To what extent can "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" be defined as Gothic Literature?

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Ben Davey 5c                           English Coursework                            27/09/04

To what extent can “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” be defined as Gothic Literature?

        Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” is one of the most famous works of horror fiction ever written. Like the tales of “Frankenstein” and “Dracula,” a version of its central idea resides in the collective human consciousness.

        Stevenson wrote his most famous work in October 1885 at the age of 35. At the time he was dependent on his father, but this work enabled him to become financially independent for the first time. Originally intended as a ‘shilling shocker’ for publication at Christmas 1885, it was delayed until January of the following year due to a rather full market. Many other such novels were produced in this tradition, including other works by Stevenson, such as “The Body Snatchers” and “Olalla.”

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         From the very start this story was noticed to be different from other such novels, far more subtle, disturbing and complex in some ways, whilst when it is stripped to the basics it is just about the conflict between good and evil, a concept almost as old as time.

        I will now begin to compare aspects of this book with other famous works of Gothic and horror fiction.

        In terms of plot it is quite unusual, as the classic Gothic story is set in some distant time and /or country, often involving various nobles, family curses and members of ...

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