In what ways does Yorick (the narrator of A Sentimental Journey) seem to you to be a typical gentleman of the Enlightenment? In what ways does he seem atypical?
Cite text to support your claim.
Deadline: Wednesday (12/2), start of class.
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In some ways, Yorick is a typical gentleman. He treats women courteously and follows all the gentlemanly protocol when it comes to women. When the thought of cheating on his Eliza occurs, he vowed he "would not travel too Brussels" to visit his the lady he met. He seems to take the more honorable course instead of cheating on his Eliza. But, at times, his treatment of these ladies seems to step over a boundary. When asking for directions from the grisset woman. His pulse taking and close contact with her seems to not very gentlemanly to me.
I agree that Yorick is very much a gentleman within this story. Not only does he treat woman for the most part with respect, he treats the people around him with gentleman-like qualities. Unlike the French captain that passes him by while he is holding the ladies hand, he claims "there was no such thing as a man's asking directly- the thing was impossible." (20), showing how he, unlike the French captain, knew better than to inquire of the woman's past. Also, he realizes how some of his actions are not respectable as a gentleman and fixes them, such as visiting the monk's grave, and being concerned of the grisset woman's husband.
Yorick is a typical gentleman of the Enlightenment by fact that he tries to bear a persona that is not controlled by passion or love. However, there are instances where he is unable to harbor a reasonable outer-appearance just as Cara mentioned in the case of going to Brussels to meet the other woman. I believe that Yorick is a typical Englishman of the Enlightenment by the fact that he rationalizes around the obvious truth of being committed to Eliza in order to visit Madame L***. In a sense, Yorick is atypical gentleman by the way he handles himself around women. He seems to be very open minded to certain pleasures. For example, Yorick feels the grisset's pulse and grabs Madame's L***'s hand in the chaise. These are unusual behaviors that a gentleman of the Enlightenment period would have tried to avoid.
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