Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
This essay is about how R L Stevenson uses the setting in ‘‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to emphasise the theme of duality. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was written in the nineteenth century. The story was told from the point of view of Utterson, Lanyon and Jekyll himself. Dr. Jekyll was an aging doctor who conducted experiments to change his personality also he invented Mr. Hyde. There were unexplained attacks on Sir Danvers Carew, Hyde was suspected on this attack and therefore disappeared. Hyde was the alter ego of Jekyll. Hyde started to take over Jekyll’s body. In the end Jekyll writes a letter and Hyde suicides the letter reveals the truth.
Stevenson uses setting to emphasise the theme of duality he shows the good side of London for example ‘‘the shop fronts stood along that thoroughfare of with an air of invitation, like rows of smiling saleswomen’’. This suggests that the shops are so attractive it sounds welcoming to go there. However on the other street a house door is described as ‘‘the door which has no bell or knocker.’’ This gives the feeling that there is no one wanted and it’s a very unwelcoming. The idea that this is duality because there is two sides to London one side where it’s welcoming and one side where it’s unwelcoming.