Summary of Hallie Rubenhold’s The Five

By IRB Media

Get the Summary of Hallie Rubenhold’s The Five 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. The Five (2019) delves into the lives of five women who were killed by Jack the Ripper in 1888. These women were more than just victims; they had full lives with joys and sorrows. Social historian Hallie Rubenhold aims to restore their dignity by sharing their true stories. She challenges the assumption that all the Ripper’s victims were prostitutes, providing a nuanced portrayal of working-class struggles in Victorian London. Rubenhold’s goal is not to identify the killer but to offer a poignant look at these women, moving beyond the sensationalism of their deaths to present a compassionate and historically grounded account of their experiences...

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: May 29, 2024
• ISBN: 9798330011230

IRB Media

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Summary of Hallie Rubenhold’s The Five

Contents

Overview

Jubilee and Despair

Polly Nichols

Polly’s Final Walk

Annie Chapman’s Ascent

Spiraling into the Shadows

Elisabeth Stride

Kate Eddowes

Mary Jane Kelly

Beyond the Myth

About the Author

Overview

The Five (2019) delves into the lives of five women who were killed by Jack the Ripper in 1888. These women were more than just victims; they had full lives with joys and sorrows. Social historian Hallie Rubenhold aims to restore their dignity by sharing their true stories. She challenges the assumption that all the Ripper’s victims were prostitutes, providing a nuanced portrayal of working-class struggles in Victorian London. Rubenhold’s goal is not to identify the killer but to offer a poignant look at these women, moving beyond the sensationalism of their deaths to present a compassionate and historically grounded account of their experiences.

Jubilee and Despair

In 1887, Britain was the stage for two starkly different narratives. The more widely celebrated tale was that of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, marked by grandiose celebrations in London. Yet, there was another, more somber story from that same year that has largely been forgotten. This was the tale of a severe drought that resulted in water shortages and a scarcity of jobs, leading to the poor and homeless establishing an encampment in Trafalgar Square.

Socialists and charitable organizations descended upon the square to offer aid. Political agitators viewed the gathering as an opportunity to mobilize the disenfranchised, leading to protests and confrontations with law enforcement.

Amidst these events, the lives of two women stood in