Jekyll And Hyde Context Flashcards
what were there growing fears about at the end of the 19th century
fears about migration, threats of disease, sexuality and promiscuity, moral degeneration and decadence
How did the pious nature of Victorian society suppress them and make them question themselves
Suppress their desires and feelings, resulting in lots of them questioning their ‘goodness’ as religion condemned these evil thoughts
How is reputation a key part of Jekyll and hyde?
It is clear, as respectable men like utterson and Enfield avoid gossip as all costs as it destroys reputation. Also when Utterson is suspicious of Hyde and Jekyll he doesn’t voice his fears she to not ruin his respectability. Reputation also reflects the importance of appearances and facades at that time.
As Society were very religious - Britain was a Christian country, what does this mean for Darwinism and evolution in their society?
People were afraid of it and were hence cautious of science and its developments
Also this idea led to worries of humans going back to those primitive states, eg why Hyde is described as ‘ape like’, ‘troglodytic’ and his rude and uncivilised manner
What was physiognomy?
A theory which was then later dismissed as unscientific - which was that the ‘born criminal’ could be recognised by physical characteristics, eg: asymmetrical facial features, long arms, or a sloping forehead
How does Stevenson accept and reject Physiognomy by Cesare Lonbroso
As mr hydes ape like appearances marks him out as a criminal and unacceptable in Victorian society, however Jekyll’s appearance refutes physiognomy as he is a ‘smooth faced, handsome, man of around 50’
Why was Jekyll and Hyde rendered a particularly disturbing work during the late 1880s when it was written
As it was around the time when Jack the Ripper carried out his attacks, a man who was able to hide behind a respectable public persona
Population of London grew to 6.7 million in 1900, and the overcrowded city became rife with crime - how is this represented in Jekyll and Hyde
As Stevenson linked the urban terrors and events to hydes horrible actions. Achieved this by using nightmarish imagery like twisting dark streets, or foggy streets
Context on Robert Louis Stevenson
Was born and raised in Edinburgh so was both Scottish and British
Edinburgh had two sides - he was raised in the New Town area, but spent his youth exploring the darker, more sinister side of town
Who was deacon Brodie and how did he inspire Stevenson
He was a respectable member of Edinburgh’s society and town councillor, but Brodie lead a secret life as a burglar womaniser and gambler and was hanged in 1788 for this. In his youth, Stevenson wrote a play about him.
Duality of human nature
Gothic fiction had already examined the idea of the alter ego, but Stevensons idea showed the dual nature of not only man but also society.
