A Twisted Attraction

“My knife's so nice and sharp I want to get to work right away….”
-Jack the Ripper


A Twisted Attraction

Jack the Ripper: few names in history are as recognizable as this anonymous assailant’s. Violence has always been a twisted attraction for many, yet the mere name ‘Jack the Ripper’ conjures images of brutality and murder more than one hundred years later. Why is this symbol of crime as popular today as he was during Victorian times? What has continued the fascination with such a villain? More has been written on Jack the Ripper than on all the U.S. presidents combined, and the allure still continues to capture interest generations later.
To understand why Jack the Ripper still carries attention over a century later it is necessary to be familiar with the circumstances under which this villain became so popular in the first place. Hundreds of letters were received from the alleged murderer by police, newspapers, and other individuals associated wi...