His Bloody Project: A Historical Thriller

“The Sheep turned in my direction, like a sick old woman too weak to raise her had from the pillow. I felt no pity for the beast, only a kind of loathing for its stupidity.” 

Roderick’s description of the sheep calls to mind Flora’s grandmother, a helpless old woman whom he encounters later in his narrative. Furthermore, this quote illustrates Roderick’s tendency to hold himself apart from and superior to others based on his intelligence. Although he ultimately kills this sheep, there are several instances in which Roderick encounters but opts to nurture or spare other weak creatures.

“The ghillie made a remark to the effect that the gentlemen would not be shooting many stags after quaffing so much wine and, although he said it in a jocular fashion, I understood that it was meant quite seriously and he did not approve of the gentlemen’s behavior.” 

Roderick’s observation of the ghillie’s disapproval comes just before he interrupts the hunt to spare the life of a stag. This entire episode illustrates Roderick’s sensitivity and intelligence while simultaneously highlighting his chronic difficulty in responding to situations appropriately. Like the ghillie, Roderick chafes at the gentlemen’s disrespectful behavior during the hunt. However, unlike the ghillie, who responds with restrained and socially acceptable disapproval, Roderick cannot comport himself in a similarly appropriate manner.

“This caused a great deal of resentment, as it appeared that labour which villagers and previously undertaken of their own volition, was now being carried out solely at the behest of the authorities.” 

The question of what motivates human behavior looms large over the novel. This quote offers some interesting perspective regarding Roderick’s answer to that question. Roderick differs from many other characters in breaking from their various beliefs in external forces, like religion and superstition, that supposedly govern human behavior. This quote suggests that people make the best decisions, and are happiest, when they are free to choose a course of action for themselves.

“The truth was that I often nursed injured birds or animals, but I did so in secret, as my father would regard my hobby as a waste of time, or, worse, as a defiance of God’s will.” 

Although Roderick has little regard for John’s religious beliefs, it is telling that he is willing to censor himself to keep the peace. This is a testament to Roderick’s capacity to keep secrets and deceive when it benefits himself. Furthermore, this quote demonstrates how someone’s beliefs, in this case John’s, can have a material impact on the world even if those beliefs are not shared by others.

“It seems to me that if a person is struck by misfortune, it is quite probable that a crow was perched that morning on his gable, but this does not make it reasonable to believe there is any connection between the two events.” 

Roderick succinctly identifies here a key issue with superstitious thinking, which allows its believers to conveniently reinforce their preexisting beliefs. Although he readily professes his guilt in regard to the triple murder, Roderick nevertheless intends to frame his crimes in a very particular way to his readers, such as Andrew Sinclair and the well-educated individuals working on his trial. By playing on his readers’ disbelief in rural superstition, Roderick paints his fellow crofters as naïve, foolish, and unreliable witnesses.

“Some days later I heard [John] remark to Kenny Smoke […] that there was no way of knowing whether sea-ware brought any benefit to the crops. It was merely something that people did out of habit, because their fathers and grandfathers had done so before them.” 

In a poor, rural, 19th-century community like Culduie, it is unlikely that someone in John’s position would be familiar with the scientific method of testing hypotheses to build theories and knowledge. Nevertheless, folk knowledge around fertilization could be expected to be relatively accurate in this instance. John’s refusal to accept that knowledge by dismissing it as superstition is a clear example of him using his religious belief, which scorns superstition, to sooth himself.

“‘I do not see that God is much concerned with me, or with any of us for that matter,’ I went on.” 

This is another clear articulation of Roderick’s belief that people are ultimately responsible for their own actions. Furthermore, this statement hints at his understanding of the dire nature of the Culduie crofters’ situation. Roderick understands himself as standing apart from his peers on the basis of his intelligence and his willingness to articulate the social injustices that influence his community.

“Following our interview, I had imagined the factor taking the first opportunity to report what had occurred to his constable, but when it appeared he had not done so, I realized that to these important men our actions were of simply no consequence.” 

This is an important moment in Roderick’s growing awareness that his interests do not align with those of the gentry and their associates, including the factor. Roderick correctly assesses that he and his father are little more than petty nuisances to someone in the factor’s position. While their visit does play a part in the factor’s decision to evict the Macraes, that decision has more to do with the bother they pose than the particulars of their feud with Lachlan Mackenzie.

“We walked a little way in silence and, without discussion, took the turning to Aird-Dubh. It pleased me that this custom seemed to have been established between us, as if we were a long-married couple.” 

A recurrent characteristic of Roderick’s is his apparent distaste for novelty and new experiences. Even as he advocates for the importance of individual choice and free will, he resists opportunities to leave Culduie, break ties with his neglectful father, and start a new life for himself. Although his own descriptions of his intentions toward Flora should be taken with a grain of salt, it is telling that his fantasy of a happy relationship with her revolves around their settling into comfortably routine patterns and behaviors.

“He nudged me in the ribs, no doubt wishing me to confirm his statement by way of some clever remark, but I could muster no more than a stupid grin. Archibald was not to be discouraged, however, and took to informing the girls that I would soon be making a great fortune as a merchant in Glasgow.” 

Archibald and Roderick make a strange pair, and this encounter with the two young women Archibald attempts to seduce does well to illustrate their dynamic. Archibald’s gregarious, braggadocios tendencies, which appall these young women, find a willing audience in Roderick, who seems happy to find someone who treats him with comradery. Even though Archibald doesn’t hold Roderick in especially high regard, their brief interactions represent the closest thing Roderick has to a real friendship.

“I am sorry to say, however, that I am of quite different stock from your learned advocate. I have examined hundreds, thousands of your type and I’m afraid that I see you exactly for what you are.” 

Roderick’s recollection of Thomson’s introduction squares with what we learn about the doctor—particularly his need to prove his superiority to those around him. However, this account differs from Thomson’s own recollection of this meeting, in which the doctor characterizes his approach to Roderick as being far more friendly. Additionally, we see a serious limitation of Thomson’s clinical approach, which looks to organize his patients into easily defined categories based upon their characteristics.

“If you understood more about the world, you would see that Lachlan Broad is not responsible. It is providence that has brought us to this point. It is no more Lachlan Broad’s doing than yours or mine or Father’s.” 

Jetta’s reprimand toward Roderick is based upon her belief that events are predestined and that, through a connection with the spiritual world, she can foresee those events to some extent. Although Roderick scorns others’ beliefs in similar superstitions, he demonstrates a reverence for Jetta’s capabilities throughout his account. Given his general disdain for superstitious beliefs, it is worth considering the extent to which this almost-reverential regard for Jetta’s beliefs is an appeal to providence to excuse his crimes.

“It mattered not what was in my mind or what I planned to do. If fate dictated that Lachlan Broad was to die by my hand, then it would be so. The success or otherwise of my enterprises was out-with my control.” 

This description, which shortly precedes Roderick’s murders, marks a jarring departure from the worldview he has expressed up to this point. Prior to the murders, Roderick has consistently espoused a worldview that eschews providence and predetermination. His reversion to a belief in predestination here is highly suspicious and suggests that something significant is happening—be it a mental break, an effort to conceal his true motives, or something else.

“I had accomplished what I set out to do an, as I had no intention of denying responsibility for any of it, her killing would have served no purpose. In any case, to do to death a helpless old woman would be a pitiless thing, and I had not the stomach for it.” 

Roderick’s description of his decision not to kill Lachlan Mackenzie’s mother recalls his account of killing the sheep, which he found similarly pathetic. He cites her helplessness as a reason to spare her life, but he used the sheep’s helplessness to justify its killing. This discrepancy signals another instance in which Burnet provides reason to doubt Roderick’s reliability as a narrator. Furthermore, it is notable that Roderick allows the sole witness to his crimes to live, even if her dementia renders her incapable of providing testimony.

“They conversed in the barbaric tongue of their region, so I cannot attest to the content of their discussions, but despite the large quantities of ale they imbibed, their behavior was not dissolute.” 

Thomson’s description of the patrons at the Applecross Inn exemplifies his compulsive need to assert his superiority even though, as he admits, they are perfectly well behaved. Moreover, Thomson’s disdain for Scottish Highlanders is emblematic of a profound social and cultural division between Northern and Southern Scotland at this time. As Thomson hails from the south, he regards the Highlanders—many of whom don’t speak English—as inferior due to their limited integration with British culture and Western modernity.

“To foster the illusion that we were merely two men engaging in conversation, I did not take any contemporaneous notes and this account is based on the record I compiled from memory upon returning to the inn.” 

Roderick’s own description of this meeting with Thomson revealed that the doctor’s attempts to engage with him in a comradely fashion were unsuccessful. This quote also offers some vital context about Thomson’s writing process. As he admits, his account is assembled from notes taken after the events he describes. Even if a reader feels inclined to trust the purity of Thomson’s intentions, it seems impossible that he could represent events exactly as they occurred.

“I reflected, as we walked the short distance to the junction of the village, that such a place would seem a kind of paradise to the denizens of our city slums, and, were it not for the sloth and ignorance of its inhabitants, it might be one.” 

Thomson delineates a difference in the origins of undesirable behavior, as he understands it. In Thomson’s framework, criminality (and misbehavior in general) is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. This statement addresses both by implying that, despite Culduie’s pastoral environment, its citizens are predisposed to poor behavior. What this dichotomy fails to encompass is any sense of historical or material considerations of generational crofters, who have little economic security or prospect.

“It is a shameful truth that the lower tribes of our country continue to exist in a state barely higher than livestock, deficient in the will to self-improvement which has brought progress to our southern regions.” 

This remark harkens back to Roderick’s description of Lachlan Mackenzie’s sheep, which is characterized in a similarly pathetic manner to Thomson’s assessment of life in Culduie. Thomson is equally unsympathetic in his appraisal as he blames the crofters for their poor material situation rather than considering their lack of access to prospects and opportunities. Here, we see a confirmation of Roderick’s suspicions about the elite’s lack of regard for the affairs of rural townspeople.

“I withdrew to my room to compile my notes and reflect on the findings of our excursion, while my associate took advantage of the hospitality below.” 

This statement, which concludes the excerpt from Thomson’s memoir, is typical of his habit to paint himself as more intelligent, diligent, and moral than those around him. However, his description of Sinclair taking advantage of the inn’s hospitality—by which he means drinking—offers a bit of insight into the advocate’s personal interest in Roderick’s case. As Thomson has already described, the Highlands are rich in natural beauty, and they were generally considered a backwater by the more affluent (and more thoroughly colonialized) southern region of Scotland. Taken together, it is easy to imagine why a socially liberal public advocate like Sinclair might be interested in Roderick’s case. Thomson’s description of his behavior here, however derogatory he intends it to be, is possibly indicative of Sinclair’s infatuation with the Highlands.

“The Lord Justice-Clerk then addressed counsel. He was aware, he said, of the existence of the ‘so-called memoir’ written by the prisoner. As the account had not been produced under the proper cautions and contained admissions which the prisoner might not wish to make in the course of his defence, ‘neither the document nor any portion thereof’ were admissible in evidence.” 

It’s debatable whether the admission of Roderick’s account would help or hurt his case. Regardless, it would certainly be an important piece of evidence for the Crown and the defense. Because it is not allowed to be submitted as evidence, Burnet uses its omission to illustrate something important about the search for truth in a legal capacity. Although it appeals to a sense of objective justice, we see, through this barring of Roderick’s memoir, that the trial is not a comprehensive, final explanation of the events leading up to Roderick’s crimes.

“Roddy was brought in to cheers and catcalls from the public gallery, the occupants of which, wrote Mr. Murdoch for the Courier, ‘appeared to believe that they were in a theatre rather than a court of law, and that the unfortunate prisoner was no more than a pantomime villain, brought forth for their entertainment.’” 

This description of the trial’s sensational nature invites the reader to reflect on the narrative circumstances surrounding the trial as well as their own motives in reading and enjoying the sensational events described in the novel. Regarding the former, Murdoch’s description serves as a reminder of the difficulties Roderick and his defense face in receiving a fair trial, given the incredibly gruesome nature of his crimes and the novelty of the defense that Sinclair is putting forth on Roderick’s behalf. To the reader, this represents a conscious technique on Burnet’s part to invite comparison between themselves and their motivations with the crowd at Roderick’s trial, who are eager for a cheap spectacle. As a literary technique, this is a clever means of subtly reminding the reader to pay attention to the overarching themes and concerns addressed in this novel.

“There is a similarity in that criminals of both creeds to a great extent are without the oral sense. However, the habitual criminal is generally disposed toward crime by heredity, and is for the most part incurable.” 

Thomson’s clarification regarding the difference between common criminals and the criminally insane illustrates some important aspects of his theoretical framework. Particularly, it addresses the distinction between behaviors borne of nature and those borne of nurture. As he argues, criminal behaviors that result from genetic predispositions are largely incurable, and someone suffering from such a condition is predisposed to behave in a criminal manner. Although he ultimately argues that Roderick is sane, Thomson aligns himself with the superstitious and religious explanations for the origins of criminality by suggesting that criminal behavior is somehow inevitable.

“The resentment caused by centuries of ill treatment of the Highlander was keenly felt, and in Roderick Macrae, they might see an individual who had revolted against the vindictiveness of the powers-that-be.” 

This passage paraphrases Murdoch’s cautioning that the jurors might be more sympathetic to Roderick than his fellow journalists assume. He clearly articulates the Highlanders’ latent class frustrations, which are liable to find expression in such a volatile trial. Although his prediction that the jurors might be swayed by their sympathy for Roderick’s social plight proves untrue, his statement here is an important confirmation that common Highlanders are well aware of the injustices they face at the hands of their supposed social betters.