The Strange Case

How does Robert Louis Stevenson present powerful emotions in the strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde?  

Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh in 1850 and published The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in 1886. As an adult I believe Robert Louis Stevenson was interested in the behaviour of Victorian gentleman and the way they maintained an outwardly respectable appearance, but secretly indulged in immoral behaviour in private. This book gives you an insight into the behaviour of Victorian gentleman. The book draws the reader in by having lots of mystery and darkness surrounded within and tends to keep the gothic theme throughout. The use of powerful emotions keeps the reader interested so that they want to know what happens next. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is about a Dr called Dr Jekyll and his other identity Mr Hyde who is his other side or his repressed inner other that eventually gets out and wants to stay.

In Chapter One – Story of the Door.

Utterson and Enfield walk down a street with wealth all around with the big houses and the upper class. They use words like “Freshly Painted shutters” and “Well – Polished brasses which suggests to me that the houses are well looked after. When describing the building that My Hyde goes into they describe it as “Sinister” and “Sordid” this starts to make you think that My Hyde is Sinister. When Describing Mr Hyde Enfield says that there was something deeply unpleasant about Hyde but he couldn’t say what: (Quote): “There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why” This makes the reader feel uneasy about Mr Hyde. Enfield describes Hyde as some damned Juggernaut (A huge Wagon) that tramples calmly over the little girl. He shows how easily Hyde does violent things.

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