Themes In The Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Hyde

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a novel written by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson and published in 1886. It concerns a lawyer, Gabriel Utterson, who investigates the strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and the reclusive Mr. Edward Hyde. This novel represents an ideology in Western culture; the perpetual conflict between humanity’s virtuosity and immorality. It is interpreted as an accurate guidebook to the Victorian era’s belief of the duality of human nature. This essay will explore Mr. Edward Hyde and whether Stevenson intended for him to be a mere character in the novel or something of wider significance.

The novella, ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ was written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1886. The author was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1850. His family included engineers, scientists, a professor of philosophy, and a religious minister. The scientific and religious sides of Stevenson's family reflected in both his personal life and in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (disapproval between Dr Lanyon and Dr Jekyll). In 1859 Charles Darwin published his famous book called the ‘Origin of Species’ which highly opposed the religious beliefs at the time; the novella itself was also published at such a time when there was extreme controversy between religious and scientific principles. The sense of conflict being created through disapproval

Vladimir Nabokov’s ability to interpret and analyze Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is impressive, yet his label’s of the tale cause some debate. In an effort to delve deeper into the inner workings of the tale, and Stevenson’s intentions, Nabokov discusses some ideas that are both complex and controversial. Though he tackles this feat with great effort, the way in which he labels the story as a whole, contradicts reality.

Mr. Utterson observes a close relationship between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, because Dr. Jekyll favors Mr. Hyde by helping him throughout the novel. Dr. Jekyll cares for Mr. Hyde by helping him avoid trouble. For example, Dr. Jekyll pays 90 pounds to prevent the blackmail of Mr. Hyde when he steps on the little girl (3). Dr. Jekyll acts like a parent to Mr. Hyde, “If I die or disappear for more than three months...I wish to leave everything I own to my dear

The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a gothic novel by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. Published in 1886, this eerie novel is about a man with two personalities; good and evil and how he manages to separate the who with a potion. This book only goes to show that not everyone is who they seem.

The key ideas in chapter 1 of ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was wrote in 18th centuries, the times that were defined as ‘Gothic revival’. The literature in this times had similar thematic elements include supernatural or ‘fantastic’, violent crime (death and murder), passionate romance (often with death). The novel Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was considered as typical Gothic literature. Particularly, repression and hypocrisy are highly emphasized in the novel. Repression is undoubtedly a cause of conflict between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The root of this repression can be found in Victorian England where there was no sexual appetites, no violence and no freedom of expressing emotion in the public sphere. Everything should be restrained and people in that times all behaved solemn and were not allowed to show their joys and sorrows. This repression can be well reflected within Dr. Jekyll in the novel. According to quotation of Stevenson’s description:

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

Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde consists of reputation, good vs. evil and damage control. In other words, Utterson tirelessly works to prevent his good friend Dr. Jekyll from being dragged into the horrid affairs of Mr. Hyde, and Dr. Jekyll goes to the greatest of lengths to prevent his Hyde identity from being discovered, in order to avoid anyone knowing of his somewhat questionable scientific work and morally despicable behavior. Much of the novel is based on the characters reputations and how they have to maintain a good public image, as they are upper class people. The novel takes place in Victorian England and the main characters are all male members of upper class London. Enfield, Utterson, Lanyon and Jekyll are all aware of social

Throughout the novella there is a constant power struggle between Jekyll and Hyde, which Hyde eventually wins but Jekyll finishes by taking his and his counterpart's life. In the beginning Jekyll is in full control, all he has to do is drink the potion and "Edward Hyde would pass away like a stain of breath upon a mirror". Also another important discovery to know was that in the beginning there was only pain turning into Hyde but as committed more atrocities, Jekyll became more consumed by evil, finding it hard to become himself again. Jekyll soon comes upon the theory that Hyde is smaller in person because Jekyll's evil side has been "less exercised", but as Hyde commits more wrongs his stature becomes stronger. Two weeks before the murder of Sir Danvers, Jekyll is in bed in Sohowhen he falls back to

By investigating Mr. Hyde and questioning Dr. Jekyll, Utterson is defending his ideal of what is socially right.  There is no personal enjoyment in any of these matters; instead, Utterson is driven by a moral obligation to offer support to a friend

In the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde it is regarded that these identities are two different persons but this is not the case, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are one in the same. There is much confusion when reading this literary work by Robert Louis Stevenson; this piece is regarded as horrific and disturbing in many ways. But the biggest twist is when it is reveled to the reader that these two people are the same and that below the surface of Dr.Jekyll is an evil man who enjoys committing evil acts. Mainly that Dr. Jekyll believes he has no choice but to commit these horrid acts because he has no control over is evil side. I don’t believe this is the case, Hyde isn’t a real person and doesn’t exist, nor is he someone who commits

The way Hyde is evil and Satan like gives London an atmosphere of being scary to live in. London through out the book is not being described as a nice place at all so than Stevenson throws in this character that is out to do bad things. Hyde is explained as “something troglodytic” -10 – somebody who lives in a cave, giving a small comparison to Hyde’s name. He is hiding being that he deceptive or secretive of whom he really is which is Jekyll’s alter ego. When people speak of Hyde they can’t exactly pinpoint what it is but they do know it is one that makes him evil, dark and

The reader would never know his personality, which makes it more creepy when you read about him. This is because Hyde seemed okay some days, than on others, he was trying to hurt everyone. If the story was told by Jekyll, then the reader would have know more about Hyde, and it would not have created such a

He wants to bring others loved ones back and free death and remove sin from their bodies. He begins to hide himself because his project is not accepted by other doctors or any person, Utterson included. Since Jekyll’s experiment is rejected by others, he gets help from a member of society who is also a