Who is Sergeant Patrick Murphy O'Shaughnessy from The Cabinet of Curiosities and what is their importance? The_Cabinet_of_Curiosities English & Literature Sergeant Patrick Murphy O'Shaughnessy | The Cabinet of Curiosities

Sergeant Patrick Murphy O'Shaughnessy is a police officer with the NYPD. Five years prior to the beginning of the novel, O'Shaughnessy took pity on a prostitute and released her from custody to protect her from her pimp. O'Shaughnessy also took two hundred dollars from the girl in order to make it appear that it was a bribe. This was all caught on tape, however, causing O'Shaughnessy to be investigated for taking a bribe. Although the charges were eventually dropped, O'Shaughnessy's career has dead ended and no one will allow him to forget his mistake.