Ezra Jennings in Waiting [image]

Ezra Jennings in Waiting [image]

The visual scene of Ezra Jennings waiting for Mr. Blake in Harper's Weekly is the key illustration for chapter X. The object details of this scene follow closely to the description of the novel, from the "book-case filled with dingy medical works, and ornamented at the top with a skull", to the "copious ink" stain on the table (Collins 378). However, the composure of Ezra Jennings is not presented to the reader through the text. Rather, the illustration seen here presents Ezra in a pensive, and thoughtful composure. What the text does not mention, the illustration presents in this moment. It is an example of the relationship between illustration and text, the "complex interplay of realist detail and sensational events" (Leighton 75). This pictorial representation demonstrates the approach of two fold literacy in Victorian literature. Ezra's composure, which is a sensationalism beyond the realistic realm of the textual representation, creates an expectation in sensational genre.

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Calgary: University of Calgary

Tuckey, Andrea

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