Worth Books - Summary and Analysis of The Alienist: Based on the Book by Caleb Carr

Summary and Analysis of

The Alienist

Based on the Book by Caleb Carr

Contents

Context

The Alienist , Caleb Carrs novel about a lawless and corrupt turn-of-the-century New York, revolves around the serial murders of an invisible underclass: boy prostitutes. Peopled with such real-life figures as Theodore Rooseveltat that time, the president of the board of New Yorks police commissionersas well as photographer and muckraker Jacob Riis, magnate J. P. Morgan, and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York, Michael Corrigan, it features fictional alienist Laszlo Kreizler, the child psychologist Carr has since featured in a series of historical novels.

Alienist is an archaic term for psychologists who study mental illness (those who are alienated or other), and the novel is set during two crucial periods. At about this same time in history, the case of Jack the Ripper (considered by many to be the first serial killer) was gaining worldwide attention, and less than ten years after that, Sigmund Freud published one of his seminal works of psychiatry, The Interpretation of Dreams .

At this time, alienists were emerging as credible scientific practitioners who were tasked with determining the causes of violent criminal behaviors. Caleb Carr, who had always been fascinated by the psychology of killers, used his own childhood (he suffered physical abuse at the hand of his alcoholic father) as the impetus to explore how violent behavior can be passed along from generation to generation.

Following the success of The Alienist , Carr wrote The Angel of Darkness , a sequel involving a woman who may be murdering her children. The Alienist has been adapted for the small screen: a television series set to premiere in 2017.

Overview

The year is 1896, and the setting is New York Citys Lower East Side. Theodore Roosevelt is the embattled police commissioner, engaged in an all-out war to root out the departments long-standing corruption, when a rash of murders targeting boy prostitutes befalls the city. He calls upon his old friends Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, famed child psychologist, or alienist, and narrator John Schuyler Moore, a New York Times crime reporter. Together, they assemble a secret team of crack investigators who set out to catch one of the most brutal serial killers in the citys history.

Kreizler has a controversial theory: that psychopaths are made, not born. They are products, he argues, of their abusive childhoods, leaving them stripped of free will. Using that theory, the team begins the arduous task of gathering evidence found at bloody crime scenes, gruesome postmortems, and personal interviews with infamous homicidal criminals to create a comprehensive profile of the dark serial killera precursor to our own forensic techniques.

Along the way, they encounter stiff resistance from the citys upper crust, religious leaders, rogue cops, and crime lordsall worried that the investigation will stop the flow of money into their pockets.

The complex plot contains deeply disturbing elements of sexual perversion, blood lust, and cannibalism. The diabolical murderer manages to stay one step ahead of investigators, who find themselves in a desperate race to catch their killer before he kills again. When the hunter and the hunted inevitably converge, they reveal not only the pathological compulsions and motivations of the man stalking New York City, but the intentions, alliances, and loyalties of its most powerful citizens.

Cast of Characters

Inspector Thomas Byrnes: Notoriously corrupt police officer and one of Roosevelts chief enemies within the department.

Anthony Comstock: A righteous and overzealous postal inspector, Comstock is part of the group of enemies that passionately oppose Roosevelt and his secret murder investigation.

Detective Patrick Connor: A slit-eyed, bearded sergeant, Detective Connor is a corrupt and despicable excuse for a police officer.

Archbishop Michael Corrigan: The outspoken Roman Catholic head of the Archdiocese of New York, Corrigan has aligned himself with Bishop Potter and other conservative leaders in the community to discourage the salacious case from going forward.

Japheth Dury, a.k.a. John Beecham: Tortured and complicated, this savage murderer is a prisoner of his own dreadfully unfortunate past.

Biff Ellison: Cologne-drenched and dumb as a post, Biff is the overweight and sexually depraved owner of the Paresis Hall, where the victim of the first murder peddled his trade.

Sara Howard: Feisty, independent, and highly ambitious member of the investigative team, Sara is an old friend of John Schuyler Moores from the Gramercy Park neighborhood. She wants to be the first female member of the police force.

Sergeant Lucius Isaacson: An expert in criminal science and forensic medicine, high-strung Lucius is one of Roosevelts Jewish hires, and a bit shorter than his older brother, Marcus Isaacson.

Sergeant Marcus Isaacson: Brother of Lucius Isaacson, low-key Marcus is a dedicated and competent expert in criminal science and forensic medicine.

Paul Kelly: Cocky gangland chief, gambler, and well-dressed owner of the New Brighton Dance Hall, Kelly also rules over the Five Points gang of Lower Manhattan.

Joseph: Brown-eyed boy-whore at the Golden Rule, Joseph is a sensitive and intelligent soul, reaching out for kindness and human compassion. John Schuyler Moore and he become friends and allies.

Dr. Laszlo Kreizler: A brilliant and determined alienist of the first order, Dr. Kreizler is a pioneer in the field of psychology and mental illness, making him a controversial figure amongst moralists and the conservative medical community.

Jack McManus: A former prizefighter, McManus is the powerful and imposing enforcer for underworld boss Paul Kelly.

Cyrus Montrose: A black man with a checkered past, Cyrus is an ex-patient of Dr. Laszlo Kreizler who serves as Dr. Kreizlers devoted valet and bodyguard.

John Schuyler Moore: A New York Times police and crime reporter; John grew up privileged, yet he is a steadfast champion of the citys downtrodden.

John Pierpont J. P. Morgan: Famed financier and member of the old guard of New York society, Morgan was credited with saving the US government from financial ruin. Morgan reluctantly supports Kreizler and his team.

Mary Palmer: Lovely, blue-eyed ex-patient and housekeeper of Dr. Kreizler, Mary suffers from a speech impediment arising out of tragic circumstances in her childhood.

Bishop Henry Codman Potter: Cool as a cucumber, Potter is the un-churchlike head of New York societys Episcopalians.

Theodore Roosevelt: The childhood friend of John Schuyler Moore and Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, both his Harvard classmates, the future 26th president of the United States is the embattled Police Commissioner of New York City.

Stevie Taggert: Kreizlers loyal, street-wise errand boy and sometimes driver, Stevie is a former patient and criminal with a bit of a charming streak.

Summary

Part I: Perception

Chapter 1

President Theodore Roosevelt is laid to rest on a cold winters day in 1919. John Schuyler Moore half-expects his friend to bound out of the casket, displaying his famous grin and singular laugh. Their mutual friend and former Harvard classmate Dr. Laszlo Kreizler decides not to attend his funeral, preferring instead to meet John at Delmonicos restaurant to commemorate their friends extraordinary life. Together they remember the bizarre events of 1896, when John, Laszlo, and Theodoreassisted by a remarkable teamset out on the trail of a murderous monster.