The role of the first chapter of 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde', as with the first chapter of any novel, is to capture the reader's interest. This is vital, so that they are captivated enough to continue with the novel.

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The role of the first chapter of 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde', as with the first chapter of any novel, is to capture the reader's interest. This is vital, so that they are captivated enough to continue with the novel. This interest can be gained in a number of ways; this essay will discuss the effectiveness of the first chapter of 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde', and how it capture's the reader's interest by establishing setting, character and themes.

Robert Louis Stevenson created 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' after a childhood and early adulthood of illness and nightmares. In these nightmares, 'Hyde' appeared to him as a then-unnamed demon, fears which were not helped by his childhood nurse's tales of Hell. Another factor that lead to the writing of Jekyll and Hyde was the continuous arguments with his father, a Calvinist with strong, puritanical views on religion. The views which Stevenson had conflicted with those of his father, who thought that Stevenson's previous works - children's books and poems - were sufficient, and any dealings with a more sinister genre would prevent him from entering Heaven. Stevenson's father's views were reflected in a confused Edinburgh, where religious views were affecting a whole society...

At a time when Charles Darwin's book 'The Origin of the Species' was causing a period of change and unease within society over the theory of evolution, and the possibility that God hadn't created man, everyone appeared confused. At the same time, Froid was investigating the theory of dreams, another timeless question. After hypnotising his clients, he concluded that people's dreams revealed their subconscious thoughts, their true desires. This view was indeed supported by Stevenson's own confession that in dreams, his "sins are strangely attractive".

Living in Edinburgh would no doubt have affected Stevenson too, especially as the city was now split into the New Town and the Old Town, or the informal good/evil split. Edinburgh was now a town of secrets, and the influential Old Town where Stevenson spent much of his time was clearly the idea behind Jekyll's street in Stevenson's novel. This period also coincided with 'Jack the Ripper' violently murdering prostitutes, and another mysterious case for society. More prominent in Edinburgh's society would've been Deacon Brodie: a real-life 'man-about-town' who was a professional locksmith by day, an occupation which granted him access to the houses of the rich and famous; however he abused this privilege by making copies of the keys and burgling them at night. Stevenson would've been aware of these criminals, and certainly some of the characters in his novel reflect them.

The duality of Edinburgh, the many visits he had with doctors during illnesses, the religious upbringing and religious upheaval within his society, 'Jack the Ripper' and Deacon Brodie all combined as factors - both societal and personal - of the idea behind 'Jekyll and Hyde'.
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The duality of his hometown is also reflected in the specific theme of his novel, concerning the opposing personalities that Stevenson believed existed within everyone. This is a timeless theme, as this is one of the unanswered questions posed by scientists, and so the novel still interests audiences now, over a century after it was written. Stevenson's characters help to capture audience attention too; their personalities are both captivating and mysterious, causing curiosity from the reader and a need to discover more about them.

The first character the reader is introduced to is Mr Utterson, Dr ...

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