Fleshmarket
By Nicola Morgan
The theme of obsession is important in the novel ‘‘Fleshmarket’’ by Nicola Morgan.
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‘‘Fleshmarket’’ is set in Edinburgh in 1828. Two of the main characters are Robbie and Essie who are brother and sister. They live in an awful, poverty stricken environment in the old town after everything changed when their mother died at the hands of Doctor Robert Knox. Robbie Blames Knox for his horrible life and suffering as he believes Knox has not suffered yet and he took away the good life Robbie nearly had before Knox operated on his mum and this leads to his deep obsession with Knox.
Robbie’s obsession begins when he is outside the lecture theatre and inside his mum is getting her operation ‘‘He had felt her pain as though it was his, it had burnt him and left its mark.’’ This suggests that Robbie suffered too and he is scarred by hat his mum had to endure emotionally and permanently. When she gets home she is told to rest but on the fourth day Robbie witnesses his mum in hallucinating and in pain ‘‘she did not recognise her trembling son with his eyes so wide and wet. She threw her sweat-soaked blankets off, rattled with bone-deep cold, screamed at the snakes, writhing before her eyes, vomited, clawed, moaning at the blackening rash that crept over her body.’’ This shows that Robbie is so scared and worried at his mum hallucinating and fighting infection due to the operation Knox preformed and this is the beginning of Robbie’s obsession with Knox. Six years later.
Robbie’s obsession really starts to begin when he is walking down the street and he hears the name ‘‘Knox’’ and he cannot turn away ‘‘Robbie was drawn to him like any enemy to another’’ This tells us that he’s compelled to follow him, like he couldn’t help it, he had to see where he was going like Knox was the prey and Robbie was the predator.

Robbie is so caught up in his obsession with Knox that he starts to forget about the people he loves like Essie and as Robbies obsession grows he starts to think about why he and Essie live a life of suffering whilst Knox lives his in luxury ‘‘One thing was certain it was not a life spent sharing a building with pigs and rats crawling out of broken windows and gin drowsy babies mewling before they died’’ This reflects that mentioning two of the dirtiest animals and the horrr of drunken babies because their mothers have no foof to give them is horrible as you wouldn’t like to see something like this.

Robbies hatred gets even worse when he follows Knox to his house and looks through Knox’s windows. And notices the violin on the table ‘‘He stared at it. It had been in Knox’s hands but he still wanted to touch its smoothness.’’ This shows us that the violin is a symbol of Robbie’s lost life and this makes him hates Knox even more.

Robbie is also obsessed with Knox as he takes the chance of his life in the new town away ‘‘He let himself remember the life that had been taken away from him. The life he should still have.’’ This tells us that Robbie is fueling his anger at Knox because he took away the life he could have had and he should still have if he hadnt operated on his mother.

Robbie’s obsession with Knox is still over powering as he hates the thought of anatomy and that’s also another reason why Robbie hates Knox. Keeping this in mind Robbie cannot put aside his feelings no matter how hard he tries ‘‘He tried in vain to push his bitterness aside.’’ This shows that he keeps on trying to forgive Knox but he cant forget his bitter feelings against him.
Robbie is appalled when he breaks into surgeons square and finds some anatomy books and begins to read them, ‘‘each time he read the chilling description of an operation with its cold explanation of gruesome techniques, his breath stuck in his throat and he wanted desperately not to read, but he could not stop. His eyes were dragged along the lines.’’ This tells us that Robbie thinks Knox and men like him have no emotion or soul. Word choice (dragged) highlights Robbie’s obsession with anatomy, as if someone is making Robbie read the books.

Robbie’s obsession leads him to spend a night in the Canongate Toolbooth as he gets caught in the surgeon’s library ‘‘Robbie turned his face towards the wall and dragged his parched tongue against the dripping stones. And as he drank he cried.’’ This incident highlights how low Robbie has sunk; he is so desperate that he is doing the same as a mad man.
While Robbie is in jail he is bewildered as to why he’s let the obsession with Knox overcome him ‘‘His sense powerlessness was overwhelming. It rose in his chest and he screwed up his eyes against it. What have I done? What has Doctor Knox made me become?’’ This shows us that Robbie blames his predicament on Knox when actually it is his own actions that have caused him to end up in jail-he feels once again that Knox has all the power.

Robbie goes to Joseph’s house and feels he can talk to him about God ‘‘what sort of Goes would take my mother? The sentence hung in the air dangling like a noose.’’ This tells us that Robbie is confused and wants someone to blame, as he knows his mum was a good person. ‘Dangling like a noose’ is a simile and has connotations to death as it’s dangerous to question God.

Robbie is slowly beginning to leave his obsession behind and his life seems more optimistic ‘‘it was now the beginning of March, and as each day grew lighter, brighter as the waking sun trickled its warming fingers across the city.’’ The use of personification is very strong as the sun sounds comforting, and light emphasises that Robbie’s life is lighter without thinking about Knox.

Soon after Robbie is leaving the obsession behind it re-appears when Robbie meets Burke and Hare who give him the chance to get closet to Knox; and Robbie can’t resist. ‘‘how apt if Dr Knox where to pay me too. Here was a way to enter Knox’s life and this time Robbie would not be the victim.’’ This tells us Robbie has found a way to get to Knox and this time he wants him to suffer. Robbie’s job with Burke and Hare is very dangerous and illegal and Robbie knows it’s wrong but the urge of him getting closer to Knox fuels him further.
Robbie’s obsession is growing when he goes to Knox’s house to deliver bodies and after he does this, Himself, Burke and Hare go to the pub and get drunk. He comes home drunk and doesn’t notice Essie ‘‘He did not notice her lying there like ice.’’ A simile shows how hurt Essie is-cold with hunger and worry. She will not forgive this easily as Robbie is doing the same as her Dad-coming home late drunk and forgetting about Essie.

Robbie’s obsession is still growing as Robbie goes to meet Burke and Hare but this time they meet at Burke’s house so Robbie walk upstairs and sees the dead, lifeless man on the floor ‘‘Robbie’s feet refused to move.’’ This shows that Robbie was so shocked by what he witnessed. It’s as though he’s in a trance and can’t move.
Robbie’s obsession is still growing as Robbie begins to realise that helping Burke and Hare is wrong, he goes to tell them he will not work for them anymore but opens the door to find Burke and Hare murdering a young woman so Robbie runs down the street but falls and injures his hand. He goes to Joseph but realises Knox is there so Knox stitches it up while Robbie talk to Knox about his anatomy ‘‘People may not like the idea of anatomy but they all too quickly forget their qualms when I save their lives.’’ This is telling us Knox thinks that people who are against anatomy are hypocrites.

Robbie’s obsession is still lingering when Burke and Hare are caught by the police and Burke gets hanged. He wants Knox to pay too so he goes to confront him. On his way to Knox there is a fatal accident and Knox operates on Robbie to save his life ‘‘the pain was just one shattered scream, shooting into a million splinters in his ears.’’ This is an important part of the story as its linked back to the prologue- it’s as if Robbie has become his mum and Essie has become Robbie.
Robbie’s obsession is coming to an end when Robbie confronts Knox about his Mum and he sees him in a different way, ‘‘He looked smaller than Robbie remembered... vermillion streaked one cheek.’’ This shows that Robbie now notices that Knox is not as perfect and powerful as he once thought-it is not his fault and he is only human with imperfections.

An anti-climax has been raised when Knox tells Robbie about his Mum and this is so important in the novel as Robbie has been waiting to hear this since his Mum died ‘‘this was what he had waited for so long to hear. Dr Knox was sorry. Yet it did not seem to be the most important thing any longer.’’ This shows that Robbie has got what he has been waiting for a long time, the obsession ends here.

Many years later Robbie decides to leave the obsession behind and change his life by following in the footsteps of Joseph and Dr Knox and become a doctor. He operates on a young woman and just as he was about to start he heard Dr Knox has died ‘‘someone I knew a long time ago has died. He became a good friend.’’ This tells us that in the end Dr Knox and Robbie went from enemies to friends. He begins to operate on the patient ‘‘As Robbie sliced smoothly into the soft flesh calmly, carefully holding the razor-thin blade firmly, strongly, he heard it: floating somewhere above the woman faraway dreaming, rising, and falling like the last song a swan might sing, the distant arpeggio sound of a violin.’’ The violin symbolises Dr Knox’s death, he became his friend and the obsession turns good as he goes from hating Knox to becoming friends.

In conclusion, a novel that includes obsession is ‘‘Fleshmarket’’ by Nicola Morgan. I felt the theme was portrayed effectively as Robbie’s obsession was always linked back to the prologue. It has strong effects of anger and hurt and Nicola Morgan used great description in the novel. I thought it was excellent how she made the obsession and conflict between Robbie and Knox eventually turn good ‘‘Fleshmarket’’ is a very dramatic, tension building novel, It has a very sinister plot, and the excitement to the novel builds to a gripping climax at the end. Nicola Morgan is an outstanding author from the prologue to the end.