In his preface to The Moonstone , Wilkie Collins declares that his object with the novel has been "to trace the influence of character on circumstances", referring mainly to the conduct of the novel's heroine, Rachel.  In view of the other characters' similar function in this symbol-laden novel, this essay looks closer at the one character with whom Collins brings his extensive tapestry to a close, Ezra Jennings, thereby exposing the deeper significance of this 'detective novel'.  Ezra's added function in this novel, is to be the physical focal point, within the plot, for three crucial themes within the novel: 'Opium', 'Empire' and 'Sacrifice'.  Of course, the other characters incorporate these themes as well, but it is always Ezra who has the ultimate representational power.  He is, literally, the sum of the others' hopes and fears, and Collins's metaphorical 'third eye' of The Moonstone, presenting an alternative aspect of events.