Danger in the City: Danger in the Countryside

Abstract

Abstract This chapter addresses the early and mid-19th-century concerns about those described as the criminal or dangerous classes. It emphasizes that while many of the concerns were directed at expanding cities and towns, in some areas — particularly southern Europe — there were continuing anxieties about criminality in the countryside. At the same time, there was a distinct gender distinction with the prostitute considered as the female companion of the criminal, who was perceived to be predominantly male. The interplay between social commentators, the writers of fiction, and ‘experts’ in crime and the criminal justice system (both police officers, like Vidocq, and offenders, like Lacenaire) is described, which resulted in media representations that often blurred the edges and understanding of the reality of crime and criminals.