Godfrey Ablewhite is a character in Wilkie Collins' 1868 novel The Moonstone.[1] A vocal philanthropist, he is one of the rival suitors of Rachel Verinder, to whom he is briefly engaged before his mercenary motives are revealed.
Godfrey is explicitly and repeatedly linked to Exeter Hall, site of the most theatrical elements in evangelical preaching:[2] "Exeter Hall again....the performance with the tongue".[3] His unmasking as the villain of the piece has therefore been taken by some as a literal demonstration on the author's part of the hypocrisy inherent in sermonising - the gap between words preached and actual actions.[4] Others, however, point out that Collins has softened his attack on Victorian morality in at least two ways: he changed his mind about making Ablewhite (initially) a member of the clergy;[5] and, by making him an overt hypocrite, philanthropist by day, philanderer by night, he distracted attention from the inherent hypocrisy in the moralistic position.[6]
The result is to leave Godfrey as a rather bland, externalised figure - though arguably one who serves the book's purposes as villain rather better than did the more flamboyant Count Fosco in The Woman in White.[7]
godfrey, ablewhite, character, wilkie, collins, 1868, novel, moonstone, vocal, philanthropist, rival, suitors, rachel, verinder, whom, briefly, engaged, before, mercenary, motives, revealed, created, bywilkie, collinsin, universe, informationgendermalefamilymr. Godfrey Ablewhite is a character in Wilkie Collins 1868 novel The Moonstone 1 A vocal philanthropist he is one of the rival suitors of Rachel Verinder to whom he is briefly engaged before his mercenary motives are revealed Godfrey AblewhiteCreated byWilkie CollinsIn universe informationGenderMaleFamilyMr Ablewhite Senior father Caroline Ablewhite mother 3 sistersRelativesLord Herncastle grandfather Arthur Herncastle uncle John Herncastle uncle Adelaide Blake aunt Lady Julia Verinder aunt Franklin Blake cousin two Blake children cousins Rachel Verinder cousin NationalityBritishReligiosity challenged editGodfrey is explicitly and repeatedly linked to Exeter Hall site of the most theatrical elements in evangelical preaching 2 Exeter Hall again the performance with the tongue 3 His unmasking as the villain of the piece has therefore been taken by some as a literal demonstration on the author s part of the hypocrisy inherent in sermonising the gap between words preached and actual actions 4 Others however point out that Collins has softened his attack on Victorian morality in at least two ways he changed his mind about making Ablewhite initially a member of the clergy 5 and by making him an overt hypocrite philanthropist by day philanderer by night he distracted attention from the inherent hypocrisy in the moralistic position 6 The result is to leave Godfrey as a rather bland externalised figure though arguably one who serves the book s purposes as villain rather better than did the more flamboyant Count Fosco in The Woman in White 7 See also editAlter ego Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Miss ClackReferences edit Collins Wilkie 1868 The Moonstone B Hilton A Bad Mad amp Dangerous People Oxford 2008 p 627 W Collins The Moonstone Oxford 1999 p 275 and p 65 R Ellison A New History of the Sermon 2010 p 329 S Knight Secrets of Crime Fiction Classics 2014 N Rance Wilkie Collins and Other Sensation Novelists 1991 p 135 M Bachman Reality s Dark Light 2003 p 216 nbsp This article about a literature character is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Godfrey Ablewhite amp oldid 1106657801, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
