this presentation...so although it was scary, the process was really useful. I hope that I can use that in the coming semester.

Thanks everyone

Polly X
Pauline