Going Down the Drain: Sweeney Todd, Sewerage, and London Sanitation in the 1840s.
Going Down the Drain: Sweeney Todd, Sewerage, and London Sanitation in the 1840s.

Summary/Abstract: This article examines the penny blood The String of Pearls in terms of its treatmentof human remains as the equivalent of human excrement. In the mid-nineteenth century,London underwent a transformation in terms of its waste and sanitation management,involving changes which were often controversial and generated considerable debate anddiscussion in all areas of society. Many of these changes had a disproportionate affect onthe urban poor who were also the main readers of the penny bloods and dreadfuls, so it isno surprise to find that sanitation is a major topic in these fictions. The article argues thatthe Sweeney Todd serial acts as an intervention into these discussions.

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