Reputation in the Victorian Age Despite perceived shortcomings in one’s family, personality, wealth, and so on, the Victorians always put up a front to maintain a good appearance and uphold their reputation .
Why is reputation important in Jekyll and Hyde?
Hyde, preserving one’s reputation emerges as all important. ... In many instances in the novel, Utterson, true to his Victorian society, adamantly wishes not only to preserve Jekyll’s reputation but also to preserve the appearance of order and decorum, even as he senses a vile truth lurking underneath.
What was important to Victorian society?
Important reforms included legislation on child labour, safety in mines and factories, public health, the end of slavery in the British Empire, and education (by 1880 education was compulsory for all children up to the age of 10). There was also prison reform and the establishment of the police.
Why were gentlemen’s reputations important in Victorian London?
The ‘gentleman’ was an important figure in Victorian society. A man’s social class was one part of being a gentlemen – gentlemen were from the upper-classes of Victorian society. Gentlemen were expected to have strong morals and be kind, particularly towards poorer people .
What is Jekyll’s reputation?
Dr Jekyll is respected due to his wealth, reputation as a charitable man and his discoveries in science . The doctor gave one of his pleasant dinners to some five or six old cronies, all intelligent reputable men, and all judges of good wine.
What is the moral of Jekyll and Hyde?
The moral message of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is that man’s soul is paired with both elements of good and evil . These basic elements cannot be separated because man is defined by the conflict within his inner nature and how he deals with this duality.
What are the main themes in Jekyll and Hyde?
- Duality of man. Jekyll asserts that “man is not truly one, but truly two,” ...
- Good versus Evil. Dr. ...
- Repression. ...
- Friendship and Loyalty. ...
- Appearances and Reputation. ...
- Curiosity. ...
- Lies and Deceit. ...
- Violence.
What was wrong with Victorian society?
The Victorians, especially poor ones, were at high risk of catching some nasty diseases. Most of the common killers – measles, scarlet fever, smallpox and typhus – had blighted Britain for centuries. ... Around one-third of children, and more than half in some poor neighbourhoods, died before they reached the age of five.
What were the Victorian attitudes?
Victorian gender ideology was premised on the “doctrine of separate spheres.” This stated that men and women were different and meant for different things. Men were physically strong, while women were weak. For men sex was central , and for women reproduction was central.
What were Victorian attitudes to poverty?
For the early part of the Victorian era the predominant idea of poverty was that it was the individual’s responsibility to keep out of poverty . If he failed to do this it was assumed that the poverty was the fault of a character defect in the individual rather than as a result of economic forces beyond his control.
What were typical Victorian values?
The values they held: personal responsibility, self-reliance, industriousness and individualism were, and are values worth adhering to. They fostered independence of spirit and action.
Why were the Victorians obsessed with death?
As can be seen, up to the highest levels of society, the mourning ritual was pervasive. Another reason why the Victorians were so ritualistic in their methods of grieving is because death was simply a way of life due to the high mortality rates (Hunter).
What made someone a gentleman in the Victorian era?
Originally, the gentleman was the man of noble birth with his pure gens , but also the Church of England clergymen, members of Parliament and army officers. From its earliest usage in English, the term “gentle” carried both social and moral connotations, as did “noble”. It was always a complimentary term.
Are Jekyll and Hyde the same person?
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are in fact a single character . Until the end of the novel, the two personas seem nothing alike—the well-liked, respectable doctor and the hideous, depraved Hyde are almost opposite in type and personality.
How does Utterson protect jekylls reputation?
His loyalty to, and concern for, Jekyll are shown often. When Sir Danvers Carew is murdered, Utterson protects his friend Jekyll by not mentioning their relationship to the police . ... It is this curiosity and persistence that eventually sees him uncover the truth about Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’s relationship.
What does ape like fury suggest?
The use of the simile ‘ape-like fury’ describes Hyde as an animal capable of rages, not a human . This shows that Hyde doesn’t care about his actions and has no control over his fiery, animalistic behaviour.
