49 pages • 1 hour read
Graeme Macrae BurnetHis Bloody Project: A Historical Thriller
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Preface-Statements
The Account of Roderick Macrae, Pages 15-37
The Account of Roderick Macrae, Pages 37-59
The Account of Roderick Macrae, Pages 59-83
The Account of Roderick Macrae, Pages 83-96
The Account of Roderick Macrae, Pages 96-112
The Account of Roderick Macrae, Pages 112-126
The Account of Roderick Macrae, Pages 126-133 and Medical Reports
Extract from Travels in the Border-Lands of Lunacy by J. Bruce Thomson
The Trial, First and Second Day
The Trial, Third Day-Epilogue
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Tools
BetaThe Account of Roderick Macrae, Pages 96-112Chapter Summaries & Analyses
The Account of Roderick Macrae, Pages 96-112 Summary
Roderick and Jetta depart for an annual summer festival in Applecross, where Jetta hopes to sell some hand-knit shawls. Roderick sees Archibald Ross in town, and the two strike up a conversation, which leads to them to drinking several glasses of beer in a nearby pub. Intoxicated, the two exit the pub, and Archibald purchases a shawl from Jetta, which he later confesses to Roderick he finds quite ugly. They head to a shinty (a sport somewhat similar to lacrosse) match between Applecross and another parish, with Lachlan Mackenzie serving as the star player for Applecross. The match descends into chaos, and the two drink even more. Archibald unsuccessfully courts some women before the pair return to the pub, where Roderick reveals his feelings for Flora.
They make sight of Flora with another girl, and Archibald forces Roderick to meet with her, insisting that he must confess his feelings. The four of them set out on a walk and, once they are in a secluded spot, Archibald distracts Flora’s friend so that Roderick can speak with Flora. The two head off a ways, and Roderick confesses that he wants to marry Flora. She tries to turn him down gently and, in his sadness, he embraces her and feels “a great coursing in [his] groin” (109)—suggesting either his erection or Flora striking him in the crotch. She pushes him off and slaps him across the face, leaving Roderick in tears. He reconvenes with Archibald, who consoles him by taking him back to the pub for more beer. As Roderick is drunkenly dancing on a table, Lachlan Mackenzie enters and derisively insists that he continue. Roderick attempts to assault him, but Lachlan handily beats him senseless. Roderick awakens in a ditch the following morning. He makes his way back home, where he is met with his father’s quiet disapproval.
The Account of Roderick Macrae, Pages 96-112 Analysis
Archibald Ross acts as a strangely seductive figure to Roderick, who seems enamored of him despite the trouble that results from their reunion and Archibald’s derogatory comments about Jetta. This might speak to Roderick’s desire for companionship, as Archibald is more or less the only person who engages with Roderick as a peer. He may also regard Archibald as an aspirational figure who has a similar background to Roderick and can now put on airs of belonging to (or at least closely associating with) the gentry. Regardless, Roderick’s clear infatuation with Archibald Ross makes him highly impressionable, which ultimately results in more trouble for him.
This includes his disastrous meeting with Flora, who violently rejects his advances. This represents a major personal turning point for Roderick, whose vision of a future in Culduie is largely founded upon his desire to marry Flora. Furthermore, their rendezvous in the woods is a contentious moment in Roderick’s later trial that will be characterized in various ways by different witnesses. As such, it is important to note the seemingly intentionally vague nature of Roderick’s description of “a great coursing in [his] groin” (109) following his attempt to kiss Flora on the neck. This phrasing could describe either Roderick’s erection, which would suggest this encounter was an attempt to sexually assault Flora, or it could describe Flora striking him in the crotch, which indicates a series of events likely to make the reader feel much more sympathetic toward Roderick. Importantly, this possibly represents another instance of Roderick’s tendency toward vagueness around sexuality. Although Roderick purports honesty throughout his written account of events, instances like this remind the reader that he is actively trying to construct a narrative that is favorable to himself.
