Stevensons Representation of Good and Evil in The Strange...

Stevensons Representation of Good and Evil in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde In this piece of coursework, I am asked to first of all, discuss how the novel is mainly concerned with the struggle between good and evil. Next, I will be moving on to discovering the historical, social, and cultural issues of the novel; this will discus what Stevensons literary influences were. Subsequently, I will be exploring the actual evil character oh Mr. Edward Hyde; this will include a character description of Hyde. Then, I will be analysing the evil incidents that Hyde commits; how Stevenson actually describes these attacks. The symbols of evil will then follow; what the door and the fog†¦show more content†¦However, the character is only complex because of the consumption of a potion or drug, then the one character is transformed into two individual opposite personalities. It is because of Jekylls kind and generous nature he has a good friend in a lawyer, who tries to define the understanding of why Jekyll would give his entire worldly possessions to Hyde, in t he event of his disappearance. Uttersons assessment of Hyde is of a pure, evil, cold and heartless nature. Although Jekyll and Hyde seem opposite, they are the same person. The theme of the novel, therefore, is that good and evil exist together in man. This novel was written in 1886, at a time of change in the world of fiction as a new form of gothic literature emerged that had elements that differed from previous gothic stories. Stevensons story is based around various ideas of gothic literature and is mainly focused on exposing the duality of man and his struggle to hide it from the outside world. The symbolism of Jekyll and Hyde is truly extended to all with differing parts in all of our bodies. It was not a new idea as it had been seen in the classic example of a good and bad guardian, a devil on one shoulder and an angel on another, and also in gothic literature before it, such as Frankenstein with the duelling personalities of Frankenstein and the monster, creator and creation which is easily comparableShow MoreRelatedThe Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1052 Words   |  5 PagesLouis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Apart from being an exceptional Gothic work, Stevenson’s novella is an excellent critique of the hypocrisy that dominated the Victorian era. In his novella, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson uses the characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to expose the double standards and moral pretensions that governed Victorian society. 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