Introduction (Scottish Highers English): Revision Notes
Introduction
About the novel
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde tells the story of Dr Henry Jekyll, a respectable doctor who develops a way to transform into the violent and immoral Edward Hyde. The novel explores what happens when a Victorian gentleman attempts to separate his respectable public persona from his darker desires.
The story is set in Victorian London, a society with strict social codes. In this world, people from middle and upper-class backgrounds were expected to maintain a restrained and proper appearance at all times. Personal feelings, particularly those considered immoral or improper, had to be suppressed and hidden from public view.
The Victorian era (1837-1901) was characterized by rigid social hierarchies and moral codes. For the middle and upper classes, maintaining a respectable public image was essential for social and professional success. This created an environment where people often lived double lives, publicly conforming to strict moral standards while privately engaging in behaviors they couldn't openly acknowledge.
The novel's central message
The novel examines human nature through its exploration of duality. Stevenson presents the idea that every person contains both good and evil within them. This dual nature is not something that can be easily controlled or separated.
The text demonstrates two connected problems. When people attempt to explore or express their dark side freely, it leads to destructive consequences. However, the novel also shows that hiding or denying this darker nature creates problems too. Jekyll's attempt to separate his two sides through scientific means ultimately destroys him, suggesting that human nature cannot be divided without catastrophic results.
This message challenges Victorian assumptions about morality and respectability. Rather than simply advocating for moral restraint, the novel suggests that complete suppression of darker impulses is equally dangerous as giving in to them.
Robert Louis Stevenson's life and influences
Stevenson's life experiences shaped his understanding of dual nature and hypocrisy, which became central to the novel.
Early life and education
Stevenson was born in Edinburgh in 1850. In 1867, he went to Edinburgh University to study engineering, following a conventional path for a young man of his background. However, by 1871, he had decided he wanted to become a writer. On his father's advice, he chose to study law first, gaining a practical profession before pursuing literary ambitions.
Personal conflicts
In 1873, Stevenson quarrelled with his father about religion. His father was deeply upset to discover that Stevenson had become an atheist, rejecting the Christian faith that was central to Victorian respectability.
This personal experience of conflict between public expectations and private beliefs likely informed Stevenson's interest in characters who maintain respectable appearances while hiding their true nature. The tension between his personal convictions and his family's expectations mirrors Jekyll's struggle between his public persona and private desires.
Literary career and later life
Stevenson published his first novel, An Inland Voyage, in 1878. In 1880, he married Fanny Osbourne. The novel that would make him famous, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, was published in 1886.
In 1889, Stevenson moved to Samoa and never returned to Britain. He died there in 1894, aged only 44.
Influences on the novel
Three particular influences shaped Stevenson's approach to Jekyll and Hyde:
Childhood religious instruction: As a child, Stevenson was influenced by the strict Christian beliefs of his nanny, Alison Cunningham. This early exposure to rigid moral frameworks gave him insight into the pressure such beliefs could place on individuals.
Victorian hypocrisy: As an adult, Stevenson became interested in the behaviour of Victorian gentlemen. He observed how they maintained an outwardly respectable appearance while secretly indulging in immoral behaviour. This gap between public respectability and private action became a central theme in the novel.
Deacon Brodie: Stevenson was particularly fascinated by the life of Deacon Brodie, a respectable cabinet maker who led a secret life as a robber. This real-life example of dual existence provided a direct model for Jekyll's double life.
Victorian society and reputation
Understanding Victorian attitudes to respectability is essential for understanding the novel's themes and conflicts.
The importance of reputation
In Victorian middle and upper-class society, reputation was extremely important to gentlemen. A man's good name determined his social standing, professional prospects and personal relationships. If a gentleman were seen doing anything that was not respectable, his reputation would be ruined, with lasting consequences.
This intense focus on reputation created a culture of secrecy. To protect their standing, people often kept their sinful behaviour and less respectable desires hidden from public view.
The Victorian obsession with reputation wasn't simply about vanity or social climbing. A damaged reputation could result in:
- Loss of professional opportunities and career advancement
- Social ostracism from one's peer group
- Difficulty in securing advantageous marriages for oneself or one's children
- Financial consequences, as business dealings often depended on personal trust and reputation
The culture of silence
Victorian society did not like to talk about anything that might damage reputations or disturb the appearance of civilised order. Topics relating to immorality, crime or base human desires were considered improper for discussion in respectable company.
This culture of silence meant that Victorian gentlemen often lived double lives. They maintained a respectable public persona while secretly engaging in activities they could not acknowledge openly. The novel explores the psychological and moral costs of this divided existence.
Setting and key locations
The novel is set in London, with several specific locations that hold importance in the narrative:
- Jekyll's House: The doctor's respectable home, which includes both his laboratory and cabinet where he conducts his experiments
- Hyde's Soho House: A separate residence maintained by Hyde in a less respectable area
- Utterson's House: The home of Jekyll's lawyer friend
- Lanyon's House: The residence of Jekyll's former friend and fellow doctor
- The Maid's House: The location where an important witness lives
- River Thames: The river that runs through London, marking geographical boundaries in the novel
The contrast between different areas of London reflects the theme of duality. Jekyll's respectable address stands in contrast to Hyde's residence in Soho, a district associated with vice and poverty. This geographical separation mirrors Jekyll's attempt to separate his respectable self from his darker impulses.
Main characters
Dr Henry Jekyll
Dr Henry Jekyll is a well-respected doctor and scientist. At the start of the novel, he enjoys a good reputation and the friendship of other professional gentlemen. However, he begins to act strangely and stops seeing his friends when he secretly experiments with his alter ego.
Jekyll's character represents the respectable Victorian gentleman who becomes consumed by his attempt to separate his dual nature. His scientific approach to the problem of human duality drives the plot.
Mr Edward Hyde
Mr Edward Hyde is the evil side of Jekyll. Jekyll and Hyde are the same person, with Hyde representing all of Jekyll's darker impulses given physical form. Hyde is described as a violent and merciless character who makes people feel uneasy and disgusted when they encounter him.
The physical manifestation of evil in Hyde's form allows Stevenson to explore how moral corruption affects both behaviour and appearance. Hyde is consistently described as deformed and repulsive, though witnesses struggle to identify exactly what makes him so disturbing - suggesting that his evil nature manifests physically in ways that transcend specific features.
Mr Gabriel Utterson
Mr Gabriel Utterson is a lawyer and Jekyll's friend. He is very rational and sets out to solve the mystery of Jekyll's odd behaviour. Utterson's perspective guides much of the narrative, as he attempts to understand the connection between Jekyll and Hyde.
Utterson represents rational inquiry and professional concern. His investigation gradually reveals the truth about Jekyll's experiments.
Dr Hastie Lanyon
Dr Hastie Lanyon is also a doctor. He used to be close friends with Jekyll, but they fell out over Jekyll's controversial scientific ideas. Lanyon represents orthodox science and conventional morality, standing in opposition to Jekyll's more radical experiments.
Lanyon's role becomes important when he witnesses something that reveals the truth about Jekyll and Hyde. His adherence to conventional scientific thinking and his inability to accept what he sees demonstrates the limits of rational, orthodox approaches to understanding human nature.
Mr Richard Enfield
Mr Richard Enfield is Utterson's relative and friend. They enjoy spending time together, even though they do not have much in common. Enfield's account of an incident involving Hyde early in the novel sets Utterson's investigation in motion.
Poole
Poole is Jekyll's butler. He has worked for Jekyll for 20 years and knows him well. His long service means he is concerned by Jekyll's strange behaviour and notices when something is wrong.
Poole's observations provide important evidence about Jekyll's transformation and declining state.
Sir Danvers Carew
Sir Danvers Carew is an elderly gentleman and Member of Parliament. His status as a respectable public figure makes his fate particularly shocking and important to the plot.
Mr Guest
Mr Guest is Utterson's clerk. He notices that Hyde's handwriting is almost identical to Jekyll's. This observation provides important evidence that connects Jekyll and Hyde.
Key Points to Remember:
- Jekyll and Hyde explores the dual nature of humanity - everyone contains both good and evil within them
- The novel is set in Victorian London, where reputation and respectability were paramount for gentlemen, leading many to hide their true natures
- Stevenson was influenced by his strict religious upbringing, his observations of Victorian hypocrisy and the real-life case of Deacon Brodie
- The novel's message warns that both exploring and denying one's dark side leads to problems
- Key characters include Jekyll (the respectable doctor), Hyde (his evil alter ego) and Utterson (the rational lawyer investigating the mystery)