"The boy became stiff, and stood like a statue, looking into the ink in the hollow of his hand."

"The boy became stiff, and stood like a statue, looking into the ink in the hollow of his hand."

This illustration, the third and last that accompany part one of The Moonstone in Harper’s Weekly, presents another interpretation of the three Indians who search for the moonstone in England. They surround a boy who holds the magical ink in his hands. Through Betteredge’s narration, Collins notes that the Indians treated the boy in way that was “not unkindly” (Collins 17). The illustration stays true to this description, despite Leverenz’s claim that the Indian Brahmins are portrayed in an imposing way (Leverenz 29). The illustration portrays no sort of aggression on behalf of the Indians. They look solemn, even melancholy. They are not depicted with any sort of disfigurements, disabilities, or blemishes. They are tall, upright, and look vigorous. Their noses are only slightly larger than Herncastle. All in all, they look rather dignified. The boy, who may be displaying a small amount of reluctance, shows no sign of fear or discomfort. The editors would have had the opportunity to villainize the Indians, but clearly chose not to. It falls in line with their goal to appear progressive by sympathizing with the colonized subject. However, the Indians all look exactly the same—their faces, their height, their complexion, and their dress, are all the same. The only thing that distinguishes them apart is that one has a black topped turban. Once again, as in the first image, there seems to be some amount of generalizing the Indians and placing them in the category of Oriental other.

Archives and Special Collections

Calgary: University of Calgary

Migliarese, Mico.

http://library.ucalgary.ca/copyright/images

English

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