Robert Louis Stevenson Uses His Novel Treasure Island to Present the Crisis in Masculinity and Fears Regarding Degeneration in Victorian Britain During the reign of Queen Victoria, from 1837 to 1901, there were certain social expectations that the each gender was expected to conform to. Women were expected to look after the marital home and family and also engage in philanthropic activities; men were expected to provide for the family, whilst also pursuing a social life (Hughes, n,d ). It was at this time that masculinity changed from its traditional “heroic” script. Bachelorhood and the escape from the family home became more popular as men preferred spending their time with other men rather than being at home with their loved ones (Hughes, …show more content…
In the inn that was owned by Jim’s father, there lived a pirate known as Billy Bones (Stevenson, 1884). Billy was criminal and crass, and his stories were always frightening to Jim, “His stories were what frightened people worst of all” (Stevenson, 1884, p. 8). The character traits of Billy Bones were in conflict with those of Jim’s father. This brought about a certain duality in Jim’s growth and development. He was torn between the characters to emulate; should he follow Billy or his father? Jim chose to live to the expectations of Victorian society’s masculinity standards and emulated the character of Billy Bones. Jim considered his biological father weak in the face of the real pirates. Mr Hawkins could not cope with the problems that were brought about by the pirates but Jim could. Even after his father’s death, Jim incessantly sought the company of characters who exhibited traits different from his father: the pirates, who led a life that was threatening, “In many occasions, Jim chooses to seek, instead, the company of men as different from his father as he can find” (Stevenson, 1884, p. 36). From this, readers can see how Stevenson illustrates the weaknesses of biological fathers as crumbling failures of masculinity in Victorian Britain (Gray,
Women in British society during 1931 were expected to be married and look after the children. Older woman who worked in professions such as a teacher, (commonly in primary schools) were regarded with the derogatory term, “spinster,” meaning they were passed the age a woman was supposed to be married, and it seemed unlikely that the ever would.. This viewpoint was mostly because of how much effect Queen Victoria’s words had. “Let women be what God intended, a helpmate for man, but with totally different duties and vocations.” Even some women agreed, considering political and other social equality among sexes to be improper and a sin.
In novels, characters are written with care and a purpose with every word. These actions and words are carefully welded together to form a characters that go through development and have emerging traits. A character can be clever, athletic or mindful in social situations. For example in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, his characters are purposely written in a specific way, so that they fit into the story’s plot and insure that the readers interest is maintained. Yet when Mark Twain wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim was not meant to be a character to catch the reader's eye. In the adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim is written an undynamic and flat character, who is always dependent on others.
In the Victorian period “…the childless single woman was a figure to be pitied.” (Abrams. 2001). It was considered to be outside of social hierarchy not to be a part of the domestic scene for women, “domesticity and motherhood were portrayed as sufficient emotional fulfilment for women.” (Abrams. 2001). In reality this was not the case and the role of motherhood and domesticity clearly did not sufficiently fulfil a woman’s emotional desires and requirements, situated in a suppressed, dominant patriarchal society ruled by men. In fact patriarchal society subjugated the role of women; they were seen as lesser than, and required to stay on the domestic
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain constructs the character Jim, a runaway slave who meets a twelve year old poor white boy. Based on Mark Twain’s childhood and the language during his time, Mark Twain was misinterpreted. As Twain created Jim, he was well aware of the racism towards African Americans therefore making Jim unquestionably realistic.
Jim Hawkins Character Analysis Different forces and change shape and change the Jim Hawkins in Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel, “Treasure Island.” The forces and change do the important job of helping the character evolve and develop. Jim is changed by forces such as death, discovery, and meeting others, which all play a major part in his change. All three of forces that caused Jim to change happened frequently throughout the novel. Death changed him because, if it was his own teammate who died, he would become bolder and eventually stand up for them to make sure there death was not pointless.
Instead of getting angry at his situation he decided to use this time to write literature and this turned into great work (‘Robert Louis Stevenson-early life’). Jim also took advantage of his situation by embracing his work and doing it to the best of his ability. He learned responsibility and contentment through his childhood. Although Jim was a bit sheltered and easily frightened, his responsibility helped him later on in the book. Because Jim was so sheltered and attached to his parents all his life, he did not hesitate when given the opportunity to go on the big treasure adventure (‘Jim Hawkins- character’). This willingness for adventure relates back to Robert Louis Stevenson.
Late Victorian and Edwardian’s idea of masculinity was influenced by domesticity. Manliness was above all a moral attribute,
The definition of masculinity; Is the fact of being a man or having qualities considered typical of a man.
Close relationships can affect many individuals, allowing them to see different perspectives on society. Morality plays a significant role in how people act, and also provides reason behind how they treat others as well. In addition, individuals can find freedom through forgiveness and honesty. People who face harsh circumstances may suffer, but end up taking a high moral ground even after these hardships. Hence, the people with hardships often have superior principles to those without several problems in life. A person’s position in society does not determine his or her moral or ethical status. In Mark Twain’s historical novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim plays a significant role by representing a moral figure while he also
Slavery, one of the most divisive events in history, was a defining influence in one of the most confusing relationships in literary history. In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck Finn, a young boy still trying to find his own way, and Jim, a runaway slave trying to live the free life he desperately desires, develop a bond as the two embark as various adventures together. Although Jim almost always views Huck as his friend, Huck’views never stay as certain as JiJim’, as he switches his views from slave to friend to father and back again. Although there are a multitude of influences impacting his perspective, and although said perspective switches between father, slave, and friend, he ultimately views Jim as a slave.
Jim Hawkins, the protagonist, is the primary narrator of the novel. He is the son of the owner of the Admiral Benbow inn. His connection to piracy commences in the beginning of his narrative with the “arrival of a mysterious old sailor named Bill[y] Bones at the Admiral Benbow” (Gale). From then on, Jim meets the other ship
Following the death of his father, Jim took this opportunity to discover himself on the open sea. It was at this time that Jim would embark on a journey he would never forget. “I said good-bye to my mother and the cove where I had lived since I was born, and the dear old Admiral Benbow” (Stevenson 59-60).
The highly lauded novel by Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, entertains the reader with one adventure after another by a young boy (and his runaway slave friend Jim) in the mid-1800s who is on strange but interesting path to adolescence and finally adulthood. What changes did he go through on the way to the end of the novel? And what was his worldview at the end of the novel? These two questions are approached and answered in this paper.
The Victorian Era is a remarkable time in history with the blooming industries, growing population, and a major turnaround in the fashion world. This era was named after Queen Victoria who ruled United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from June 1837 until she passed away 64 years later in January 1901.When Victoria received the crown, popular respect was strikingly low. The lack of respect for the position she had just come into did not diminish her confidence. Instead she won the hearts of Britain with her modesty, grace, straightforwardness, and her want to be informed on the political matters at hand even though she had no input. She changed Britain into a flourishing country. She also impacted how women interacted
During the Victorian Era in 1837 the period that was ruled by Queen Victoria I, women endured many social disadvantages by living in a world entirely dominated by men. Around that time most women had to be innocent, virtuous, dutiful and be ignorant of intellectual opinion. It was also a time associated with prudishness and repression. Their sole window on the world would, of course, be her husband. During this important era, the idea of the “Angel in the House” was developed by Coventry Patmore and used to describe the ideal women who men longed. Throughout this period, women were treated inferior to men and were destined to be the husbands “Angel in the House”.