Reflect Victorian Society and Culture in the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay

In this essay I pass on be exploring the ways in which Robert Louis Stevenson portrays and reflects the fellowship into which his novelette, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was initially introduced.To do this I leave behind explore setting, language and form within the novel. There argon besides a number of themes and subjectls that I will also discuss black letter literary Tradition, overnice Science, duality, hypocrisy and prim constructs of virtue and vice.M somewhat(prenominal) of the regions in Jekyll and Hyde show twain sides to their personality. This duality is shown in their spotless and consider domain face that contradicts their despicable behaviour in private. Possibly the almost open example of this is thinkn where Sir Danvers Carew, a respectable MP and gentleman, deliberatemingly a accurate person in puritanical society, is seen and killed whilst in Soho. At the sentence, Soho was a real undesirable area of London where respectable men were non anticipate to be, at an unusual time of the night. The lateness of his visit on that head suggests that he was doing some liaison that he didnt want his friends or anyone from his accessible circle to see, probably something deviant.Soho was a haven for drug dealers, drug implementrs, prostitutes, all types of crime and in truth worthless population. This is reflective of a common authority that was seen in the late cardinal hundreds. It would have been a portentous and unthought-of of mentation to discuss this concept openly at the time the intelligence was written, however, as it would fabricate those who carried let out deviant acts feel scrutinised and less safe. As if their inscrutable was being do public. This is a very innovative and original reflection of a puritanic speckle that was common locating yet at a lower placeground.We see more of this brotherly situation when Jekyll himself explains that, as Hyde, he could perform acts that in his no rmal form he could not. His social standing would prohibit such behaviour and yet he felt compelled to act in this way. Conscious within Hyde and free from social expectations, he gained a sickening sense of satis concomitantion, remorselessness and enjoyment when he acted upon his curb evil longings. Or, at least, at first he did. A vista shown in his statement of the case where he points to, secret pleasures, that I had enjoyed in the disguise of Hyde. This explains that, owing to his social standing being rather mellowschool and respectable, he could not act upon certain longings, barely, as Hyde, an unrespected nobody, he could. This was a similar, if more extreme, version of a situation that society at the time forced umpteen respectable people into.Obviously nobody had two separate appearances and personalities, in a literal sense, but some had a public face and animateness and a private one. Expectation was very gritty amongst people from respectable social positions and classes. There was no board for misbehaving. It is suggested that social expectation indirectly resulted in the birth of Hyde, as the potion to convolute Jekyll into Hyde was formulated in order to separate ripe(p) from evil. Social expectation was satisfied by Jekyll as the focus was on the good things. As Hyde, a separate persona, he could be evil without the worry of social pressure and reputation. Jekyll saysIf each, I told myself, could but be housed in separate identities, life would be relieved of all that was unbearable the unjust might go his way, delivered from the aspirations and remorse of his more upright twin and the just could walk steadfast, and firm on his upright pathThe duality shown in so more of the characters shows the inherent hypocrisy in twee society in which people had an open, public life and a secret life that only took place where the person was not available to come under scrutiny from their society or class. This is a vaunting of the squar ed-toe social mindset that appearances posting for almost everything. So any deviancy or misbehavior could only be conducted in secret where that no one would know. The Victorians are shown to be unbidden to disregard, ignore and remain uninvolved in unpleasant things at the endangerment of falling from grace. This is a form of hypocrisy which is well shown where Mr. Enfield says, I break it a rule of mine the more something looks like Queer roadway the less I ask, to which the reply from Mr. Utterson is, A very good rule, too.This shows the despondency of people to save face and maintain a facade of graven image and decency in order to agree with and remain in favor of Victorian social expectations. This explains the importance of a reputation of decency and gallantry in the Victorian society in which the book was published. The idea of reputation being indwelling is used as a diaphysis to scare and warn Hyde in the first chapter of the book. Enfield explains, Killing bei ng out of the question, we did the undermentioned best. We told the man we could and would make a scandal out of this, as should make his pee-pee be from one end of London to the other.If he had any friends or any credit, we undertook that he should lose them. The fact that ruining his reputation was regarded as the next best thing to killing him emphasizes the importance of this to Victorian society. other display of the importance of reputation occurs at the end of the book where Poole and Utterson are prisonbreak down the door to Jekylls cabinet and Jekyll forces Hyde to kill himself. It shows the extreme measures that Jekyll will take he would rather be dead than tarnish his good reputation by letting his secret escape. This is a starkly shocking reminder of the importance of a reputation in Victorian high society.Victorian concepts of virtue and vice are discussed throughout the book. There was a set belief amongst the higher ranks of society that a malicious or evil natur e in a person should be vague and suppressed beneath the good features. This is explored through Jekyll and Hyde as Jekyll and Hyde are so-called to be the good and evil sides to Jekylls personality.So that Jekyll can safely release his suppressed evil through the form of Hyde. He could do this without coming under scrutiny from the society around him. He says secret pleasures, that I had enjoyed in the disguise of Hyde. Danvers Carew is another(prenominal) example of this as we see him in the area of Soho, despite his respectable faade. This whitethorn be because he is secretly acting upon the evil longings that he must suppress for most of the time, due the social expectations of a man in his positionAnother way that Stevenson explores Victorian society is through its science. At the time of the government issue of the book, one new scientific theory was the Darwinian theory of evolution. This is explored in the book. Many Victorians believed that criminals were less evolved t han normal people they were thought to be a throwback from humanitys autochthonic past. Hyde, the criminal, is often described as being similar to an animal and less evolved. Specifically, he is described as being ape-like in his fury. Mr. Utterson says, The man seems hardly human Something troglodytic. This implies he is primitive and less evolved. When Poole and Utterson are breaking into Jekylls cabinet Hyde emits, A grimy screech, as of mere animal terror. Again, animal-like traits are highlighted.Gothic Literary Traditions from the time period of the publication of the book are also important when we are discussing its storyline and themes. They were traditions that were commonplace in novels of the time. There were set rules and patterns. There is the idea of the gothic monster which was very common at the time, which takes the form of Hyde in this case. There was also the typical atmosphere of darkness and cover and violent forces at work. This is exemplified in the novel by the dingy and dark setting. For example, Stevenson says that at that place were heavy pea souper fogs and a good deal of the story occurs at nighttime in eerie locations such as the run-down Soho area. This draws from real life because there were real pea soupers and the area of Soho was extremely undesirable and dingy.Also the fact that most of the evil occurs at nighttime is, to an extent, a reflection of Victorian reality, as the only time when respected people would be someplace undesirable or acting upon evil desires would have been at night, under the cover of darkness. Hydes house has no windows and a single door, so is ominous, dark and secretive, with no means of an out of doorsr being able to adopt what lies beyond its walls. Another secretive technique is that the monster, Hyde, is never described in undischarged detail. Hyde is only ever described vaguely his unexpressed blot is a clear indication that Stevenson is conscious of the vagueness of his descriptio n.We also never see the story from his direct perspective, so his point of view is hidden which adds to the secrecy of the book. There is also the idea of Hydes house being a lair, shown in the form of the cabinet and laboratory that add to the secrecy and is another common technique in gothic texts. Stevenson uses these traditional ideas however, he does so in a subtle way with far less pitting than in other books, such as Shelleys Frankenstein and Bram Stokers Dracula. Hyde is not literally called a monster and is, after all, human. It is the actions and nature of the character that make him the monster.Stevensons use of language helps to explore the Victorian enculturation that the book was written in. He uses them to add to and invoke some of the Gothic Literary Traditions in his book. Stevenson describes Jekyll in a lot of detail verbalise that he is helping handsome, respected and a gentleman. However, Hyde is given very vague and non item descriptions which add to the se crecy of the character that is, reverting to Gothic tradition, the monster character. present we see a perfect display of this techniqueHe is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance something displeasing, something downright detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why. He must be deformed somewhere he gives a strong sense of deformity, although I couldnt describe the point. Hes an extraordinary-looking man, and yet I really can name nothing out of the way. No, sir I can make no hand of it I cant describe him. And it is not want of memory, for I declare I can see him this moment.By giving a vague, sketchy description Stevenson separates Hyde from other main characters that are described in detail, by almost de-humanizing him. This adds to the sense that Hyde is the traditional monster character, which is a tool used in Victorian writing.Setting is also used by Stevenson to draw on gothic tradition and gives an eerie yet sometime s truthful view of London. The way in which Stevenson describes the lodgings of Jekyll and Hyde is a use of language that adds to the gothic literary tradition. Jekylls house is in a very upper class area and is decorated and furnished with great taste and wealth. Whereas Hyde lives in a very rough area, Soho and his house is a dark, seedy place with no windows and a solitary door. This surrounds this character, the monster, with secrecy and shields him from the outside world. It creates an ominous, tense atmosphere, which was often used in gothic texts of the era.Also the places in the book where evil occurs are described as foggy and dingy. And the absolute majority of the story occurs at night. This adds to the darkness and secrecy of the gothic novelette. A point that is further reinforced by the secrecy that obliterate the lodgings of Jekyll and Hyde. present-day(a) London is portrayed as having an outwardly respectable veneer of worth that disguised a dangerous and immoral undercurrent, the hiding place for much evil. This was to an extent actually true of Victorian London it had respectable areas but was quite a seedy place. As an example there was the notorious Jack the Ripper, who killed prostitutes in London in the Victorian era at night in back alleys and brothels and was suspected to have been a respected politician or businessman by day. This data links in with the idea of Victorians often leading stunt woman lives good in the day and disobedient at night.The structure and form of the book emphasize the gothic traditions that Stevenson draws. The book is written from Mr. Uttersons perspective with narratives and interjections from other characters, such as Dr. Jekylls Full Statement of the Case however, importantly Hydes opinion is omitted. This heightens the shroud of secrecy and depravity that surrounds Hyde, the monster. This technique was common in Gothic novels of the time. It adds tightness and terror to the novels by keeping the re ader deprived of knowledge.To this we can link the reaction of the contemporary reader to this story. The reader would recognize much reality in the book. They would see truths from the time. For example, the pressures of society would be familiar. Some may be shocked or slightly uncomfortable when reading it, because the ideas of living double over lives and suppressing evil and acting upon it in privacy, would have rung true of some readers. To discuss this in the open would have been out of the question and may have put certain individuals in an extremely uncomfortable spotlight. As was discussed earlier in the essay there was a clear Victorian mentality that reputation was very important, possibly the most important thing to some individuals. So some may have had private feelings and longings and may have acted upon these in private. On seeing this in the book, Sir Danvers Carews situation for example, it may have felt to them as though they were no longstanding safe to have a sinful private life as people new that this sort of thing happened.* * *In conclusion I think that the book is a fairly truthful reflection of many aspects of Victorian society and culture, especially the idea of living a double life. I also think that Stevensons use of Gothic Literary tradition is effective. In the novelette, he provides a new variation on traditional themes. All in all, I think that Stevenson employs a high level of reality and supplements this by drawing from the literary culture of the Victorian Britain of which he was a part.