Jekyll and hyde. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote 'Jekyll and Hyde' to convey his thoughts and theory on the human mind and the divided self

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Jenny Allan 10MF

04/07/2007              

Robert Louis Stevenson’s Views on the Human Psyche

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote this novel in part to present his views on Human personality. Explain how he uses metaphors, setting, motifs and themes to present his views on the human psyche.

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ to convey his thoughts and theory on the human mind and the divided self. Robert Louis Stevenson describes his views on the human psyche through setting, motifs and themes and metaphors. He uses setting a lot to convey good and evil and our inner self.

Robert Louis Stevenson uses setting to create atmosphere in ‘Jekyll and Hyde’. ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ is set in two contrasting houses in London. Jekyll's house is a bright, grand and light house. Hyde’s small cabinet is down a dark, secluded and foreboding alleyway, but the two houses are joined with Hyde’s being hidden at the back and repressed. Jekyll's house represents the exterior and predominant good side of him, while Hyde’s cabinet represents the less apparant hidden dark side of Jekyll. In the first chapter Stevenson describes the bright and colourful shop fronts, in a dirty back street alley in London, but as you go on you enter the dark alleyway behind the shops full of run down buildings. This is symbolic of people who put masks on to cover up their inner evil self. ‘…Shop fronts stood along the throughfare with an air of invitation, like rows of smiling saleswoman…’(Stevenson, 10) these are the masks over the dark and dingy street they are in. ‘…At that point a certain sinister block of building thrust forward it’s gable on the street…’(Stevenson, 10) As the reader sees more of the street he comes to Hyde’s door, the darker part of the street. This deception of setting creates a good atmosphere. Stevenson also uses fog in the setting to represent things hidden and covered up.  ‘…A great chocolate-coloured pall lowered over heaven…’(Stevenson, 31) the fog is lowering over heaven, symbolically lowering over the goodness and blocking it out, like the repressed dark side rising up and over taking the good. As Robert Louis Stevenson writes ‘…A haggard shaft of daylight would glance between the swirling wreaths…(Stevenson, 31) a battered ray of goodness is glancing in between the swirling evil, representing the little bit of good in everyone however much they cover and hide it.

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Stevenson also uses motifs and themes in the book to express his views.  For instance he uses light and darkness for Jekyll and Hyde. Hyde mainly comes out at night and stays in the dark. All of Hyde’s crimes are committed at nighttime. This represents the evil side of Jekyll coming out in the dark and working under the mask of darkness similar to how in the day, Hyde turns back to Jekyll and the social side of him is alive in the light. Darkness has always represented evil, i.e. Vampires, zombies and werewolves, all the old myths worked ...

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