Stevenson's Representation of Good and Evil in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde In this piece of coursework, I am asked to first of all, discuss how the novel is mainly concerned with the struggle between good and evil. Next, I will be moving on to discovering the historical, social, and cultural issues of the novel; this will discus what Stevenson's literary influences were. Subsequently, I will be exploring the actual evil character oh Mr. Edward Hyde; this will include a character description of Hyde. Then, I will be analysing the evil incidents that Hyde commits; how Stevenson actually describes these attacks. The symbols of evil will then follow; what the door and the fog …show more content…
However, the character is only complex because of the consumption of a potion or drug, then the one character is transformed into two individual opposite personalities. It is because of Jekyll's kind and generous nature he has a good friend in a lawyer, who tries to define the understanding of why Jekyll would give his entire worldly possessions to Hyde, in the event of his disappearance. Utterson's assessment of Hyde is of a pure, evil, cold and heartless nature. Although Jekyll and Hyde seem opposite, they are the same person. The theme of the novel, therefore, is that good and evil exist together in man. This novel was written in 1886, at a time of change in the world of fiction as a new form of gothic literature emerged that had elements that differed from previous gothic stories. Stevenson's story is based around various ideas of gothic literature and is mainly focused on exposing the "duality of man" and his struggle to hide it from the outside world. The symbolism of Jekyll and Hyde is truly extended to all with differing parts in all of our bodies. It was not a new idea as it had been seen in the classic example of a good and bad guardian, a devil on one shoulder and an angel on another, and also in gothic literature before it, such as Frankenstein with the duelling personalities of Frankenstein and the monster, creator and creation which is easily comparable
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.
Good and Evil in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
“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
The Concept of Evil in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Stevenson The substance of the Bible and Greek myths - the premise of the evil that is in man - sometimes lurking deep in the psyche, sometimes controlling and consuming like a wild beast, is explored in Robert Louis Stevenson's (1850-94) short Victorian novel of 1886. Rarely does the mere title of a novel have the myth-making depth to grip the imagination and ensure its place in our language for generations to come. Today everyone knows what is meant by a 'Jekyll and Hyde character'. A handful of other novels with this quality perhaps come to mind; including 'Frankenstein'.
to say that Dr Henry Jekyll is very much the best in what he does and
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 uses the characters of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde to expresses his beliefs about human duality by introducing them as two contrasting characters, instead of just one character. Using two completely different characters with different names and appearances gets his message of human duality across more effectively rather than using just one character that turns a different colour when its angry, for example.
“All human beings are commingled out of good and evil.” Robert Louis Stevenson was no fool when it came to understanding the duality of human nature evident within mankind. In his novella, the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson is able to explore his interests concerning the dark, hidden desires that all human beings are guilty of possessing. In his story, a well-respected professional by the name of Dr. Jekyll experiments with the idea of contrasting personalities and successfully undergoes a physical separation of such identities—one which would soon wreak havoc upon his very existence. As a result of his success, Edward Hyde is born. Hyde, characterized as a miniscule and terrifying, apelike figure from the start,
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
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
talked a lot to Stevenson about her views on what Hell is like and how
In the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson creates a Victorian variation circulating around the idea of a mad scientist and their monster, which was first popularized by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in 1818. Stevenson’s monster, however, is not synthetically created of stitched-together body parts, but instead it merges from the dark side of human nature. In the novel, human nature is demonstrated as possessing two forms, leaving the readers with the question of what truly embodies these forms. Do we all have a good and evil side? Stevenson portrays the dual nature of humanity, the good and bad, through the perspective of one man – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – but also of the society as a whole.
In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson’s utilizes his characters Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in order to represent the intertwining of good and bad within all people. Within this novella Mr. Hyde represents a person’s inner wickedness, while Dr. Jekyll showcases a person’s inner virtue. In order to differentiate between these two contradictory attributes, Stevenson uses descriptive language in order to expound upon his characters representational traits. When Stevenson describes Dr. Jekyll he uses specific and detailed language, however; when describing Mr. Hyde Stevenson employs ambiguous and imprecise language. Ultimately, Stevenson intentionally utilizes vague language when describing Hyde, in order to demonstrate that the evil