demonic Other . According to Steven Bruhm , the bases for this fear are the “ anxieties about the aggressions of the outside world ” ( Kavka 212 ) and a “ fear of foreign otherness and monstrous invasion ” ( 260 ). These “ aggressions ,” at least in Cross ’ novel and TV series , include mass shootings , mass stabbings , suicide bombers , possible foreign aggression , child-sex trafficking , drug smuggling , and the growing presence of the Russian mafia .
The Terrible Darkness of John Luther
Any discussion of the novel and series must include the characterization of John Luther , whose dark , monstrous side begins to surface by the end of the second episode of season four . Indeed , while Cross acknowledges his debt to mystery writers Raymond Chandler and Sir Arthur Canon Doyle (“ Neil Cross ”), the characterization of John Luther goes far beyond a mixture of Marlow and Holmes . It involves the creation of a man who , in the tradition of the ancient hero , must journey through the darkened underworld of “ derelict London ” in his pursuit of the latest killer and who — like Aeneas , Jesus , and Beowulf — must return to the land of the living in one piece . In addition to events that link him to the heroes of old are parallels that connect John Luther to Lord Byron ’ s Manfred . For instance , both Manfred and Luther indulge in an excessive brooding that alienates them from those around them . Both habitually transgress established codes and norms — in Luther ’ s case , this often involves side-stepping department policy with the intent of stopping the killer . Additionally , both characters suffer a haunting of sorts , Manfred by the spirits / demons that he summons throughout the play and Luther by the memories of those who have been murdered because of their connection with him . The guilt that consumes both characters certainly contributes to their hauntings . Manfred ’ s guilt and his concomitant wish to die constitute a reaction to his belief that he caused the death of a former lover to whom he refers as Astarte . Luther ’ s guilt stems not only from his inability to prevent the murders of several other characters in the script but from a failure , committed early in his career , to fulfill the promise , made to fake-clairvoyant Meghan Cantor , that he would arrest a young female , the prostitute Stacey Bell , whose bullying of several girls in high school contributed to their mental disorders ( season four , episodes one and two ). Finally , Luther and Manfred share a preoccupation with death . For Manfred , this obsession can be understood within the larger context of the English and German Romantic periods ’ tendency to idealize death . In Luther ’ s case , thoughts of suicide often follow his taking of — or of his attempt to take — a human life . After Luther ’ s attempt to kill Henry Madsen , Detective Ian Reed finds his partner and friend standing on the
106