Analysis of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...

Analysis of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson In an attempt to consider the duality tale, one narrative inevitably finds its way to the top of the heap as the supreme archetype: Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Immense disagreement permeates the pages of literary criticism relevant to the meaning of the story. Yet, for all of the wrangling focused on the psychology, morality, spirituality, and sociality of the story, it has remained, since 1886, a novella that according to the Reverend W. J. Dawson, gives Stevenson â€Å"a place apart, and high above all contemporaries, as an interpreter of the deepest things of the soul† (qtd. in Abbey 318). Not content to merely†¦show more content†¦He was determined to be more a man of letters than of numbers and ultimately broke out of the engineering/law mold and devoted himself to the written word. Stevenson was first published in 1876, in his mid-twenties, as his essays began to appear in Cornhill Magazine (Columbia). His work was first published in book form in 1878 when the travel story An Inland Voyage was made available to English readers. After his marriage in 1880 to Frances Osbourne (known to him as Fanny), Stevenson’s popularity grew with the publication of Treasure Island (1883) and A Child’s Garden of Verses (1885), a volume never out of print. His financial success, however, was secured in 1886 with the novels Kidnapped and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Jekyll and Hyde had originally belonged to a genre known as the shilling shocker (Stephen 1137). But soon after its publication, the public learned that Stevenson was not merely a writer of adventure romances and children’s rhymes. In a letter to W. H. Low, in January of 1886, Stevenson had referred to his novella as a Gothic Gnome (qtd. in Abbey 311). And in this gnome of prose the public experienced the literary prowess of an author who could take a theme as profound as the dual nature of man, one that had been a part of western thinking since at least the Apostle Paul[1], andShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, By Robert Louis Stevenson1323 Words   |  6 Pagesdirectly represented in the literature of the time. An excellent example is, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, which gives a direct image of what Victorian era was like with his writing style as well as the story itself. Specifically, Steve nson portrays exactly how Victorian social life commenced as well as displays the main points of social standards of the time. Robert Louis Stevenson uses individual characters in the novella to accurately depict how people protectedRead MoreLiterary Analysis of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† by Robert Louis Stevenson1530 Words   |  7 Pageslocation in the 1800’s during the Victorian era in this novel. As the story unfolds in the classic literature novel, â€Å"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† written by Robert Louis Stevenson, the magnificent city of London becomes a darker and mysterious location. The powerful city of London embodied the freedom and solitude required for the antagonist of the story, Mr. Hyde to hide his wicked behavior from the society as a whole. According to the history of the Victorian age, â€Å"Traditional waysRead MoreIdeas Of Good And Evil Follow From The Earliest Of Days.847 Words   |  4 Pagesfollow fr om the earliest of days. Robert Louis Stevenson’s parents lived devout in their Christianity, but Stevenson did not follow their ideas. G.B. Stern suggests that â€Å"Although he had rejected the Calvinist doctrines his parents taught him, the focus of the interplay of good and evil continued to influence his imagination† (Stern). Stevenson forced his parents away, but their ideas stayed in his thoughts and even affected The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. His past affected his writingRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1675 Words   |  7 PagesThe Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella, â€Å"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,† is a type of Gothic literature. In the beginning of the story when Stevenson is describing the lawyer, one â€Å"Mr. Utterson,† the mood is a bit dull. At first glance the reader may think that this story would be a bit boring and drab. Stevenson’s story is far from being another dull piece of British English literature. The setting and mood of this novella are more complexRead MoreAn Analysis Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1729 Words   |  7 PagesTaking a Closer Look into the Story and Author of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Nothing Mr. Stevenson has written as yet has so strongly impressed us with the versatility of his very original genius. An anonymous review in â€Å"The Times† noted Robert Louis Stevenson for his intelligence in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The review continued with saying that the story, be read as a finished study in the art of fantastic literature. Whoever was the anonymous person to state these things aboutRead MoreThe Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde1009 Words   |  5 PagesThe play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson showcase the Victorian era. With memorable characters like Aunt Augusta, accustomed to tea time and addicted to her cucumber sandwiches, and the loveable Dr. Jekyll, driven by his own devilish work, one is almost able to hear the trotting of horses with carriages on cobblestone streets. While the thought of high society and misty mor nings is appealing, bothRead MoreDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: A View Into Societal Changes in the 19th Century1398 Words   |  6 PagesRobert Louis Stevenson was born on November 13, 1850, in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. Throughout his childhood he was told morbid tales from the Bible, as well as Victorian penny-serial novels that he would carry with him throughout his years and what would place the greatest impact on his writing.[1] In 1886, he published a novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, based on a man with pure intentions, who ends up turning himself into a viscous murderer. Dr. Henry Jekyll is a well-knownRead MoreAnalysis of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay557 Words   |  3 PagesAnalysis of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Everyone has heard of Jekyll and Hyde. The two infamous characters that portray the main roles in The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde. Yet, even with this phenomenal status of the book, surprisingly, not many people know what is really represented inside its pages. Firstly, to understand what made The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde a classical story known by young and old alike, we must look at where it began. AsRead MoreCharacter Analysis On Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde.Jean Paul1213 Words   |  5 PagesCharacter Analysis on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Jean Paul Richter defines doppelgà ¤ngers as â€Å"people who see themselves.† One would think that such would be the case for the two main characters in the book The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, but it is quite the opposite (until the end of the novel when the reader finds out that the two main characters are in fact one). Dr. Jekyll creates Mr. Hyde in the hopes of expelling evilness and temptation from himself,Read MoreDr. Jekyll s Death Or Disappearance Essay1218 Words   |  5 Pagesexamines Dr. Jekyll s will, which he remembers had strange stipulations referring to the Mr. Hyde Enfield discussed. The will provides that in the case of Henry Jekyll s death or disappearance, all of his possessions should be given to the Edward Hyde. Utterson was uncomfortable when Jekyll originally requested this stipulation, and is further upset by it after hearing of Mr. Hyde s despicable behavior. After considering the implications of the will with what he has learned about Edward Hyde, Utterson