Edward Pierce's Criminal Career
Blinded by Wealth, He Grows
Basic biology states that though survival of the fittest, animals learn to continue actions that put them ahead of others, actions that give them more power. Originating from the Victorian slums, Edward Pierce’s criminal career was greatly influenced by this power struggle. With “only 3 to 5 percent of all crime [being] reported,” Pierce was never discouraged from cheating his way to aristocratic wealth (Crichton 24). Pierce took advantage of Victorian England’s societal circumstances and used them as prongs of a ladder to ultimate power, the Great Train Robbery.
Early on, Pierce learned that to get ahead, one must rely on oneself. In Victorian England, “to be in need of a loan implied some kind of misdeed” (Crichton …show more content…
“Victorians of all classes accepted a kind of ruthlessness in their dealings with one another that seems outrageous today” (Crichton 414). By calmly stating, “I don’t know,” whenever he was asked who helped him, Pierce easily gained the trust of all criminals (Crichton 567). Regardless of Pierce stealing from the wealthy or tricking the poor into helping him on his evil deeds, Pierce was admired by anyone he wished to be admired by.
Pierce did not need the money for money’s intended purpose, but instead to prove his rank against the other English criminals. It was all a competition of who could be the better criminal and make it to the top. People turned their back on this heinous crime after it was committed because there was “some fatal flaw in the character of the English mind” which only emphasized Pierce’s social power (Crichton 579).
While English society was blinded by money, Edward Pierce became one of the most powerful individuals in Britain. With the facade of a wealthy englishman, Pierce needed no one to rely on, had the ability to influence all of the general public, and was respected amongst both the highest and lowest of classes. Gaining this facade through devilish deeds encouraged Pierce to crescendo his crimes into one of the greatest known in all of English
Basic biology states that though survival of the fittest, animals learn to continue actions that put them ahead of others, actions that give them more power. Originating from the Victorian slums, Edward Pierce’s criminal career was greatly influenced by this power struggle. With “only 3 to 5 percent of all crime [being] reported,” Pierce was never discouraged from cheating his way to aristocratic wealth (Crichton 24). Pierce took advantage of Victorian England’s societal circumstances and used them as prongs of a ladder to ultimate power, the Great Train Robbery.
Early on, Pierce learned that to get ahead, one must rely on oneself. In Victorian England, “to be in need of a loan implied some kind of misdeed” (Crichton …show more content…
“Victorians of all classes accepted a kind of ruthlessness in their dealings with one another that seems outrageous today” (Crichton 414). By calmly stating, “I don’t know,” whenever he was asked who helped him, Pierce easily gained the trust of all criminals (Crichton 567). Regardless of Pierce stealing from the wealthy or tricking the poor into helping him on his evil deeds, Pierce was admired by anyone he wished to be admired by.
Pierce did not need the money for money’s intended purpose, but instead to prove his rank against the other English criminals. It was all a competition of who could be the better criminal and make it to the top. People turned their back on this heinous crime after it was committed because there was “some fatal flaw in the character of the English mind” which only emphasized Pierce’s social power (Crichton 579).
While English society was blinded by money, Edward Pierce became one of the most powerful individuals in Britain. With the facade of a wealthy englishman, Pierce needed no one to rely on, had the ability to influence all of the general public, and was respected amongst both the highest and lowest of classes. Gaining this facade through devilish deeds encouraged Pierce to crescendo his crimes into one of the greatest known in all of English