The concept of brotherhood is an underlying one in myriad works of the Victorian era. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle highlights a classic image of brotherhood in his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr. Watson, but ultimately identifies its shortcomings through the introduction of women who directly influence Holmes and Watson. Similarly, Matthew Arnold expands on the elusiveness of brotherhood and comments on its impossibility by emphasizing the ubiquity of isolation. Friedrich Engels offers a melding of the two by commenting on the unfeasibility of brotherhood when England is so strictly divided between the poor and the middle and upper classes. The three authors ultimately convey that brotherhood is desirable but fleeting, though they each highlight disparate reasons for this conclusion.
The presence of brotherhood in the Sherlock Holmes stories is notable because it occurs primarily between two starkly different men, though Doyle’s assertion through Holmes and Watson that brotherhood is vital does not diminish. Holmes, an intelligent man whose “observations have fairly astounded” (Scarlet 24) Watson serves as a foil to Watson himself, who finds contemporary knowledge of vast importance. This contrasts Holmes’ opinion that “useless facts” (Scarlet 25), like those pertaining to the solar system, serve him no purpose. However, as Watson is a “Doctor of Medicine” (Scarlet 17), their mutual interest in observation and science ultimately strengthens the depth of their relationship, allowing Holmes and Watson to be included a sort of “brotherhood” of science. In fact, in A Study in Scarlet, it is under the umbrella of science, at the “chemical laboratory” (Scarlet 18), that Watson and Holmes first meet. Further, this inclusion ...
... middle of paper ...
...tached to it, making the repetition of the phrase effective in conveying that the use of the lower class “as mere material” (584) contributes to its inability to equate itself in the smallest way with the bourgeoisie by having the ability to experience the idea of brotherhood under conditions not marked by “filth, ruin, and uninhabitableness” (584).
While the conclusions of Doyle, Arnold and Engels all enforced the idea that brotherhood has its barriers and inhibitors, each asserted the idea in profoundly different ways. Where Doyle said that women interfere with the institution of brotherhood, Arnold praised females. While Arnold insisted that brotherhood is something worth striving for, his ultimate conclusion that the inescapability of isolation makes it impossible aligns with Engels’ view that the consequences of industry make it a goal unattainable for many.
This essay will explore the social interactions between characters, the effects of appearance on their relationships and how this drives them to make certain decisions. This includes how the claustrophobia of their society is portrayed and its effects through form, style and literary techniques. All four texts explore the conflict between public and private selves. In Othello , Shakespeare reveals the taboo surrounding an interracial sexual relationship between a black man and a white woman during the Sixteenth Century. In Hardy’s Nineteenth Century novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles , we see the clash between sexuality, laws and codes of the time. I will compare these texts to The Franklin’s Tale and Pride and Prejudice , looking at how the rigid codes of courtly love impact on male and female behaviour within relationships and how the social and cultural attitudes and values of Regency England influence young women in their marriage choices.
“People who are in earnest are always interesting, whether you agree with them or not” (The Chronicles). Doyle may be known as the author of Sherlock Holmes, but there are other facets to his life. On account of some strange events that occurred, Doyle was persuaded into thinking that spiritual beings existed. As Doyle’s career advanced he drew the attention of many to himself. He succeeded both by gaining supporters and detractors. He built on his fame by giving lectures. These aspects of his life are connected; his painful childhood led him to a successful medical career where his writing and life partner stepped into the picture. These aspects, when combined, led Doyle to a new world view of spiritualism.
The concerns of Victorian England about the status of faith and manhood have left a deep mark in the literature of the period. The Picture of Dorian Gray and Dracula are good examples of this concern. In both books there is an emphasis in the corruption of the body and of the soul as maladies that haunt the greatness of England. The aristocracy is pointed as the social strata from where this decadence will spread. These books show a population of youth that lacks the guidance of parents and are apparently deprived of fertility as a consequence of the disorientation that reigns among them. This corruption is shown in conjunction with a lack of religious faith and an excess of sin that will result in the transference of England to the forces of evil.
Universal Brotherhood is an entity that connects us all in a way we can never explain. Throughout “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” Huck experiences the values of Brotherhood through his relationship with Jim. Brotherhood played a major role in the novel and had a great impact on Hucks life. Through his relationship with Jim, he learns that society is not always good and caring, it is corrupt in several ways. He chooses to save Jim out of slavery, something that was illegal during the time. Huck did not care that he went against society to help Jim find freedom because in his heart he felt that it was morally right. Brotherhood plays a big role in the way we interact with each other, it is something inscribed into everybodies DNA. While Universal Brotherhood can be positive, it can also be negative and corrupted from the inside.
But in reality, a male narrator gives a certain sense of understanding to the male audience and society’s understand of the male and females roles and responsibilities in a marriage. Just as men were expected to cut the grass, take out the trash, pay the bills and maintain the household as a whole, women were expected to cook, clean, nurture the children, and be a loving and submissive wife to their husband. The only stipulation required for this exchange of power was to establish a mutual love. In the Victorian age love was all it took for a man to take or alter a woman’s livelihood and
As part of the Sherlock Holmes series, the short story, “A Scandal in Bohemia,” written by Arthur Conan Doyle, introduces the Victorian concept , “The New Woman.” The term “New Woman” describes noncomformist females as smart, educated, independent, and self-reliant. These women decided that they did not want to get entrapped into the stereotypical “Angel of the House.” The New Woman concept did not only apply to middle class women, but factory and office workers. These women put off marriage to make themselves an individual. The New Woman concept made a major impact in social changes that redefined gender roles, consolidating women’s rights, and overcoming masculine supremacy. This new woman also appeared in literature that involved crime
The novel “The Sign of the Four”, written by Arthur Conan Doyle is about Sherlock Holmes and his partner, Watson. The book follows them throughout their adventures, however, only the beginning will be discussed. What could possibly have sparked much interest in Doyle’s works that film adaptations from 1954-2010 by various movie directors? Was it the resolute mindset of Sherlock Holmes? Was it his uncanny detective work? His professional use of drugs? Or perhaps was it his ideology? Such beginnings are what writers like K.M. Weiland excels in; to craft an irresistible lure for their audience of fish. Doyle’s book introduces us to a multitude of questions and concerns, which according to Tim O’Brien is meant to “not explain or to resolve, but
...stic things in order to live a better, more sound, and overall healthier life. Juxtaposition makes the audience want to follow through with the purpose. Exemplification causes the audience to realize the extent of their materialistic nature. A definition of the average homeless person’s terms allows him to build his ethos and consequently allow the audience to believe and follow his purpose. A majority of people are a part of the middle class, and this majority tends to judge the poor for their lifestyle whether it be through Dumpster diving or begging on the streets. However, as proven by the essay, these people have no right to do so because the poor do, in reality, have a greater sense of self than these middle-class people, similar to the rich. The middle-class citizens must no longer act the victim; instead, they should be working on becoming more sentimental.
The lower status contradicts, the slaves to the wealthy and royalty, all delineate the role of the people present in the society and their everyday life. In the images, the poor and the slaves are depicted with little to no possessions, looking tired and over-worked. Through their everyday labor, they must survive as a less fortunate person. In contrast to the images of the poor, the wealthy display their prosperity and possessions, which they own which ranges from animals such as horses, to ornaments of precious treasures of gold, jewels, and even exquisite dresses, garments, robes and gowns.... ...
Sherlock Holmes, one of the most famous fictional characters in literary history is a detective capable of solving the most complex mysteries. The author behind the character, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a very successful British writer. The majority of his literary success is due to his crime-fiction tales such as the Sherlock Holmes series. However, Mr. Doyle and Mr. Holmes himself must not take all the credit because there is another character that plays a major role in the stories success. He goes by the name of Dr. Watson, Holmes’ sidekick. The importance of Dr. Watson is evident in many of Doyle’s stories such as A Scandal in Bohemia and A Study in Scarlett.
There have always been class divisions in England’s social groups, but it was not until the nineteenth century that they were labeled. The lower class was often uneducated and overlooked and mostly servants and prostitutes, the middle class generally had steady jobs and members of the higher classes were born to old money and did not have to work. The French Lieutenant’s Woman written by John Fowles is a complex “Victorian novel filled with enchanting mysteries and magically erotic possibilities” (Canby) in which, Fowles describes a Victorian society in 1867 that is still largely separated by class, which creates strong restrictions with respect to sex and marriage. Notably, conflict in the novel involves scandals where these restrictions are disregarded. Fowles shows that sex and marriage were still largely dictated by whether a person belonged to the lower, middle or upper class in order to highlight that there were more restrictions for higher-class men and women.
This paper will explore the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and his companion and friend Dr. John Watson. What is the relationship between Holmes and Watson? Are they compatible or are their differences to great for them to overcome. Looking at how they work together will also be a key factor in how well the relationship works between the two of them. Do their own interests and abilities get in the way? Does the time period in which they live factor into the environment of their communication styles?
Over time the reader can tell that Watson and Holmes are alike but very different which makes them great partners. From the start Watson is seen as smart but Holmes is seen as a genius. After finding the mysterious walking stick Watson tells Holmes what he observes and Holmes replies with “Really Watson,you excel yourself,”said Holmes(Doyle 2).Sherlock Holmes is seen as the type of man that thinks he is higher than anyone else. Although Holmes blatantly tells Watson that he is a “conductor of light,Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it (Doyle 3).Holmes is seen as to be a man of action. Your instinct is always to do something energetic.
The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Victorian Age: Introduction." The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Victorian Age: Introduction. 2010. Web. 23 Feb. 2014
The Victorian Era in English history was a period of rapid change. One would be hard-pressed to find an aspect of English life in the 19th century that wasn’t subject to some turmoil. Industrialization was transforming the citizens into a working class population and as a result, it was creating new urban societies centered on the factories. Great Britain enjoyed a time of peace and prosperity at home and thus was extending its global reach in an era of New Imperialism. Even in the home, the long held beliefs were coming into conflict.