How does the introduction of John Polidoris Vampyre use themes to

critique Victorian societal values?

The Victorian societal values were perceived to be closely intertwined with its
religious values. John Polidori employs the themes of innocence and vice and
virtue in his explicit introduction (over 3 paragraphs) to convey the image of the
period and thus, the shape and figure of the religious Christian values compared
to Victorian societal values. Using the themes of the story, Polidori sets a
benchmark for the comparison between the religion and society hence allowing
us to critique Victorian societal values.
Victorian societal values included protecting purity which was in accordance with
the Christian values. In Victorian society, children of noblemen are educated
about the virtues of the world while being isolated from the vices. This allowed
the children to maintain their purity and innocence which is prized in the
Victorian cultural values. During the course of the introduction, John Polidori
creates one of his major characters, the protagonist of the story, a generic
nobleman, Aubrey who represents this social trend of protecting innocence.
Aubrey represents the innocence valued by the Victorian society. He is
characterised as a young gentleman holding a figure displaying a high
romantic feeling of honour and candour. This representation of him relates to
the basic attribute of innocence. Similarly, He believed all to sympathise with
virtue which illustrates that Aubrey has a lack of exposure to the real world
and that he follows the teachings of the Victorian society as he trusts in
complete good. His innocence is turned to naivety as the passage continues. His
core beliefs of absolute virtue is shown by his rejection of the abject miseries all
around him as he thought that the misery of a cottage merely consisted in
vesting of clothes. Further, Aubrey conceptualises vices as thrown in by
Providence for picturesque effect emphasising the extent of pure innocence in
Victorian society. According to the description of Aubrey, the definition of
innocence during the Victorian era meant utmost inexperience to and of vice and
an incomprehensibly strong belief in virtue. This serves to show that Victorian
societys practice of protecting innocence led to inexperience and naivety. In
essence, Aubrey is basically a symbolic representation of the innocence befitting
the Victorian society ideals or even more specifically, the Christian teachings
which value purity. In the same way, utilising the theme of innocence, the story
depicts children as nave and the Victorian society as redemptive which is a
central theme found in many works of the Victorian era.
Similarly, the Victorian society was a society that valued and respected the
teachings of the church and also welcomed religious conformity. As the
introduction explores it, it is clear that ideas or opinions on virtues and vices
serve as strong symbol of religious conformity. In the first paragraph of the
Vampyre, where one of the two reasons, the hard to approach and essentially
sinister figure of Lord Ruthven, is seen as a figure of respect is due to his
apparent hatred of vice. In fact, others are moved by it. Apparently, the fact
that he had strongly held the Christian teachings to his heart, by ostracizing
vices, overcame the dread of his singular character for others. His singular
character should usually serve to alienate him from groups since individuals
usually only join groups with similar people of similar interests and also those
that are associable. Yet, he is invited to many parties and social circles
welcoming his peculiarities. This establishes that his hatred of vice is valued in
the Victorian society and also that religious conformity was highly respected.
Even the theme of sex or more so flattery follows the Christian values of virtues
and vices. In the first paragraph, the author states that ...those females who

form the boast of their sex from their domestic virtues, as among those who sully
it by their vices. This statement shows that even the sexual attractiveness of a
person could be linked to their virtues and vices where the virtue boasted and
the vices sullied. Again, these two opposing images of ones sexual appeal based
on their act, strengthens the tie between Victorian societal values and the
Christian core beliefs of virtues and vices, where virtue or good is rated
highly whereas vices or evil are ostracized.
On the other hand, John Polidori also simultaneously sets up an intriguing
juxtaposition of the above described Victorian values. The apparently congruent
lines of Christian beliefs and the Victorian societal values starts to separate as
the Victorian ideals go on a contrast with the Christian teachings of prizing
innocence and virtues. In the third paragraph, Aubrey, our lead protagonist, is at
the time at which he has to perform the tour which for many generations has
been thought necessary to enable the young to take some rapid steps in the
career of vice. This tour is a journey of dissipation and experience as they
travel around Europe exposing themselves to the outside world. This necessary
tour which has the very purpose of exposing people to the vices of the outside
world when Christian teachings value the protection of innocence. This tradition
emphasises the fact that Victorian societal values were not directly based around
Church since some of its ideals contradicted with its religious values.
Furthermore, the reason prescribed by the text for the grand tour is equally
contradictory to Christian beliefs: to take some rapid steps in the career of vice
towards putting themselves upon an equality with the aged and not allowing
them to appear as if fallen from the skies, whenever scandalous intrigues are
mentioned as the subjects of pleasantry or of praise. First of all, it describes the
grand tour, the journey to be exposed to vices, as a bridge to becoming an adult.
Simply, losing ones innocence and unerring faith in virtue was seen as a part of
becoming an adult in the Victorian society. This tradition is not in line with the
silhouette of the Christian beliefs which teach people to protect their innocence.
In fact, John PoIidori suggests that the Victorian society did not want people who
appeared as if fallen from the skies. This quote uses simile to produce an
image of an angel- the epitome of innocence, and then mentions that they were
unwanted whenever scandalous intrigues were mentioned as subjects of
pleasantry or praise. This shows that not only was complete innocence seen as
an unwelcome trait in the adult circle but also that vices or evil circulated in
social conversations and discussions as matters of pleasant interest, without
much resistance as opposed to the Church who shuns the idea of vices. From
this concept of virtue and vice emerges another stark difference between the
Christian ideals and the Victorian ideals. In effect, the theme of two opposing
concepts of virtues and vices, describes a society where the teachings of the
Church was well respected and applied but it was definitely not the entire
foundation of Victorian society.
Even more, the introduction by John Polidori shows the depiction of innocence in
another way besides a valued aspect of Victorian children. The author states that
Aubrey had that high romantic feeling of honour and candour in this case,
representing the attributes of pure innocence and then follows this noble
description of our character with a jarring clause, which daily ruins so many
milliners apprentices representing innocence as basically something one
shouldnt have in Victorian society. The contradiction set by this statement
showing innocence suffering in the real world goes against the Christian beliefs,
who in turn preach that virtuous individuals enjoys divine providence. The law of
the Christian world seem to apply in a polar opposite manner in Aubreys
Victorian society. This subsequently serves to foreshadow the tragic events that
encounter our nave Aubrey, reinforcing the separation between Victorian ideals

from the Christian ideals as one concept does not fully seem to work in the
others world.
To widen the gap, the introduction of Vampyre presents that the practice of vices
during the Victorian era was not uncommon either. In the second paragraph, we
see Aubrey unconditionally trusting and getting fooled by the brightening
countenances of the females, leading him into false notions of his talent and
merit. The repression of emotions and faade profuse in the Victorian era itself
was a characteristic showing duality of virtue and vice. Though, white lies are
often to not hurt other people, they are lies none the less so they are still vice
when balanced out against traits like candour. In addition, Polidori subtly
insinuates the ulterior motives of the woman behind their faade, so as to
capture the young nave gentlemans heart in order to win some favours. It was
not much different from an adulteresss play but it was much subtler and
practiced throughout the society as suggested by the numerous listings of the
people putting on a masquerade: many mothers and daughters. This is a
vice however low-key but it was accepted in the Victorian society- it was quite
common. Whereas Christian beliefs would say against it, Victorian societal values
were otherwise, as it is also polite and doesnt hurt other peoples feelings. Vices
such as masquerades were often seen as good. Therefore, vices were profuse in
the Victorian era but virtues were few even in the society run by the teachings of
the Church.
The Christian beliefs were a significant element of the Victorian society. The
traditions and teachings of protecting a childs innocence and others were
respected and valued sometimes even to extreme lengths. It even influenced the
human trait of sexual attractiveness. But, though it was a major part of the
Victorian society, its values often contradicted with the Victorian societal values
where the latter was more practical, allowed a better understanding and
adaption to society and basically ensured a better life than the other. In
analysing the themes presented in John Polidoris introduction of the Vampyre,
the complex similarities and differences, the connections and the disconnections,
begin to arise between the Christian values and the Victorian societal values thus
allowing us to see them both as their own individual worlds, interconnected but
different.