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Society often perceives those individuals who turn to crime to provide themselves a

means of living as human parasites. The London Labour and the London Poor, portrays most

thieves in 19th century London earned their livelihood through juvenile crimes such as pick

pocketing and shoplifting. The journal credits this to the criminal¶s low intellectual acumen.

In The Red-Headed League in ³The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes´ by Sir Arthur Conan

Doyle, the criminal is portrayed as a highly cunning individual with potential for construing

very elaborate plots. Secondly, the London Labour projects a different physical image of the

criminal as one the one seen in The Red-Headed League. The journal often describes low-

life criminals to be hideous, dark alley dwellers. Although in The Red-Headed League the

criminal possessed a vocation, it was part of his scheme to commit the offense and he is

never portrayed in the same negative tone as in the London Labour. Lasly, although both

works were written in the same era, they both leave the question of á



unanswered. The London Labour attempts to address some of the questions why people

choose not to work and instead steal²increased sustenance for less effort, however, it

ultimately never enters the mind of the criminal and gives an account of his/her rationale for

being the parasite that feeds of the labor of others. Similarly, in the Red-Headed League,

Doyle focuses more attention to the elaborate plans of the criminal more than his personal

justifications for the crime and consideration of the pain he may incur to others. Hence, both

works differ starkly in the way they portray the criminal, in the London Labour, the criminal

is seen as a social degenerate, however, in the Red-Headed League, the author takes a less

condemning tone of the criminal to the extent that he almost praises him for his cunningness.

Lombroso attitude towards the handling of criminals remains consistent but his
c
 



Discuss paradoxical relationship. Royal dignitaryu

³a fresh supply of    matter must be sought after and obtained at frequent

intervals, in order to repair the continual waste of animal life.´

The crimes perpetrated by those who object to labour for their living, are habitual crimes;

whereas those perpetrated by the other classes of society are accidental crimes, arising from

the pressure of a variety of circumstances.  

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First paragraph will concentrate on the nature of the crime: 
   

   
-well planned, ruseful, Sherlock got a challenge and enjoyment from  

  


  
 
it. 
  
  
-what this speaks of 19th century perception of criminals? 


    
   

-how does it fit in with London Labor¶s perception of the criminal?   


 
  


Difference + similarity?
  !
"#  

 
The Criminal- Who is he? A royal, a duke?  

 
  
   

What are his motives? He starts orphanages. If he is willing to work?    
 
!!  $% 
Why does he have to resort to stealing?  & 





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