Stevenson's Use of Literary Techniques in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Stevenson writes ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ with the intention of showing the reader the duality of man and explores this through the juxtaposition of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In this novella, Stevenson also uses the environment and setting of the story to represent the contrast between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” is physiognomy. We can see this in the

This suggests that Hyde is a strange man. Stevenson uses this powerful description to convey and portray a man who comes across as mysterious and dangerous. Stevenson makes him more mystifying when Enfield continues, “I can’t describe him. And it’s not want of memory; for I declare I can see him this moment.” (Page 15) This immediately brings a sense of a man with deformities that can’t be described. Stevenson uses this to confuse the reader and amplify the sense of foreboding. Surely when one can see somebody in their mind, they can describe how they look and describe their deformities especially? Not being able to describe Hyde shows that he isn’t a normal human; he’s something far more inhumane.

“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is a novella written by Robert Louis Stevenson, a Scottish author. Written and published 1886, this novella reflects on the individual, and societal behavior during the Victorian era. During the Victorian era people, were supposed to behave like a normal person. Certain behaviors were highly restricted for example, showing evil. Instead, they were expected to give respect for everyone. People who acted out against the norm during this period were usually sent to asylums because such behaviors were unacceptable. People in this society did just that, they behaved as if they were perfectly normal. This does not mean that their bad side did not exist. Instead, they hid their

to say that Dr Henry Jekyll is very much the best in what he does and

Within the Novella – The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Stevenson depicts moments of graphic horror in order to convey the chilling story of duality and the ordeals of Dr Jekyll. The two moments where the theme of horror is particularly prominent are in the Carrew Murder Case and Dr Lanyon’s Narrative, where the character of Mr Hyde succeeds in being the epitome of evil in the reader’s eyes. Stevenson uses descriptive imagery, intense behavior (especially for Victorian circumstances) and the senses, of which I am going to be focusing on sound in order to instill this terror onto the readers. This combination of devices combined with the plot during these moments makes them so frightening and memorably so.

This story is also a way for Stevenson to have a go at hypocroisy and

In this essay I am going to look at Mr Hyde and Dr Jekyll, the first

Stevenson's Use of Literary Techniques in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Stevenson’s intention is to express that Hyde represents the dark side inside of everybody and he explains how letting your evil side out can affect your life when he tells us that “ the dark influence of Hyde had been withdrawn, the doctor has returned

with him again. Also in the later Dr Jekyll wrote that he was going on

In the novel “The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde” there is a theme of good vs evil. Good being Dr. Jekyll and evil Mr Hyde they have the inner fight between themselves, because they are the same person.Robert louis Stevenson uses Diction,imagery,and details to contrast the character of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde

He does this throughout the chapter; when they decide to break down the door (Poole, if you say that, it will become my duty to make [murder] certain. I shall consider it my duty to break in that door.), they take another 3 pages of planning and talking before they actually do it. Again, this makes the reader more and more impatient of the climax, which would be when they find Hyde behind the door. When information is finally given as they break down the door, there are more gaps for the reader to fill in. As they are breaking in, Hyde says: Utterson, for Gods sake, have mercy! There lay the body of a man sorely contorted and still twitching. Will make the reader think that something really terrible must have happened to make Hyde beg for mercy and kill himself. You then assume that Hyde is dead, therefore they will find Jekyll for him to then explain what happened. But Stevenson twists in the other direction. Poole and Utterson then go to find Jekylls body. [Utterson] said sternly, Hyde is gone to his account; and it only remains for us to find the body of your master. Nowhere was there and trace of Henry Jekyll, dead or alive. Stevenson has been deceptive in this state deliberately because the reader will think that they are near the happy, explained ending, but the author changes direction and adds yet another mystery for the reader to attempt to explain, building further suspense before the final chapters in which all is explained.

The sophisticatedly-constructed novel ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ was devised in 1886, during the revolutionary Victorian era, by the author, Robert Louis Stevenson. Stevenson developed a desire to write in his early life and ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ cemented his reputation. The novel is widely known for its shocking principles that terrified and alarmed the Victorian readers. ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ plays with the idea of the dual nature of man, his two identities. On the surface, Dr Jekyll is a conventional, Victorian gentleman, but below the surface lurks the primitive, satanic-like creature of Mr Edward Hyde. One of the elements that play a significant part in the novel is setting. Stevenson subtly uses the setting to

This essay will focus on how Robert Louis Stevenson presents the nature of evil through his novel ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. Using ideas such as duality, the technique used to highlight the two different sides of a character or scene, allegories, an extended metaphor which has an underlying moral significance, and hypocrisy; in this book the Victorians being against all things evil but regularly taking part in frown able deeds that would not be approved of in a ‘respectable’ society. This links in with the idea of secrecy among people and also that evil is present in everyone. The novel also has strong ties and is heavily influenced by religion. Stevenson, being brought up following strong