Is "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" a typical gothic novel?

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Pre-20th Century Prose Essay

IS “DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE” A TYPICAL GOTHIC NOVEL?

“Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is described by many as a Gothic novel.  The height of popularity for Gothic novels was the late Victorian period; however they are still being published today, showing an undying thirst for them. The recognised criteria for a gothic novel include: the story of an outsider, one who does not fit in to society, a misfit. They can explore the boundaries of evil and good and even try to break them. In gothic novels the weather tends to be of a cold, dark nature to signify the personality of the character plus the often, dark nature of the story. Animals associated with fear are often included and generally there is a form of civil unrest due to the actions of the title character. The story is more often than not characterised by mystery and supernatural horror.

A reason why I think that “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is a typical gothic novel is because of the description of scenery. The street upon which Jekyll/Hyde resides is “on the left hand”; immediately this tells me that the house has an air of evil about it. In religious culture the left hand is often associated with being led astray, as it says in the Bible in the book of Ecclesiastes "A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.” This signifies that those who choose the right hand choose the path of good; those who choose the left are easily corrupted. Also it is associated with evil because of the etymology of the word "sinister” which in Anglo French reads as "senestre" meaning on the left and from the Latin "sinistr-" meaning on the left side. The house is “sinister” and “thrust forward”, which tells me that it is a dark, menacing place, it being thrust forward tells me that it does not fit in nor conform to anyone or anything else. The house also has no windows; windows are often referred to as “eyes to the soul”; I think that this is a reference to Hyde himself. The fact that there are no windows symbolises that Hyde has no soul.

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At this point I would like to make clear that the aforementioned street is in fact Hyde’s dwelling. In contrast Jekyll’s dwelling which coincidentally is the same house that leads onto a different street. Jekyll’s “street shone out in contrast to its dingy neighborhood” (Hyde’s dwelling) and exudes an “air of invitation”. This is completely the opposite of Hyde’s street and is used to symbolise Jekyll’s character. The two streets are symbolic of the dual nature of man- a very common element of a gothic novel.

However, there seems to be a lack of a common, if not vital, ...

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