It also explains why he needed to unleash his inner Hyde. Setting here, in the form of the house, serves to reinforce the characters of Hyde and Jekyll and further highlights the theme of good versus evil. The other houses which also occupy the street with Jekyll’s house are described as handsome houses. Please read our Cookie Policy. Setting is important in the initial chapters where Utterson’s dream makes the minotaur and his maze a metaphor for Hyde and his London. This creates an atmosphere of suspense and actually physically hides the setting. These are all animal like descriptions and I believe that Stevenson uses this device to make us consider the weather at this time as like a wild animal, or even like Hyde. In fact, you could go so far as to say that this book, because of its setting, provides social commentary on the place and times. In conclusion, we can see that Stevenson effectively uses setting to convey the theme of duality in ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’. ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ is a gothic horror story written by R.L.   Sorry, but downloading is forbidden on this website. Jekyll owns a fancy town house with a tumble down lab on the back. The fact that he can build a fire in his front hall and not just his main rooms suggests he is wealthy and likes to display his wealth. Notice the servants? All you need to do is fill out a short form and submit an order. It tells us that the place is inhabited by very squalid low lives and that Soho is not a desirable place to live. ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ expresses the belief that evil lives inside all of us, and that sometimes the evil can escape from the control of those who are good. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Rahhhhh this is mad as a student I was reading this to aid with revision and this was absolutely amazing I never knew setting was so important thanks. The town house is described as having an ‘open fire’ in the front hall. Animal Farm Chapter 2 Creative writing: Higher HW 2. It is now much larger conveying, to us a hell like aura and the servants are described as “like a flock of sheep,” which portrays them as weak and helpless against the big predator which is, of course, Hyde. It is far easier to explain Jekyll’s actions against the backdrop of London society than Edinburgh’s. protagonist Henry Jekyll major conflict Jekyll attempts to keep his dark half, Edward Hyde, under control and then to prevent himself from becoming Hyde permanently. The setting is important here because it is what forces Jekyll’s hand into making an alternative persona for himself. Privacy policy, Glow Blogs uses cookies to enhance your experience on our service. Stevenson describes the street this side occupies as “shining out in contrast to its dingy neighbourhood.” Yet Hyde’s house is described as “a certain sinister block of building,” with a door which is “blistered and distained.” This side of the house is also portrayed as “bearing in every feature, the marks of prolonged and sordid negligence.” Yet when we come to Jekyll’s side of the house it is the exact opposite. The town house is described as having an ‘open fire’ in the front hall. Setting then becomes a metaphor for the playground of evil. My students will appreciate alternative points of view which you have laid out so clearly. C'est ce dernier qui, nuit après nuit, prendra finalement le dessus et le transformera en monstrueux Mister Hyde. When we get to Hyde’s flat, we also see duality. However, outside Stevenson at one point describes the house as “wearing a great air of wealth and comfort, though now it was plunged into darkness.” This tells us that although the house is obviously very beautiful, still there is something slightly sinister and mysterious about it. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. In the book Dr Jekyll represents good and Mr Hyde represents evil, yet they are technically the same person and come to symbolise the good and evil in all of us. Again it is a symbol for the man himself. It is portrayed as “florid” and “(it) shone out in contrast to its dingy neighbourhood,” and this shows to us that London has it’s own duality, paralleling the main idea in the book. The setting of the story Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is in the late nineteenth century in London. When Utterson goes inside this house there is a warm and welcoming feeling. Unlike the main house it juts out on an alley street, its windows are covered and the door bears no knocker and hasn’t been cleaned for entry. It hides Hyde literally and cloaks the shady characters of the night. We simply share a last name that is popular in Britain. Are you Ruth Davidson, the Scottish politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from 2011 to 2019, and has served as Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Edinburgh Central since 2016? We are also told that the street on which his house sits is filled with similar houses – his though is the only one kept clean and tidy and whole, the rest have become slightly messy. You never know when the minotaur or Hyde might appear to hurt you. Hyde on the other hand is a secretive creature who doesn’t so much lurk in the shadows as lives only in the night. Choose a novel in which setting is an important feature. Retrieved from https://graduateway.com/setting-strange-case-dr-jekyll-mr-hyde/, This is just a sample. When Utterson is making his way to Jekyll’s house the weather is described as “wild, cold,” “of the most diaphanous and lawny texture” and “the wind flecked blood into the face.”. Setting is also important as Stevenson often uses dramatic epithet to show a change in the mood of a scene to show that something is about to happen. Jekyll owns a fancy town house with a tumble down lab on the back. Jekyll is repressed by his lifestyle as a rich doctor, it is only as Hyde that he can do what he actually wants and so he creates Hyde. The idiom “mournful reinvasion of darkness” again portrays dark themes. Required fields are marked *. ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ does this by portraying Hyde as being a hairy, ape-like human. The untidiness of the doorway similarly keeps people from visiting. The windows emulate Hyde’s private nature, he doesn’t want people prying into his business. Repression is no joke. The hall is “comfortable,” and there is a glowing fire, suggesting a cosy and warm atmosphere in which you would feel relaxed. The other theme running through this novel is that of mystery and obscurity. It is described as “wearing a great air of wealth and comfort.” This is personification and Stevenson uses it to make it easier for us to paint a mental picture of scenes in the book. thanks! “Darkness” also gives a bleak and obscure feeling to the area. The book was published twenty-seven years after Darwin’s ‘The Origin of Species’ and they both made a link between man and ape. In case you can’t find a sample example, our professional writers are ready to help you with writing The Victorian London setting is important because it is what pushes Jekyll into making Hyde. The lack of a knocker shows he doesn’t want or expect guests. She is described as having an “evil face, smoothed by hypocrisy; but her manners were excellent.” This shows duality because although she looks evil, her manners suggest that she is not. Really helpful and understandable thankyou x, I’ve got an upcoming exam and these points are amazing! The bachelor living? Setting is most important as a symbol for the characters of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. This adds a sense of foreboding as we know something is going to happen the streets are too physically quiet of people as if something bad is about to happen. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy, The input space is limited by 250 symbols. Words like “dismal” and phrases such as “like a district in some city in a nightmare” give the area a sinister and hellish quality. © 2020 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. The flat is first described as “furnished with luxury and good taste.” But it is then described as bearing “every mark of a room that has been recently ransacked.” This shows duality because it is refined and stylish as in the manner of Jekyll, but is also in a state of chaos like the character of Hyde. our expert writers, Hi, my name is Jenn climax One could argue for two different climaxes. Your email address will not be published. He doesn’t hide from other people but he doesn’t really interact with them either, or encourage interactions. If I was that would have been extremely impressive to be moonlighting as an English teacher! Stevenson, first published in 1886. This image is built up further with his comparison to the minotaur, a monstrous beast that was used to control and terrorise the Greek town of Minos. The description of Soho is also one of bleakness and squalor. The discrepancy between rich and poor? Cookie policy  The novel is set in London but draws heavily on Stevenson’s knowledge of his hometown Edinburgh to create a chilling setting which emphasises the themes of good and evil. I think the point of the house in this book is to reflect the personality of the man who inhabits it. Kind regards. We see this with fog that has fallen over London. The repression? The first time we encounter the house it is from the side in which Hyde lives. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from Shmoop and verify that you are over the age of 13. I hope you do not mind me taking some revision notes from this amazing essay. Le docteur Jekyll, un philanthrope obsédé par sa double personnalité, met au point une drogue pour séparer son bon côté de son mauvais. i needed to write a book report, and was looking at examples. The lab door sums up his character perfectly. OK. One of the most extreme places where we clearly witness the theme of duality in this novel is in the depiction of Jekyll’s house. You can get your custom paper from It was one of many horror stories of its time, but was the first to use science as an explanation for the perpetration of evil. I also found this really helpful and shared with my class. ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ expresses the belief that evil lives inside all of us, and that sometimes the evil can escape from the control of those who are good. Also, London is “deserted,” and this imparts a sense of fear as to why everyone in a usually bustling city has turned indoors. It is also described as having “muddy ways.” This evokes an image of dirt and grime and unpleasantness. Stevenson had apparently considered setting his tale in Edinburgh, with its sordid, poverty-stricken old town and glossy, illustrious new town making clear allusions to Jekyll and Hyde’s personalities again. Setting is most important as a symbol for the characters of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. This setting allows Dr. Jekyll to become a more sympathetic character. seedy inhabitants. We have already had descriptions of Hyde as a ‘juggernaut’ something huge and threatening. Your email address will not be published. "You must agree to out terms of services and privacy policy", Don't use plagiarized sources. In this novel, we follow the path of Mr Utterson while he investigates his friend’s, Dr Jekyll, strange will only to find out that Dr Jekyll has split his good side from his evil side. The first of these instances is when we meet Hyde’s landlady. The expression “strange conflagration” is also a simile and is used to make the area seems hellish as a conflagration is a fire. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Critical Essay ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” is a famous novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. This makes you envisage the light as being very weak and thin, failing against the power of the darkness. How about make it original at only $13.9/page? Hello, Ms Davidson. Stevenson uses setting as a feature to portray the ideas that run through the book.

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