The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
Publishing Date: 1886
Setting: Victorian London
Narrative Genre: Mystery, Science Fiction, Horror
Themes: Duality in Human Nature, Original Sin, Addiction
Subjective Length: A day or so
Overall 7/10. This is a classic work of literature which sets out to explore dual nature in humanity. At the heart of it, it deals with the distinction between what man aspires to be and what he, nevertheless, often is. This work establishes classic tropes of this theme, and its influence can be felt in the countless parodies, as well as in such popular works as Dragonball and The Incredible Hulk: as man seeks to either excise his own darker side or to "control the raging spirit that dwells within".
Controversial Themes
This is a work that hinges on good and evil. Definite terms are given here, and a black and white morality permeates the piece. It is somewhat disconcerting to see callous disregard as the first sign Hyde's evil, in an incident which might not be remarkable to a modern audience.
**SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD**
The story opens with a conversation between Mr. Utterson and Mr. Enfield in which Enfield relates the circumstance of seeing a man called Mr. Hyde trample a young girl. This Mr. Hyde then delivers a check in the name of a prominent and respected member of the community. Mr. Utterson reveals that he knows the unnamed benefactor to be Dr. Jekyll, and the reader learns that Dr. Jekyll has, for no discernible reason, written his will to strongly favor Mr. Hyde.
What follows is a mystery novel. Mr. Utterson learns more and more incomprehensible details of the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde, and becomes more concerned for his friend as time goes on. Finally, Utterson and one of Jekyll's servants break into his laboratory, seeking to find out the doctor's fate. They find the body of Mr. Hyde, and through letters, assemble the improbable conclusion that Jekyll and Hyde were the same man. Jekyll, corrupted by his own experiments to remove his baser desires, had created an alter ego of himself: a being of pure evil. Eventually, becoming Hyde became an addiction, and it became easier to put on Hyde, and harder to return to Jekyll.
The story deals with uptight morals of Victorian England, and makes its hero of Utterson, a more moderate and human person than Jekyll. Jekyll is a pure paragon, constrained to the point that enjoyment itself is beyond his public face. Jekyll begins to lead a dual life, and both the deception inherent in this, as well as the addiction of the chemical nature of the change both suggest to the reader a sense of corruption in his behavior.
What will, perhaps, strike a modern reader most is that this story is, at heart, a gothic mystery. Most modern retellings depict the story from the perspective of Dr. Jekyll. In fact, living in modern society is to have the twist of Jekyll and Hyde spoiled. It is so well known, that the mystery origins of the story can easily be forgotten.
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