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John O. Jordan’s “The Purloined Handkerchief”

John O. Jordan’s “The Purloined Handkerchief”. Analysis By: Joshua Kirtley, Stephanie Krumm, Jennie McCully, Tova Salley. Overview. “The Purloined Letter” Handkerchief’s origin Handkerchief’s importance to social classes Nancy Oliver Economy Application to “The Purloined Letter”

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John O. Jordan’s “The Purloined Handkerchief”

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  1. John O. Jordan’s“The Purloined Handkerchief” Analysis By: Joshua Kirtley, Stephanie Krumm, Jennie McCully, Tova Salley

  2. Overview • “The Purloined Letter” • Handkerchief’s origin • Handkerchief’s importance to social classes • Nancy • Oliver • Economy • Application to “The Purloined Letter” • Work Cited

  3. “The Purloined Letter” • Purloined= verb: “to purloin” Anglo-French: “pur-loigner” • Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Purloined Letter” • Handkerchief displacement from origin

  4. Handkerchiefs and Social Classes • Handkerchiefs became part of the Victorian dress code. - Upper class=Silk, carried in the pocket. Gentlemen wore “neck cloths” and “cravats.” - Lower class=Cotton, often worn around the neck. Working class wore neckerchiefs.

  5. …Handkerchiefs and Social Classes • Dickens attempted to form some kind of philosophy of clothing in Oliver Twist. • “Power of Dress” - Clothes signify social distinctions. - Power is represented by clothing. - Clothes help maintain social control.

  6. Nancy • Nancy receives a handkerchief from Rose. - The handkerchief exchange signifies the relationship between Nancy and Rose. • The white handkerchief symbolizes purity. • The handkerchief’s is significant in Nancy’s death. - It links Rose, Nancy, and Agnes together.

  7. …Nancy • Sikes strikes through the handkerchief. - He tries to hide the handkerchief. - The handkerchief is present even when he dies.

  8. Oliver • Oliver is innocent. - “Because his heart and mind are innocent, the idea of theft never occurs to him.” • He represents a purloined handkerchief. - He is circulated throughout the text to be claimed by those around him. - He’s sometimes treated like an object.

  9. …Oliver • He seems to be a blank space that others try to fill up. - Bumble and the Police officer name him. - Fagin tries to teach him thievery. • He actually has already been marked. - His mother imprints a kiss on him when he is born.

  10. Conclusion • Handkerchiefs serve an economic purpose. - Handkerchief production increases. • Application to “The Purloined Letter” - A letter always reaches its destination. - The handkerchief does not reach its destination.

  11. Work Cited Jordan, John O. “The Purloined Handkerchief.” Oliver Twist. By Charles Dickens. Ed. Fred Kaplan. New York: Norton, 1993. 580-593.

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