Introduction to The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of Robert Louis Stevenson was written during the heyday of the Victorian period in England causing uproars about the storyline. Writing in the introduction of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Tales of Terror, Robert Mighall explains when referring to Adam and Even interpretations that despite being a product of its “perennial” morality, the novel is a “product of its time, and if it is an allegory it is constructed out of historical circumstances” (xxii). Although it seems a simple Gothic and horror tale of a doctor who is obsessed with the idea of transforming his personality through his knowledge, it depicts much more than merely the obsession of this person. In fact, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde depicts Victorian culture, and its advancement in psychology, medicine, morality, and economy.
Psychological Progress during the Victorian Period and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Psychology was advancing during the Victorian period at a fast pace with the arrival of Freud and Jung and their phenomenal works about dreams and the duality of human nature. Specifically, Freud’s concepts of uncanny events and of id and ego are of prime importance (Freud 8-10). It is but natural for Stevenson to depict the duality of human nature and such psychological issues in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. That is why Stephen Arata argues that his stories and this novel are “primarily psychological dramas rather than explorations of the supernatural or the paranormal” (55). Commenting upon its uncanny feature, she argues that the uncanniness of Freud emerges from the story due to its depiction of common reality (57). She has cited the event of uncanniness when Utterson visits Dr. Jekyll and finds Poole to see that there are strange things in the glass lying on the table to which Utterson says that they are “none stranger than itself” (Stevenson 46). In their paper, Shubh M. Singh and Subho Chakrabarti have also argued citing Freud that Mr. Hyde is depicting id as he seeks his own gratification, and Dr. Jekyll is ego as he is a rational creature, while the Victorian society is representing superego on account of its moral framework (222). In other words, the novel depicts the advancement in psychiatry and psychological conditions of human beings and their likely impacts on the society. This progress has also been shown in the field of medicine.
Progress in Other Fields and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The progress in medical science and other professional fields is of specific interest during the Victorian page. Stevenson has presented the character of Dr. Jekyll in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in this background. Dr. Jekyll’s dedication to his profession and jealousy with his co-professionals is evident in his interest in working in his laboratory full of medicines, chemicals and strange potions. Writing about professions in his article “Children of the Night: Stevenson and Patriarchy,” William Veeder says professions such as medical, engineering and law were much respected in Victorian period of that time (107) adding that Jekyll returns to his clinical medicine and pharmacological research following the death of Carew (127). His jealousy with Dr. Lanyon is also more professional than personal, the reason that Dr. Lanyon berates Dr. Jekyll that he is going in the wrong direction calling it “scientific balderdash” (Stevenson 36). It clearly shows that the Victorian period has witnessed specific interest as well as professional rivalry in the field of medicine as well as to wrong direction it has taken due to competition. Even when Dr. Jekyll turns into Mr. Hyde he does not hide this professional rivalry as Veeder has pointed out later in his article in the critique of the novel saying that Hyde’s claim of transcendental medicine and its knowledge takes life of Lanyon (129). In other words, the interest in medical and other professions was so deep that rivalry took a heavy toll on the weak-minded professionals such as Dr. Lanyon who commits suicide.
Morality During Victorian Period and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Even morality was witnessing fast transformation during the Victorian period. The novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde portray the double morals and hypocritical attitude of the people in various ways. The third person narrator of the novel has shown Dr. Jekyll as a rich person having known for charity work and very religious man and “he did good; his face seemed to open and brighten, as if with an inward consciousness of service” (Stevenson 31). However, at the same time when he transforms into Mr. Hyde, he becomes a merciless killer, leading to moral ambiguity that J. R. Hammond has explained in his article “Stevenson’s Literary Achievement” included in his book A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion. He argues that Stevenson constantly “explores his lifelong concern with problems of duality and moral ambiguity” (18). The characters Dr. Jekyll and even Utterson demonstrates this moral ambiguity of the Victorian period. Emma Griffin in “Patterns of Industrialization” writes that growth increased exponentially during the late Victorian period (93). The description of the growth of the city of London and buildings show the economic growth of England that Utterson calls as “the low growl of London” (Stevenson 14). It was at the time when Industrial revolution was leading to urban growth and sprawling buildings.
Conclusion
Making the long argument brief, the novel of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde not only depicts the advancement in knowledge such as psychology and medicines but also highlights importance of professionals, ambiguity of morality and growth in economy of England. The character of Dr. Jekyll shows how people hide true identities and show another face in the public due to psychological problems. Even in medical and other professions, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Utterson and Lanyon show their expertise and try to surpass each other showing rivalry and competition. In the field of morality, the novel depicts moral ambiguity of Dr. Jekyll and of Lanyon when treating the case of Mr. Hyde. The description of the city of London shows the economic growth and increasing wealth of the people.
Works Cited
- Arata, Stephen. “Stevenson and Fin-de-Siecle Gothic.” The Edinburgh Companion to Robert Louis Stevenson, edited by Penny Fielding, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2010, pp. 53-70.
- Freud, Sigmund. The Ego and the Id. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 2018.
- Mighall, Robert. Introduction. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Tales of Terror, by Robert Louis Stevenson. Penguin Classics, 2002.
- Griffin, Emma. “Patterns of Industrialization.” The Victorian World, edited by Martin Hewitt, New York: Routledge, 2012, pp. 90-108.
- Singh, Shubh M., and Subho Chakrabarti. “A Study in Dualism: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” Indian Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 50, no.3, 2008, pp. 221-223.
- Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Tales of Terror. Penguin Books. 2002.
- Veeder, William. “Children of the Night: Stevenson and Patriarchy.” Robert Louis Stevenson, edited by Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2005, pp. 103-159.
Relevant Questions about The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Victorian Culture
- How does the character of Dr. Jekyll’s alter ego, Mr. Hyde, symbolize and critique the dualities and repressed desires present in Victorian society? In what ways does this duality reflect the tensions and anxieties of the Victorian era?
- In the context of Victorian culture, how does the novel explore the idea of maintaining a respectable public image while harboring hidden vices and desires? What does this reveal about the societal norms and expectations of the time?
- Stevenson’s novella delves into the themes of science and morality. How does the character of Dr. Jekyll’s scientific experimentation reflect the broader scientific advancements and ethical debates of the Victorian era? In what ways does the story comment on the consequences of unchecked scientific curiosity within this cultural context?
