Poll What's the most important aspect of Ripperology?

[HelenaWojtczak]

Curious to read your replies,

Helena

[Wickerman]

Communication.

[K-453]

For me, it is learning more about human nature. Human behaviour in extreme situations. Extreme mindsets.

(Helena, did you intend this to be a poll where, at the beginning of the thread, the participant has to chose from some given answers? Then, you forgot to set that poll up ...)

[Cogidubnus]

I'd go with Jon's answer...on all levels...

All the best

Dave

[Beowulf]

Curious to read your replies,

Helena

To be honest it's probably quite a bit the escape of the present day back to a time that resonates with horse hooves on cobblestone, rain and fog, windy mysterious streets, characters and outfits that seem to me to be of a theatrical nature and simpler approaches to life's problems.

It also reminds me of my grandparents who came from Ireland and Scotland but who carried with them many of the times expressions and beliefs. I feel comfortable there.

Admittedly, I tend to feel a certain pity for the Ripper. Like Frankenstein's monster I suspect he hadn't a friend to his name and was mentally debilitated and a victim of psychosis. I am constantly trying to decide if he chose to be evil or was reacting to what life did to him.

I wonder always what would God make of him. Can he be forgiven?

[HelenaWojtczak]

For me, it is learning more about human nature. Human behaviour in extreme situations. Extreme mindsets.

(Helena, did you intend this to be a poll where, at the beginning of the thread, the participant has to chose from some given answers? Then, you forgot to set that poll up ...)

Yes. Something seems to have gone wrong. I was thinking up a list of poll replies and somehow accidentally posted the thread without the poll!

Have added it now.

Helena

[lynn cates]

Purgatory

Hello Helena. Thanks for starting this poll.

Even though I don't believe in "Jack the Ripper" I voted first option as I assumed it would include "to find out what really happened."

I wish I could have voted for a nobler option, but why lie? (heh-heh) I am driven by morbid curiosity--the kind for which good old St. Thomas would have sent me to Purgatory.

Cheers.
LC

[HelenaWojtczak]

Hello Helena. Thanks for starting this poll.

Even though I don't believe in "Jack the Ripper" I voted first option as I assumed it would include "to find out what really happened."

I wish I could have voted for a nobler option, but why lie? (heh-heh) I am driven by morbid curiosity--the kind for which good old St. Thomas would have sent me to Purgatory.

Cheers.
LC

Hi Lynn

I didn't want to spend hours painstakingly wording the questions to include every nuance

[sdreid]

I voted for the penultimate although #2 and #6 are aspects.

[Rubyretro]

Admittedly, I tend to feel a certain pity for the Ripper. Like Frankenstein's monster I suspect he hadn't a friend to his name and was mentally debilitated and a victim of psychosis. I am constantly trying to decide if he chose to be evil or was reacting to what life did to him.

He seems to have made 'friends' quite easily Beowulf, but he only kept them for a few minutes.

[PaulB]

Establishing the facts - but that's not an option on the poll.

[John Bennett]

Establishing the facts - but that's not an option on the poll.

Ditto. Surely everything else can then use that as a starting point.

[K-453]

I voted for the last option, because that's the first thing that attracts us to the case. What everybody knows about Jack the Ripper: He killed prostitutes in a very brutal way.

This is not the only reason to stick to it. May not even the main reason. But would that case be so interesting if it was about, say, environmental pollution?

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

Establish the facts in order to demythologise the case and arrive at the truth.

Regards,

Simon

[lynn cates]

aversion

Hello K. Permit me to disagree. I have an aversion to such trauma, so such gore NEVER attracted me to the WCM.

The only attraction for me is that someone (as I believed) could kill under the police's nose and get away with it.

Cheers.
LC