Women

Restricted Lives of Nineteenth-Century Women

Despite the fact that there was a woman on the British throne in Victorian England (Queen Victoria), women had very restricted lives.

Property and money

Women had no property or money of their own – they were not allowed to own them – and were dependent on their husbands, fathers or, in some cases, their sons.
Women could only inherit money from dead relatives if there was no other living male relative.
Women usually had to rely on marrying a man to gain some financial stability.

Expectations about family

Women were expected to marry and have children – Victorian families were generally quite large.
Victorian women were expected to act as submissive mothers and wives. They were supposed to be vulnerable and modest.

Restrictions on voting

Women had no rights and could not vote.

Restrictions on dressing

Middle and upper-class women wore impractical clothes (long, bulky dresses), designed to make them look modest, attractive and wealthy.

Restricted Job Opportunities for Women

Some women had to look for paid work outside the home, but job opportunities for women were severely restricted.

Working-class women

Domestic service was the largest employer of women.
Textiles and clothing businesses were also a large employer of women.
Other employment sectors included seamstressing, laundry work, cleaning, pottery, and brewing.

Middle-class women

Some continued family businesses after their husbands’ deaths.
A significant number of unmarried middle-class women joined careers which were more suitable for their social status - they became governesses, inn-keepers and hat-makers.

Upper-class women

These women could usually be ladies of leisure, enjoying a more relaxed life of overseeing the running of their households, planning and attending parties, and charity work.

Mary Morstan and Victorian Conventions about Women

In The Sign of the Four, Mary Morstan follows the Victorian conventions for women.

Role of Mary Morstan

Mary Morstan has a modest role as a governess, she is shielded from the most horrific events in the story, and she appears vulnerable and in need of a protector.

Quotation about Mary Morstan

‘She was seated by the open window, dressed in some sort of white diaphanous material’.
- Mary waits at the window for her saviours to return after solving the case.
- She is dressed in white, representing her innocence and vulnerability.

1Context

1.1Victorian England & British Empire

1.1.1Author Background

1.1.2Victorian Crime & Police

1.1.3Historical Context

1.1.4Victorian London

1.1.5Women

1.1.6The British Empire

1.1.7End of Topic Test - Author & Victorian Police

1.1.8End of Topic Test - Victorian London & Empire

2Plot Summary

2.1Chapter Summaries

2.1.1Chapter 1

2.1.2Chapter 2

2.1.3Chapter 3

2.1.4Chapter 4

2.1.5Chapter 5

2.1.6Chapter 6

2.1.7Chapter 7

2.1.8Chapter 8

2.1.9Chapter 9

2.1.10Chapter 10

2.1.11Chapter 11

2.1.12Chapter 12

2.1.13Chapter 12: Jonathan Small's Stories

2.1.14End of Topic Test - Chapters 1-6

2.1.15End of Topic Test - Chapters 7-12

3Characters

3.1Key Characters

3.1.1Sherlock Holmes

3.1.2Sherlock Holmes: Quotations

3.1.3Dr John Watson

3.1.4Mary Morstan

3.1.5End of Topic Test - Key Characters

3.1.6Exam-Style Questions - Mary & Dr Watson

3.2Other Characters

3.2.1Thaddeus Sholto

3.2.2Jonathan Small

3.2.3End of Topic Test - Thaddeus and Jonathan Small

3.3Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.3.1Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.3.2Extract Analysis - Tonga

4Key Themes

4.1Key Themes

4.1.1Corruption

4.1.2Criminals & Victims

4.1.3Victorian Fear

4.1.4British Empire & Imperialism

4.1.5Duality

4.1.6End of Topic Test - Key Themes

5Writing Techniques

5.1Writing Techniques

5.1.1Narrative Voice

5.1.2Dialogue

5.1.3Structure

5.1.4Structure & Characters

5.1.5Pathetic Fallacy

5.1.6End of Topic Test - Writing Techniques

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