The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
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Authors Background

• Robert Louis Stevenson (RLS) was born in 1850 in
  Edinburgh, Scotland
• RLS was the only child from a wealthy family, his
  father being a famous engineer.
• RLS was ill as a child and spent a lot of time
  reading.

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Childhood

• RLS had a strict Christian and moral upbringing.
  The theme of good vs. evil was one that he was
  quite aware of as a child.
• RLS wanted to explore what made up a persons
  character (the bad and the good).

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Composing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

• The idea for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde came to RLS
  as a dream. He wrote the first version of the
  book in three days and then burned it due to
  criticism from his wife. He wrote the second
  version in three days as well. It became an
  overnight success and was published in 1886.

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Setting

• Takes place in Victorian Era (1837-1901) in
  London, England
• Members of the upper class in Victorian times
  were especially expected to behave virtuously.
  They, along with their homes, were expected to be
  proper and elegant at all times.

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Victorian Social Class

• Victorian society was divided.
• Social classes did not mix.
• The strict morals of upper class Londoners led
  many to live double lives.
• Generally, people were uncomfortable and often
  unwelcome in parts of town that were not
  inhabited by their own social group.

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London as Setting

• This geographical and social division is an
  essential part of the setting of Dr Jekyll and Mr
  Hyde, which also relates to the psychological
  division of many of the characters.

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London as Setting

• Cavendish Square, the area in which Jekyll,
  Utterson and Lanyon live, was the wealthiest part
  of London. Only a few blocks away one would find
  ghettos such as Soho where Hyde kept his
  residence.

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Character Descriptions

• Mr. Utterson The narrator of the book, Utterson
  is a middle-aged lawyer, and a man in which all
  the characters confide throughout the novel.
• Richard Enfield Mr. Utterson's cousin, a younger
  man who is assumed to be slightly more wild than
  his respectable and sedate relative.
• Dr. Lanyon A former friend and colleague of Dr.
  Jekyll. Ten years before the events in the novel,
  he suspended his friendship with Dr. Jekyll
  because of a disagreement over scientific
  endeavors.

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Character DescriptionsContinued

• Dr. Henry Jekyll A prominent middle-aged doctor
  described as both tall and handsome. He is also
  extremely wealthy with a fortune well over two
  million dollars. All that know him describe him
  as respected and proper.
• Edward Hyde A small, deformed, disgusting man
  somewhat younger than Dr. Jekyll who is
  apparently devoid of a profession.

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Character DescriptionsContinued

• Sir Danvers Carew A highly respected and
  prominent member of English society.
• Mr. Guest Mr. Utterson's law office clerk
• Richard Poole Dr. Jekyll's faithful butler.

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Themes

• Reason vs. the Supernatural
• Limits of Scientific Experimentation
• The Effects of Society on the Individual

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Freudian Influence

• Sigmund Freud, the father of psychotherapy, lived
  at the same time Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was
  published. Freud believed that human beings are
  powerfully influenced by impulses of which they
  are not aware and which are often expressed in
  dreams. Freud named the conscious part of oneself
  the ego. He named the unconscious part of oneself
  the id. He also labeled the superego as society,
  ethics, and morals.
• To many readers, Hyde represented Dr. Jekylls
  subconscious (id) desire to be freed from
  societys restrictions.

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Focal Points (2 of each)

1. Good vs. Evil-The presence of and struggle
   between good and evil in the human soul
2. Reason vs. Supernatural-Characters make decisions
   based on logic instead of supernatural
   occurrences or vice/versa
3. Duality-A dual nature exist within all people
4. Societys Influence-Society has an influence on
   temptation and the suppression of desires
5. Literary devices (one of each)
6. Imagery (light and dark)
7. Allusions