- Dec 2021
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blogs.dickinson.edu blogs.dickinson.edu
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been intensified by his long residence in the tropics
Says a lot about the Victorian society and their views of non-white, British people. Blaming Dr. Roylott's rage and violence on his time in a foreign land portrays the idea of foreign influence to be something to fear and reinforces idea of English superiority.
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Were there gypsies in the plantation at the time
Sherlock asking a question about the gypsies directly after Helen described her death as caused by "fear and nervous shock" is very telling about the society of this time. The fear of these traveling people and people who had foreign influences can be seen all throughout this short story and allows readers to have commentary about the stereotypes of foreign people during this time, as well as social darwinism in terms of English superiority.
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wretched gypsies
The use of the word wretched shows what Helen thinks of the gypsies. Shows how much the gypsies presence affects Helen and another show of what the society thought of these people at the time.
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troubled by the smell of the strong Indian cigars
Another show of foreign influence Dr. Roylott had. Cigars were not uncommon for people to smoke, Sherlock Holmes himself smokes cigars in short stories, but the identification of the cigar being a "strong Indian" reinforces the influences of foreign on Dr. Roylott.
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feared by the villagers almost as much as their master
Important as a description of Roylott. Portraying him as even scarier than these violent animals that wander Stoke Moran, once again showing his violent nature and bad temper that was influenced by his time in India
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passion also for Indian animals
More foreign influences
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wandering gypsies
Gypsies are groups of traveling people that were often seen as a trope of exoticism in Victorian literature and were feared by many due to their lifestyle. The stereotype of gypsies in literature were often unfair and the word gypsy had a connotation that showed them as lesser than the lowest class people
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became the terror of the village
Reinforcing his violent nature and showing that his foreign influence created a violent man who can not be controlled, changing a respectable man into a monster to be feared. Setting up Dr. Roylott as the prime suspect in this case due to his violent nature and his foreign influences.
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been intensified by his long residence in the tropics
The theme of the exotic and more specifically the fear of the foreign can be seen throughout this short story. Mr. Roylott is seen to have become violent because of the influence of his time in a foreign land. The connection of this character and his time spent in India gives the reader the idea that his savage and violent nature was due to his time in a foreign area, portraying the foreign to be something to fear.
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