"The Hard-Boiled Detective on The Streets of London, c. 1863

Millette, Holly-Gale (2015) "The Hard-Boiled Detective on The Streets of London, c. 1863. Captivating Criminalities Conference: Sensational Men: Victorian Masculinity in Sensation Fiction, Corsham Court, Bath Spa University , Bath, United Kingdom. 25 - 27 Jun 2015. (Submitted)

Abstract

In this paper, I will argue that the character of Badger in Dion Boucicault’s 19th century Sensational Melodrama The Streets of London was perhaps the earliest example of the hard-boiled detective hero who, as a genre, did not become culturally pervasive until the next century. “Unlike the classical detective, for whom evil is an abnormal disruption of an essentially benevolent social order caused by a specific set of criminal motives, the hard-boiled detective has learned through long experience that evil is endemic to the social order.”

Badger, as a plot device, held the power of Machiavelli in that he was the gatekeeper of secrets, held the keys to the lies, and could mediate shame. Further, He embodied both the threat of judgment and execution. What was exciting about his character was that the audience was often uncertain what he would do with this power. His character is clearly drawn as a possible swindler, yet he is the deftest of criminal analysts. Canny about what roles he chose to play and how plausible a story he gave; he represented the way Late-Victorian masculinities were changing. What Boucicault did in The Poor of ___ was borrow American cultural tropes of individualism and the democratic spirit to supply his audience’s with a Gothic anti-hero who stood in the margins and stood in for the divided, ignorant or impotent middle class male.

Much of the satisfaction of nineteenth century melodrama was that it plunged its audience into a believable excitement whilst underneath lay the assurance that all would work out as they expected. Yet Badger’s character caused them to doubt this assurance; Badger kept them in suspense. He was luck and chance and swindles and secrets and lies and the unexpected opportunities that drove lives and fates. Badger understood ‘criminals’ and ‘innocents’ could live side by side. And he did when others could not do. His blend of humour, chivalry, and adventure marked a departure in form for Boucicault and a new character that would remain in his repertoire for most of his life. It is likely he appealed to the women of the audience for his bravado surety of self - and he appealed to men in the audience for the same reason.

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Author: Holly-Gale Millette

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