Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Stevenson was also often ill this is reflected in the book by Hyde’s deformity and unhealthy look “He must be deformed somewhere, he gives a strong feeling of deformity” as for Jekyll was more healthy and not so repulsive and had more handsome figure pg18 “ a large, well made, smooth faced man of fifty, with something of a stylish cast perhaps”.

In the book Stevenson often plays on duality, as a boy he was fascinated by Deacon Brodie who was respected cabinet maker by day but a robber by night. Stevenson also uses destinations to reflect dualities, as a young man he studied engineering as a respected son in the new town of Edinburgh however in the old town at night he would be off to the brothels, this split life is definitely mirrored in the book, Jekyll a respectable Dr by day, but disgraceful Hyde by night. As for places reflecting good and evil often in a dogmatic sense for example Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’s house a spilt personality of its self just like Jekyll and Hyde themselves. “The door, which was equipped with neither bell nor knocker, was blistered and disdained .Tramps slouched into the recess”

In the Victorian era sex was not a conversational topic but a very personal matter. In civilised Victorian society there was no sex before marriage. Stevenson as a youngster when he went to the brothels may be portraying the two face ness of Victorian society in the book. He puts this across subtly because obviously he wanted his book to be popular at the time. All the men in the book are bachelors; the only women in the book are the maid who witnessed Carew being murdered pg20 and pg21, and the servant describing Hyde to the police pg22 and 23. At this period of time who would these bachelors of practiced sex with? Nobody? I believe Jekyll hides the fact he uses prostitutes and Hyde exposes it. Also when Hyde tramples the little girl in the opening chapter pg7 , what is this girl doing out on the streets at three o’clock? Perhaps a child prostitute? ”but it was hellish to see”. When Hyde does this he in effect is blackmailed by Enfield, reflecting the prevalence not just of blackmail but the corrupt side of the lives of the middle classes in that Hyde is causally blackmailed without protest. In the Victorian era often upper class men were blackmailed by working class gangs when caught with a prostitute, they did this to keep their polite civilised reputation, this is reflected by Hyde’s blackmail by Enfield “No gentleman but wishes to avoid a scene” and “Black mail I suppose; an honest man paying through the nose for some of the capers of his youth. Black house is what I call that place with the door.” There is no solid proof of these matters in the book because Stevenson would be afraid to lose his reputation due to the nature of the topic but Stevenson touches on them subtly pg6 “so that the shop fronts stood along that thoroughfare with an air of invitation, like rows of smiling sales women”. This subject plays on dualities, reputable men by day and secretly in the brothels by night.