Context and background

Robert Louis Stevenson published The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in 1886, during the Victorian era, a time of strict social codes and scientific advancement. The novella reflects the anxieties of the period, particularly around morality, identity, and the unknown impacts of scientific progress.

Historical and social context

• Victorian morality - Society placed a high value on respectability, with a clear divide between public behaviour and private desires. Repression of darker impulses was common, creating a culture of hidden sins.
• Scientific developments - The 19th century saw rapid advancements in science, including theories of evolution by Charles Darwin, which challenged religious beliefs about humanity. There was fear about science overstepping ethical boundaries.
• Urbanisation and crime - London's growth led to overcrowded slums and rising crime rates. The novella's foggy, sinister London setting mirrors real fears about the city's dark underbelly, exemplified by the Jack the Ripper murders just two years later.

Stevenson's life and influences

Stevenson, a Scottish writer, often explored themes of duality and adventure in his works, influenced by his own ill health and fascination with morality. He wrote Jekyll and Hyde during a period of personal struggle, reportedly conceiving the story in a feverish dream. The novella also draws on gothic traditions, blending horror with psychological depth to question human nature.

Plot overview

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is structured in ten chapters, narrated mostly through the perspective of Mr Utterson, a lawyer. The story unfolds as a mystery, gradually revealing the connection between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Plot by chapter

• Chapter 1: Story of the Door - Mr Utterson and his cousin Mr Enfield discuss a disturbing incident involving a man named Hyde trampling a young girl and compensating her family. Enfield describes Hyde as repulsive, linked to a mysterious door.
• Chapter 2: Search for Mr Hyde - Utterson, concerned by Hyde's connection to his friend Dr Jekyll through a will, seeks Hyde out. He meets the man and feels an instinctive loathing for his sinister appearance.
• Chapter 3: Dr Jekyll Was Quite at Ease - Utterson speaks with Jekyll at a dinner party. Jekyll seems cheerful but refuses to discuss Hyde, asking Utterson to look after Hyde if anything happens to him.
• Chapter 4: The Carew Murder Case - A year later, Hyde brutally murders Sir Danvers Carew, a respected gentleman, in public. Utterson helps the police search for Hyde, who has disappeared, and visits Jekyll, who claims to have severed ties with Hyde.
• Chapter 5: Incident of the Letter - Jekyll shows Utterson a letter supposedly from Hyde, promising not to return. Utterson suspects forgery when a handwriting expert notes similarities to Jekyll's writing.
• Chapter 6: Remarkable Incident of Dr Lanyon - Jekyll becomes reclusive. Utterson visits Dr Lanyon, another friend, who is dying and hints at a shocking event involving Jekyll that has broken him.
• Chapter 7: Incident at the Window - Utterson and Enfield see Jekyll at his window, looking ill. His expression changes to terror before he slams the window shut, leaving them horrified.
• Chapter 8: The Last Night - Jekyll's servant Poole seeks Utterson's help, fearing something is wrong. They break into Jekyll's laboratory, finding Hyde dead by poison, wearing Jekyll's clothes, and a new will naming Utterson as heir.
• Chapter 9: Dr Lanyon's Narrative - A letter from Lanyon reveals he witnessed Hyde transform into Jekyll after drinking a potion, explaining his horror and decline. He refused further involvement.
• Chapter 10: Henry Jekyll's Full Statement of the Case - Jekyll's confession explains he created Hyde through a potion to separate his good and evil natures. Hyde grew stronger, committing crimes, until Jekyll lost control and chose death over Hyde's dominance.

Character analysis

Dr Henry Jekyll

Dr Jekyll is a respected scientist and gentleman whose experiments with duality lead to his downfall. He represents the struggle between societal expectations and inner desires.

Initially, Jekyll is described as "a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty" with a kind disposition. His scientific curiosity drives him to split his personality, creating Hyde as a vessel for his darker impulses. As Hyde grows dominant, Jekyll loses control, lamenting "I was slowly losing hold of my original and better self". His final act of writing a confession shows remorse but also inevitability.

Jekyll embodies the conflict between good and evil within one person. His transformation into Hyde critiques Victorian repression, suggesting that denying one's darker side can lead to destruction.

Mr Edward Hyde

Mr Hyde is Jekyll's alter ego, embodying pure evil and unrestrained desire. He is the physical manifestation of Jekyll's suppressed nature.

Hyde is described as "pale and dwarfish" with an air of "deformity without any nameable malformation". His smaller stature suggests he is a lesser, yet dangerous, part of Jekyll. His actions, like trampling a child and murdering Carew, show unchecked brutality. Over time, he overpowers Jekyll, appearing without the potion.

Hyde represents the hidden savagery beneath polite society. His repulsive appearance and violent acts shock others, reflecting fears of what lies beneath human civility.

Mr Gabriel John Utterson

Utterson is a lawyer and Jekyll's friend, serving as the primary narrator and moral compass of the story.

Utterson is "austere with himself" and reserved, yet deeply loyal. His concern for Jekyll drives the investigation into Hyde, as seen when he muses, "If he be Mr Hyde... I shall be Mr Seek". He remains rational amid growing horror, uncovering the truth through persistence.

Utterson provides a grounded perspective, guiding readers through the mystery. His restraint contrasts with Jekyll's recklessness, highlighting the dangers of unchecked curiosity.

Dr Hastie Lanyon

Dr Lanyon is a fellow scientist and former friend of Jekyll, representing traditional science and morality.

Lanyon is initially described as "healthy, hearty, and dapper", but witnessing Hyde's transformation into Jekyll shatters him. He writes, "I have seen what I have seen, I have known what I have known", refusing to elaborate due to trauma. His death soon after shows the impact of confronting the unnatural.

Lanyon serves as a foil to Jekyll, rejecting experimental science. His breakdown underscores the novella's warning about meddling with human nature.

Theme analysis

Duality of human nature

The central theme is the split between good and evil within individuals. Stevenson explores how these opposing forces coexist and conflict.

How the theme develops:

• Jekyll's experiment to separate his dual nature reflects the Victorian struggle to balance public virtue with private vice.
• Hyde's growing dominance shows evil can overpower good if unleashed, as Jekyll notes, "my devil had been long caged, he came out roaring".
• The physical contrast between Jekyll (tall, kind) and Hyde (small, repulsive) symbolises internal division.
• This theme connects to Victorian anxieties about hidden immorality behind respectable facades.

Secrecy and repression

The novella examines how suppressing true desires leads to destructive consequences, mirroring Victorian society's strict codes.

How the theme develops:

• Jekyll hides Hyde, even from friends, reflecting society's concealment of shameful impulses.
• Utterson's discreet investigation shows how secrets are both kept and feared, as he avoids scandal by not speaking openly.
• Jekyll's confession reveals the cost of repression: "I concealed my pleasures", leading to Hyde's uncontrollable emergence.
• Foggy London settings reinforce the theme, obscuring truth and hiding dark deeds.

Science and morality

Stevenson questions the ethics of scientific ambition, a pressing concern in the age of Darwin and medical advancements.

How the theme develops:

• Jekyll's potion represents science overstepping moral limits, creating a monster in Hyde.
• Lanyon's rejection of Jekyll's methods ("unscientific balderdash") contrasts with Jekyll's dangerous curiosity.
• The unintended consequences (Hyde's murders) warn against playing God, a fear in Victorian science.
• Jekyll's ultimate failure suggests nature cannot be divided without peril.

Fear of the unknown

The gothic element of fear permeates the story, reflecting anxieties about what science and human nature might reveal.

How the theme develops:

• Hyde's indescribable deformity evokes primal fear, as Utterson feels "something troglodytic" in him.
• The mystery of Hyde's identity builds dread, heightened by London's dark, foggy alleys.
• Lanyon's terror at witnessing transformation shows fear of truths beyond comprehension.
• This theme taps into Victorian unease about evolution and the primitive within humanity.

Stevenson's methods

Narrative structure

The novella uses a complex structure with multiple perspectives to build suspense and reveal truth gradually.

Structural effects:

• The story unfolds through Utterson's limited viewpoint, creating mystery as readers piece together clues.
• Later chapters (Lanyon's narrative, Jekyll's confession) shift perspective, confirming suspicions dramatically.
• The non-chronological revelation mimics a detective story, engaging readers in solving the puzzle.
• The delayed full explanation heightens the gothic horror of discovery.

Gothic elements

Stevenson employs gothic conventions to evoke unease and explore dark themes.

Key gothic features:

• Setting - London's foggy, labyrinthine streets and Jekyll's eerie laboratory create a sinister atmosphere.
• Supernatural undertones - Hyde's unnatural presence and the potion's effects suggest dark forces, though grounded in science.
• Terror and dread - Characters' visceral fear of Hyde, described as "ape-like fury", amplifies horror.
• Isolation - Jekyll's seclusion and secret experiments reflect gothic themes of alienation.

Language and imagery

Stevenson's language choices deepen the story's unsettling tone and thematic impact.

Notable techniques:

• Animalistic imagery - Hyde is likened to a "troglodyte" and shows "savage laughter", suggesting primitive, uncivilised evil.
• Contrast - Jekyll's respectable home versus Hyde's seedy Soho residence mirrors their dual nature.
• Pathetic fallacy - Fog and darkness, as in "a great chocolate-coloured pall lowered over heaven", reflect moral murkiness.
• Repetition - Frequent references to Hyde's "deformity" reinforce his otherness and society's rejection.

Narrative voice

The use of multiple narrators adds depth and suspense to the unfolding mystery.

Effect of narrative voice:

• Utterson's restrained, legalistic tone provides a credible, rational lens, making the horror more believable.
• Lanyon's emotional account contrasts with Utterson's calm, showing the personal toll of Jekyll's actions.
• Jekyll's confessional style, full of regret ("I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end"), offers intimate insight into his torment.

Key quotations summary