Point of View

The Resurrectionist is written as an academic presentation of the work of Dr. Spencer Black. The narrator uses materials ranging from journal entries to letters to promotional material from Dr. Black’s shows to piece together a narrative of Dr. Black’s life. Spencer Black’s own writings are not the only ones included. The narrator uses testimony and letters from his brother, his wife, his colleagues, and members of the public to testify to the strange life and obsessions of the doctor.

Language and Meaning

As a tale of the nineteenth century, The Resurrectionist uses archaic language and sophisticated vocabulary to tell the story of Dr. Black and his obsession. The language does not, however, rise to the level of symbolic meaning. The book is presented as an academic narrative of Dr. Black’s life and work, so it does not aim for the...