4.1.5

Victorian Gentlemen

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Victorian Gentlemen

The gentleman was an important figure in Victorian society. Men were expected to behave in a certain way, repress their desires and avoid egotistical behaviours.

Class and professionalism

Class and professionalism

  • A man’s social class was one part of being a gentleman - gentlemen were from the upper class of Victorian society.
  • His profession was important - army officers, church ministers, doctors and lawyers could all be counted as gentlemen. Some middle-class men (such as bankers and successful merchants) also aspired to be gentlemen.
Expectations of gentlemen

Expectations of gentlemen

  • Gentlemen were expected to have strong morals and be kind, particularly towards poorer people. But plenty of people saw this as a less important part of being a gentleman.
Perks

Perks

  • Being a gentleman bought many benefits. It gave you a chance to enter well-paid professions like medicine and law, and gain the respect of rich clients.
  • It was also important for your children. A gentleman could use his contacts to arrange marriages for his daughters and well-paid jobs for his sons.

Gentlemen and Reputation

Gentlemen were determined to maintain their reputations - without a good reputation, a man couldn’t be considered a gentlemen at all.

Utterson

Utterson

  • Utterson is more concerned with preserving Jekyll’s reputation than bringing Hyde to trial.
  • After Carew has been murdered, he says to Jekyll “if it came to trial, your name might appear”.
  • Utterson is also wary of gossip, and he tries to avoid talking about Hyde to anyone else.
Stevenson's message

Stevenson's message

  • The gentlemanly ideal of repressing one's innermost thoughts causes Utterson to suffer from nightmares. This suggests Stevenson’s message is that reputations are only based on appearances.
  • Reputations are not always genuine versions of people - they are just the façades that people try to uphold and show to society.
Jump to other topics
1

Plot Summary

1.1

Chapters 1-10

1.1.1Chapters 1 & 21.1.2Chapters 3 & 41.1.3Chapters 5 & 61.1.4Chapters 7 & 81.1.5Chapters 9 & 101.1.6End of Topic Test - Chapters 1-61.1.7End of Topic Test - Chapters 7-10
2

Characters

2.1

Jekyll & Hyde

2.1.1Dr Henry Jekyll2.1.2Jekyll - Name & Quotes2.1.3Mr Edward Hyde2.1.4Jekyll/Hyde Quotes - Chapters 1-92.1.5Jekyll/Hyde Quotes - Chapter 102.1.6End of Topic Test - Jekyll & Hyde2.1.7Exam-Style Questions - Mr Hyde
2.2

Other Characters

2.2.1Mr Gabriel John Utterson2.2.2Dr Hastie Lanyon2.2.3Minor Characters2.2.4End of Topic Test - Other Characters
3

Gothic Genre

3.1

Gothic Elements

3.1.1Gothic Conventions3.1.2Gothic Settings & Symbolism3.1.3End of Topic Test - Gothic Conventions
4

Key Themes

4.1

Key Themes & Quotes

4.1.1Science4.1.2Dual Nature of Man4.1.3Religion & Sin4.1.4Violence & Horror4.1.5Victorian Gentlemen4.1.6End of Topic Test - Key Themes & Quotes
5

Context & Author

5.1

Context & Author

5.1.1The Victorian Era5.1.2Deacon Brodie & Freud5.1.3End of Topic Test - Context & Author
6

Literary Techniques

6.1

Literary Techniques

6.1.1Language6.1.2Structure & Form6.1.3End of Topic Test - Literary Techniques
7

Grade 9 - Key Character & Theme Questions

7.1

Key Character & Themes - Linked Questions

7.1.1Grade 9 - Key Characters & Themes7.1.2Extract Analysis - Jekyll7.1.3Extract Analysis - Duality
8

Recap: Main Quotes

8.1

Characters Quotes

8.1.1Dr Henry Jekyll8.1.2Mr Edward Hyde8.1.3Mr Edward Hyde 28.1.4Utterson & Lanyon8.1.5Poole, Enfield & Mr Guest
8.2

Text Structure - Quotes

8.2.1Jekyll's House & London8.2.2Victorian Repression8.2.3Religion8.2.4Violence

Practice questions on Victorian Gentlemen

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    Perks of being a Victorian gentleman:Fill in the list
  2. 2
    Which of these was <b>NOT</b> an actual perk of being a gentleman in Victorian society?Multiple choice
  3. 3
    What does Utterson suffer from as a result of suppressing his innermost thoughts?Multiple choice
  4. 4
    The significance of reputation in _Jekyll and Hyde_:True / false
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Violence & Horror

End of Topic Test - Key Themes & Quotes