The Reader as an Investigator in The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins Anonymous College

In Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone, the reader is presented with a mystery to be solved and is given access to the same information as the novel's various investigators. The reader is thus placed in the position of an active participant in the process of uncovering the truth behind the theft of the titular diamond. One of the main ways in which the reader is positioned as an investigator is through the use of multiple narrators.

The novel is told through the use of multiple narrators, each of whom has their own perspective on the events of the story and their own suspicions about the culprit. This device creates a sense of uncertainty and allows the reader to see the story from different angles. As the novel's protagonist, Gabriel Betteredge, explains, "I have got my own opinion about the matter, and I have been asked for it by more than one of the family. But my opinion is not evidence. I am only the servant here." (Chapter 1) Through this statement, the novel sets the tone for the reader to be an active participant in the investigation process by providing multiple perspectives. The novel's use of multiple narrators also gives the reader a sense of the different social classes and their perspectives, as the novel's narrators...