Chapter summaries Anatomy Dana Schwartz

Chapter 35: The Arrest of Jack Currer – Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

After two days of recovery at Hawthornden Castle, Jack feels well enough to travel by carriage. Under Hazel’s attentive care—her porridge and bandage changes—his stab wound scabs over without infection. Once he can manage a slow amble around the castle gardens without pain, Jack tells Hazel it is time for him to return to Le Grand Leon. He claims he only needs to check on some things: a few pounds hidden in a ceiling knothole and two clean shirts. Hazel agrees, on the condition that he returns that evening for a fresh dressing.

Jack arrives at the closed theater and begins climbing up to his nest in the rafters. He pauses halfway, struggling with his chest stitches. Then he hears a hard, persistent knock at the front door. Knowing the theater has been closed for months, Jack waits, but the knocking continues. He shuffles through the dusty lobby and opens the door to find the police constable, two guardsmen, and the magistrate. Instinctively Jack tries to run, but the constable grabs him and places him under arrest for the murders of Penelope Harkness, Robert Paul, Mary McFadden, and Amelia Yarrow. Jack protests, insisting there is a mistake.

A guardsman finds a knife in Jack’s pocket and displays it to the magistrate. The magistrate explains that Jack’s associates at the close on Fleshmarket have betrayed him. He accuses Jack of killing people himself during an outbreak of Roman fever to avoid waiting for funerals, thus cutting out the middleman. Jack admits to selling bodies but claims he only dug them up. He desperately calls for Hazel Sinnett, asking the authorities to bring her from Hawthornden Castle to set things right. The constable jabs Jack in the stomach, breaking his stitches and causing his old wound to bleed again, and dismisses his attempt as blackening the name of a social better.

The chapter ends with a newspaper article from the Edinburgh Evening Courant dated 22 December 1817, headlined “RESURRECTION MAN TAKEN TO TRIAL FOR MURDER.” It reports that Jack Ellis Currer is on trial before a packed courtroom. Dr. William Beecham III testifies that he saw Jack regularly hanging around the Royal Edinburgh Anatomists’ Society seeking buyers for his wares. Bernard Almont, son of the Viscount Almont, testifies that Jack made a full confession when he believed he was close to death after a card-game stabbing. The article also notes that Dr. Edmund Straine has been indicted for illegally purchasing corpses.

Key Events

  • Jack returns to Le Grand Leon after his recovery at Hawthornden Castle.
  • Police, guardsmen, and the magistrate arrest Jack for multiple murders.
  • The magistrate reveals that associates on Fleshmarket Close betrayed Jack.
  • Jack’s plea to bring Hazel Sinnett to testify is ignored; he is beaten.
  • A newspaper clipping announces Jack’s trial, with testimony from Dr. Beecham and Bernard Almont, and the indictment of Dr. Straine.

Character Development

  • Hazel Sinnett: Although absent, her care for Jack is evident through his recovery. Jack trusts her enough to call for her aid, but the authorities refuse to involve her.
  • Jack Currer: He is confronted with the consequences of his resurrection-man career. His attempt to rely on Hazel shows a growing emotional bond, but his lower social standing prevents him from being heard.
  • Bernard Almont: He testifies against Jack, claiming a full confession was made. This reveals his willingness to exploit Jack’s vulnerability and solidify his own reputation.
  • Dr. William Beecham III: His testimony links Jack to the Anatomists’ Society, painting him as a regular supplier of illegal cadavers.
  • Police Constable and Magistrate: They embody the class prejudice of the era, dismissing Jack’s defense and physically abusing him because of his low status.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Class Prejudice: Jack’s word is disbelieved because of his station; calling on a lady like Hazel is seen as an insult. The constable’s comment about “social betters” underscores the systemic bias.
  • Betrayal: Jack’s associates on Fleshmarket Close inform on him to save themselves, illustrating the lack of loyalty among those in the illegal body trade.
  • Injustice: The trial is already decided in the court of public opinion. The magistrate assumes guilt, and the newspaper reports the proceedings as a foregone conclusion.
  • Theater as Sanctuary: Le Grand Leon, once a place of refuge for Jack, becomes the site of his capture, symbolizing the loss of his safe haven.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter serves as the story’s major turning point: Jack’s illegal activities finally catch up with him, leading to his arrest and trial. It raises the stakes for Hazel, who must now decide how to respond to his imprisonment. The introduction of two key witnesses—Dr. Beecham and Bernard Almont—and the indictment of Dr. Straine deepens the conspiracy around the Anatomists’ Society. The chapter also exposes the class dynamics of Edinburgh justice, where a poor resurrection man is presumed guilty while the wealthy are protected.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Jack return to Le Grand Leon despite his injury? He needs to retrieve his hidden money and clean shirts, and he hopes to decide whether to stay with Hazel permanently or leave Edinburgh.

  2. How does the magistrate justify the accusation that Jack killed people instead of only digging up bodies? He argues that during the Roman fever outbreak, Jack could murder people and pass off the deaths as disease, eliminating the need to wait for funerals to obtain cadavers.

  3. What role does Bernard Almont play in the trial according to the newspaper? He testifies that Jack made a full confession when he believed he was dying after the stabbing, providing crucial evidence for the prosecution.

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