Stereotyping In Ivanhoe Essay Research Paper Stereotyping

Stereotyping In Ivanhoe Essay, Research Paper

Stereotyping in Ivanhoe

Since the beginning of time, communication has been a huge part of the human race. One of the many ways to communicate is through literature. Authors use their words to express their ideas and feelings. There are many different types of literature that exist, and for almost any interest. Throughout the years, new and different types of literature were, are, used to entertain and educate the people of that time. One of the great types of literature is the romantic novel. The Romanticism Era began in the late 1700s and many of the works produced in it are still read and praised today. The romantic novel can usually be characterized by its use of fictitious content and passionate, adventurous, and idealistic attitudes. Many authors and artists, through the use of their works, felt a sense of freedom with the use of romance. One of the great examples of the romantic novel is a book named Ivanhoe. Sir Walter Scott, who was born in 1771, wrote the novel. Scott received his title and baronetcy from King George IV in the spring of 1820. Scott’s lifelong interest in literature led him to produce many interesting titles. Scott was married, in 1797, to Margaret Charlotte Carpenter, who bore him three sons and two daughters. Ivanhoe is set in the Middle Ages when chivalry and knights were everyday elements of the time. Ivanhoe is interesting, because it combines many characters and events, from several time periods, into one story. This is shown by the appearances of Robin Hood, Cedric and Athelstane, and Ulrica who were all part of separate centuries. Although he has several eras tied together, Ivanhoe can also be considered a historical and religious novel. This variety allows Scott to have more options in creating an overall spectacular book. For a long time, Ivanhoe was considered an adventure story that was primarily for young children. After critics began to look deep into the characters, plot, and moral values, they realized the book was more than just a children’s book. In Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe, his use of setting, characterization, and symbolism substantiate the author’s view of stereotyping. Scott’s amazing use of setting allowed him to create an aura that fit his characters and their actions.

Setting is one of the most important elements in literature. Setting provides a lot of information to the reader. It sets the time, place, environment, and surrounding circumstances of an event, story, or play. It can also describe the actual physical surroundings or scenery whether real or, as on a stage, artificial (Compton). Scott created a magnificent setting for Ivanhoe. Ivanhoe was written and published in 1820. This time period is right in the middle of the Romanticism Era. Many of the works that came out of this era are very bright colorful stories that rely heavily on emotions. Ivanhoe is not any different. The story can actually be classified as a historical romance, because of Scott use of many historical events. The story is set to take place in the year 1194. This is actually part of the Middle Ages, or mediaeval, time period. Scott uses his stereotypical view of this time to create a setting that will appeal to the reader. The story opens with a view of the old English forest which in those days covered the West Riding of Yorkshire, and in the midst of which the residence of Cedric the Saxon is situated (Blackwood 3). Scott also shows that his view of the old time castles is also a stereotypical one. Cliff’s Notes says the furnishings of Cedric’s house, though crude, suggest wealth and power and an attempt to preserve the flavor of existence before the Norman conquest. The seating arrangement shows the caste system of the feudal manor. Cedric, himself, epitomizes the unconquerable spirit of the Saxon lord (Cliff 15). The dining hall is an important part of Scott’s stereotypical views, because he spent a lot of time creating a room that fit its inhabitants. Scott describes some of the basic, general, characteristics of the dining hall. Most of which give the reader the view of a “normal,” stereotypical, castle. He wrote:

There was a long oaken table formed of planks rough-hewn from the forest, and which had scarcely received any polish. The roof, composed of beams and rafters, had nothing to divide the apartment from the sky excepting the planking and thatch; there was a huge fireplace at either end of the hall, but, as the chimneys were constructed in a very clumsy manner. The floor was composed of earth mixed with lime (Ivanhoe 49-50).

Scott then goes into the more detailed parts of the dining hall. He uses things such as seating, roofing, and other furnishings to show the importance of that section of the room. Scott writes:

For about one quarter of the length of the apartment the floor was raised by a step, and this space, which was called the dais, was occupied only by the principal members of the family and visitors of distinction. Massive chairs and settles of carved oak were placed upon the dais, and over these seats and the more elevated table was fastened a canopy of cloth, which served in some degree to protect the dignitaries who occupied that distinguished station from the weather. In the centre of the upper table were placed two chairs more elevated than the rest, for the master and mistress of the family. The walls of this upper end of the hall, a