Helen Stoner :: English Literature Helen Stoner Essays

Helen stonerHelen stoner is instantly stereotyped by readers as a keen andunpretentious lady of high society England. Conan Doyle pulls thestrings of the Victorian males desires and creates a damsel indistress, who comes to a man for aid that she does not have theresources to pause herself. He portrays her as a cleaning lady who iswronged and in great insecurity therefore adding to the suspense of thestory.Analysing the assortment of clothes that she is wearing the reader slewconclude that she is of sufficient breeding and discreet. A charwomandressed in dense, and heavily veiled tells us that she isunaccustomed to get offling around the conurbation solitary. She isdressed in black as not to attract attention. It was uncommon forwomen of a high-class family to travel around the metropolis alone,she may think this shameful, which is interesting considering that itcontrasts to modern solar day westernised civilisation where it could beinterpreted as independent.Manners were o f paramount splendor in Victorian society, and HelenStoner is represented as a woman who is capable of being able todisplay the correct society manners. Victorians were very pedanticabout how a woman was allowed to greet any males in her presence. The feature that she is heavily veiled specifies that she does not wish forDr Watson or Mr Holmes to direct any attention to her looks exclusivelyinstead to her story. This suggests to the reader that no improperconduct was to be entertained.Helen Stoner also clearly has a methodical mind. She has naturalintelligence further is prohibited to show any real deduction that may challenge a mans views. This is why she visits Mr Holmes. She has nopower over her stepfather, her views, as a woman would be thoughttotally irrational by otherwise males, so she seeks professional (male)help in the form of Sherlock Holmes. It is approachable to me thatshe has been pushed beyond her mental limitations as a human being foresightful ago, She raised her veil as she spoke, and we could clearly seethat she was indeed in a pitiable state of agitation, her face all identifyn and grey, with restless, panic-struck eyes, like those of somehunted animal. Her features and figure was those of a woman of thirty,but her hair was shot with premature grey, and her expression wasweary and haggard yet she has redact up with what she has been reducedto simply because it was seen as improper for a woman to question whata man was doing or for a woman to draw attention to her home life.