Item Details

title

Tom Taylor's Ticket-of-Leave Man: His Detective Model and Financial Commentary

author

Jones, Carolyn L.

abstract

Because of their popular appeal, Victorian melodramas can reveal new aspects of nineteenth-century London culture. My investigation focuses on three tropes within The Ticket-of-Leave Man: the character of the detective, of the ticket-of-leave man (a paroled criminal), and Victorian finances within this 1863 melodrama by Tom Taylor. Taylor's ingenuity is revealed by comparing two main characters' dramatic persona and real-life counterparts as seen through opinions in contemporary periodicals. After investigating the relationship between these two figures, I argue that through his detective character Taylor offers a model of behavior for audience reaction to real-life ticket-of-leave men. The third theme, financial deception, is an unresolved subtext throughout the play. Critic Victor Emeljanow states that “"what differentiates Taylor...is his critical objectivity which distances his writing from the narrowing effects of engaged satire, reforming zeal, or moral fervor;”" because of this ability, Taylor, unlike many Victorian dramatists, “"was generally able to judge in advance the limits of his audience's tolerance”" (57). I argue that Taylor places financial questions subtly but consistently as secondary to the first two themes so as not to challenge “"his audience's tolerance.”" Thus, he quietly raised questions, which served as an understated marker of growing problems in Victorian London.

subject

Brierly

Hawkshaw

jail-bird

speculation

Tolles

contributor

Jenkins, Melissa (committee chair)

DeShazer, Mary (committee member)

Holdridge, Jefferson (committee member)

date

2011-07-14T20:35:26Z (accessioned)

2013-07-14T08:30:11Z (available)

2011 (issued)

degree

English (discipline)

embargo

2013-07-14 (terms)

identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/33444 (uri)

language

en (iso)

publisher

Wake Forest University

type

Thesis