"The Mystery of Edwin Drood"

Paper Summary:

One of the mysteries of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" is the question that lies at the heart of all mysteries; ' whodunnit'? But there is another, at least as compelling question at the heart of this mystery, which how did author Charles Dickens intend for this novel to end? And, why does this unfinished novel read so very much like a finished novel? The paper shows that despite the fact that the story is often performed by theater companies that allow the audience to guess what the intended ending might have been, thus emphasizing the unfinished nature of the book, the novel itself seems oddly complete. This paper proposes one possible solution to the unfinished novel, one that is consistent with the tone and intent of what Dickens himself wrote.

From the Paper:

"This improvised ending takes up where Dickens laid down his pen and assumes "as do many of the proposed endings to this novel" that Edwin is not really dead. To understand why this is the logical solution, we must go back in time to John Jasper's Christmas Eve party. During this party, Neville finds his antagonism toward Edwin diminishing because of Edwin's own friendliness and disarming openness to Neville. They are also drawn together by the fact that each of them believes that there is something peculiar about Jasper: Their increasing distrust of him draws the two of them together."

More papers on "The Mystery of Edwin Drood":

• Analytical Essay # 17471 : "Charles Dickens' "The Mystery Of Edwin Drood"
• Essay # 36606 : "The Mystery of Samba"
• Analytical Essay # 119477 : "The Mystery of God"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: