# Hypocrisy of Society in Man and Wife

> Theme guide for Man and Wife by Wilkie Collins.

Victorian society is shown as hypocritical, valuing appearances and propriety over genuine morality. Characters like Lady Lundie and Mr. Vanborough maintain social respectability while engaging in cruel or dishonest behavior.

## Where it surfaces

- [Man and Wife](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/man-and-wife): Societal double standards are exposed as characters judge Anne while ignoring Geoffrey's faults.
- [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/v): Vanborough's public success and charitable acts contrast sharply with his private treachery, highlighting societal hypocrisy.
- [Chapter VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/vii): Society rewards Delamayn's success while Vanborough, though wealthy, is isolated and disliked, revealing the superficiality of social acceptance.
- [The Owls](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/i-the-owls): The owls' defense of the 'Constitution' and their resistance to change satirize human institutions that cling to outdated traditions, mirroring societal hypocrisy in resisting progress.
- [III: The Discoveries](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/iii-the-discoveries): Sir Patrick criticizes society's glorification of physical strength over moral character, pointing to a growing hypocrisy that values brute force while ignoring inner virtue.
- [The Suitor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/vi-the-suitor): Lady Lundie's public politeness masks her private hostility toward Anne, and Sir Patrick's jocular demeanor conceals his strategic avoidance of family conflict.
- [VIII: The Scandal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/viii-the-scandal): Lady Lundie's professed 'moral responsibility' masks her vindictive desire to expose Anne's secrets, highlighting societal double standards.
- [IX: Anne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/ix-anne): Mistress Inchbare's 'savagely-respectable' demeanor and her refusal to accommodate Anne under the guise of protecting the inn's reputation exemplify societal hypocrisy.
- [X: Mr. Bishopriggs](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/x-mr-bishopriggs): Mistress Inchbare's insistence on marital status to protect the inn's reputation reflects societal hypocrisy that prioritizes appearances over truth.
- [XI: Sir Patrick](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/xi-sir-patrick): Lady Lundie's message to Anne reflects societal judgment and the double standards applied to women.
- [Close on It](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/xix-close-on-it): Sir Patrick critiques the societal glorification of physical prowess while ignoring moral and intellectual decay.
- [XXII: Gone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/xxii-gone): Lady Lundie's superficial concern for propriety at luncheon contrasts with the real crisis unfolding in the library.
- [XXVII: Outwitted](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/xxvii-outwitted): Lady Lundie's performative virtue and self-righteousness are contrasted with her spiteful willingness to be manipulated, exposing societal hypocrisy.
- [XXVIII: Stifled](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/xxviii-stifled): Lady Lundie's cheerful socializing and focus on the garden-party contrast sharply with the underlying tensions and Blanche's grief, suggesting societal superficiality.
- [XXXIV: The Night Before](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/xxxiv-the-night-before): The oppressive dullness of the Sunday evening, enforced by social prohibitions that no one truly believes in, illustrates societal hypocrisy.
- [Julius Makes Mischief](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/xl-julius-makes-mischief): Mrs. Glenarm displays cruelty toward Anne while professing distress and seeking pity from Julius, revealing the double standards of polite society.
- [Lady Lundie Does Her Duty](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/xli-lady-lundie-does-her-duty): Lady Lundie's performative illness and moral outrage contrast with her own manipulative plans, highlighting societal hypocrisy.
- [XLV: The Footrace](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/xlv-the-footrace): The foreign observer contrasts the English public's apathy toward theater and art with their fervent excitement for a footrace, highlighting societal hypocrisy.
- [LIII: What Had Happened in the Hours of Darkness?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/liii-what-had-happened-in-the-hours-of-darkness): Geoffrey's physical prowess and social standing mask his moral decay; society's emphasis on physical training leaves him 'defenseless' against temptation.
- [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/iv): The narrator's estrangement from her relations and the societal judgment she faces despite her efforts to be a good wife.
- [Hester Dethridge's Confession](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/x): Society's indifference to domestic abuse is implied; Hester finds no help and is driven to murder.
- [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/xi): Hester's fear of bringing disgrace to her 'respectable family' outweighs her impulse to confess, highlighting societal pressure to maintain appearances over truth.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/chapters/i): Lady Lundie's polite inquiries and 'appropriate remarks' mask her underlying social maneuvering and the uncomfortable truths about Hester Dethridge's confinement.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/themes/hypocrisy_of_society
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/man_and_wife_se/themes