Context Flashcards
Who created the theory of atavism?
Lombroso, an Italian doctor
What is the theory of atavism?
humans evolved from primitive forms so could return to this basic state and succumb to primitive urges
What did Lombroso believe in?
idea of the born criminal
criminals could be identified by their appearance, particularly skulls
What features, in atavism, were so frequently remarked in criminals?
sugar-loaf or angular skull
big eyes, jaws, canines
arm span exceeds height
hairiness
When was ‘Origin of Species’ published?
1859
Who wrote ‘Origin of Species’?
Charles Darwin
What did the publishing of ‘Origin of Species’ cause?
ape vs. angel debate
What was the ‘ape vs. angel’ debate?
victorians lived in a pious society so were disgusted by idea that humans had evolved from primitive creatures
What was a cultural obsession in the Victorian era?
freak shows
Give an example of a freak show
PT Barnums’ Congress of Freaks
What was expected of a Victorian gentleman?
patience, calm attitude
What is calvinism?
branch of Christianity
What is a calvanist’s view?
total depravity ; original sin is unavoidable
people may appear outwardly good but they will always have sinful intentions
What did ‘gross indecency’ refer to?
homosexual acts between two men
What made ‘gross indecency’ punishable by hanging?
1885 Criminal Law Amendment Act
When was Jekyll and Hyde written?
1886
Who wrote Jekyll and Hyde?
Robert Louis Stevenson
When did RLS write the Body Snatcher?
1884
What happens in the Body Snatcher?
a man is haunted by his guilty conscience and one of his victims
What are symptoms of syphillis?
rashes, sores, growths
infertility, hair loss
How did the Victorians treat syphillis?
mercury
Examples of prudery and repression in Victorian era
arms and legs = ‘extremities’, ‘limbs’
Language of Flowers
Examples of Language of Flowers
Red Carnations ; ‘my heart aches for you’
Pink ; ‘Yes’
White Rose ; ‘I cannot’
What form is Jekyll and Hyde?
gothic shilling shocker
What social ills was the Victorian period known for?
poverty
child labour
drug and alcohol abuse
prostitution
How many prostitutes were there in London during the 1850s?
80,000 prostitutes
What did Victorians enjoy?
gossip and scandal
What did Victorians like to read?
publications that provided gossip and talk of contemporary celebrities
Which publication of gossip was first published in 1843?
News of the World
When was News of the World first published?
1843
What was News of the World?
publication of gossip and talk of contemporary celebrities
What was Laudanum?
mixture of opium and alcohol
What was the drug of choice during the Victorian era?
laudanum
Which social classes used laudanum?
all social classes
How available was laudanum?
freely available
What was a popular drink during the Victorian times?
gin
Where could gin be enjoyed during Victorian times?
gin palaces
What was the population of London in 1831?
1.8 million
What was the population of London in 1901?
6.5 million
What was population density of London in 1831?
3,021
What was the population density of London in 1901?
10,466
What did increase in urban population result in for Victorians in London?
postal service
telegraph / telephone service
sewage system
What did crowded slums mean for those living in them?
poor living conditions
disease
What disease was rife in crowded slums in Victorian London?
tuberculosis
What major change occurred during the Victorian period?
industrial revolution
How does the urban landscape subvert the expectations of the gothic tropes?
set in busy bustling city rather than isolated countryside/marshes
Did Stevenson visit London before writing Jekyll and Hyde?
no
What city did Stevenson base his description of London off?
Edinburgh
Who was Deacon Brodie?
a cabinet maker
What was Stevenson’s link to Deacon Brodie?
he owned one of his cabinets
What did Deacon Brodie do?
he was a night time burglar
How does Deacon Brodie represent deception and duality?
cabinet maker - burglar
so respectable yet such a criminal
What kind of novel is Jekyll and Hyde?
gothic shilling shocker
Why were Victorians obsessed with death?
death of Prince Albert
How long did Queen Victoria mourn Albert for?
40 years
How did Queen Victoria mourn Albert?
black clothing and jewellery
How did Queen Victoria’s mourning influence everyday people?
black clothing and jewellery very popular
What was at the edge of every large Victorian city?
graveyards
How would Victorians have felt about Jekyll’s suicide?
outraged
shocked
Why were Victorians obsessed with crime?
invention of printing press
- newspapers
How could we diagnose Jekyll?
Double Consciousness
Criminal Responsibility
Moral Insanity
Sexual perversion
Who wrote about the idea of Double Conciousness?
Theodule Ribot
Who wrote ‘Diseases of Memory’?
Theodule Ribot
What book did Theodule Ribot write?
Diseases of Memory
When did Theodule Ribot write ‘Diseases of Memory’?
1882
How does ‘Disease of Memory’ link to Jekyll and Hyde?
- ‘compound’ of good and evil
- ‘highest state’ ‘succumbs’ becoming immoral
Who wrote about the idea of Moral Insanity?
Cowles Pritchard
Who wrote ‘Treatise on Insanity and Other Disorders affecting the mind’?
Cowles Pritchard
What book did Cowles Pritchard write?
Treatise of Insanity and Other Disorders Affecting the Mind
When did Cowles Pritchard write ‘Treatise of Insanity and Other Disorders Affecting the Mind’?
1835
How does Treatise of Insanity link to Jekyll and Hyde?
Case No. 3
What is case No. 3 of Treatise of Insanity?
- reputable man becomes reckless
- suspicious of friends
- falls into poor company
Who wrote about the idea of criminal responsibility?
Francis Galton
Who was Francis Galton?
founder of science of eugenics
pioneer of sociological method
What did Francis Galton devise?
composite photography
How did Francis Galton use composite photography?
captured visual essence of criminality
What book did Francis Galton write?
Inquiries into Human Faculty
Who wrote Inquiries into Human Faculty?
Francis Galton
When did Francis Galton write Inquiries into Human Faculty?
1883
What did Francis Galton aim to do?
isolate tendencies within human genus
Who did Francis Galton take photos of?
social types
- race, class, healthy, consumptive, criminal
Why did Francs Galton take photos of social types?
to determine physiognomic average of each
How did Francis Galton use his photographs?
exposed 8 photos to photographic plate for 1/8 of time
What did Francis Galton produce?
graphic average produced
Who wrote about the idea of Sexual Perversion?
Richard Von Kraft Ebbing
What book did Richard Von Kraft Ebbing write?
Psychopathia Sexualis
Who wrote Psychopathia Sexualis?
Richard Von Kraft Ebbing
When was Psychopathia Sexualis written?
1886
Which new interest did Psychopathia Sexualis explore?
sexology
What did sexology do?
classified perversions
How did Psychopathia Sexualis approach perversions?
pathological approach
How did the pathological approach to perversions differ from the norm?
shifted from act to instigator
How did the pathological approach investigate the insitgator?
ancestry
childhood
physical/mental constitution
How does Pyschopathia Sexualis link to Jekyll and Hyde?
‘cruel, soulless, degrading vice’
- erotic element in Hyde’s activities
How does Francis Galton’s composite photography link to Jekyll and Hyde?
separation of desires and characteristics
What does ‘MD, DCL, LLD, FRS’ stand for?
doctor of medicine
doctor of civil laws
doctor of laws
fellow of the Royal Society
How do I remember ‘MD, DCL, LLD, FRS’?
My Dog
Does Cartwheels Lots
Leigh Likes Dogs
Fran Radiates Sun
When was the first postage stamp created?
1840
What was the first postage stamp?
penny black
When were post boxes introduced?
1852
What were postal deliveries like in London?
between 6 and 12 deliveries daily
When was the London Pneumatic Despatch company created?
1863
What did the London Pneumatic Despatch company do?
send mails by underground
What new technologies did the police use?
telegrams
Why were police stations strategically placed?
facilitate coordination of operations
Who create the police?
Robert Peel
Who was Robert Peel?
Home Secretary
What were some names for policemen?
peelers
bobbies
When was the police created?
1822
How many constables were there in London?
450 constables
How many night watchmen were there in London?
4500 night watchmen
When was the Metropolitan Police Act issued?
1829
What did the Metropolitan Police Act issue?
full time police force for Greater London
What were shifts like for police?
12 hour shifts 6 days a week
What was a standard wage for a policemen?
1 guinea a week
How much area were the police responsible for?
7 mile radius excluding City of London
