Jack and Jill Went Up A Hill

Caring Dame Dob - Helpful, Caregiving Mother is Also Very Forgiving

In this illustration, Jack and Jill seem to be almost floating in mid-air as they fall down the hill. It is a very cartoon-like illustration, not realistic at all,though it does include some details that place the characters in the historical past, perhaps even in medieval times.

It includes a castle far off in the distance. The castle serves a dual purpose: to place the scene in a particular historical time; and to provide a social distance between the characters and the lords and ladies who live in the castle. The far-off placement of the castle puts Jack and Jill firmly in the peasant class.

The clothing the characters wear is also old-fashioned, although Jill seems to be wearing a lot of ribbons for a poor peasant girl, and her dress is a colorful gingham pattern (not historically accurate). She also does not wear a cap or bonnet, as old Dame Dob does. In this illustration, Dame Dob is depicted as a helpful, caregiving sort of person, since she is holding the brown paper and vinegar. She seems to be rushing into the scene to help, although the text says that Jack got up and ran home to her for help. She does not appear at all upset that anyone is hurt or that the water has spilled.