Context

• Religious allusion


  Referencing the Bible, a universally recognised system of symbolism, to invoke tradition and history and add power to the text
• Examples of biblical and religious allusion

  • "really like Satan"
  • "that human Juggernaut"
  • "if ever I read Satan's signature upon a face, it is on that of your new friend"
  • "I incline to Cain's heresy"
• Religious allusions work to solidify the theme of religion vs science within the text, and ensures that the reader is always aware of this juxtaposition within their own society
• Transmorphism


  Transformation and changing state, central to the text, dealing with the connection between Mr Hyde and Dr Jekyll
• In the Victorian era, many people were religious and would have focused on a biblical reading of transmorphism to assess its morality
• Transformation is mentioned briefly in the Bible, but it is implied that only Christ has the power to perform change in society, and that transformation should always have a positive impact
• Stevenson's attitude to religion

  Exposed to both scientific and religious influences, his father was a Calvinist, which Stevenson felt was hypocritical as it required perfection which contradicted human nature
• Impact of religion on the characters

  • Utterson's schedule is set according to the ring of the church bells
  • Jekyll goes to God for redemption when he realises his profound mistakes
• Over the course of the 1800s, many started to become skeptical of both spirituality and religion due to factors like Thomas Huxley's agnosticism, the industrial revolution, and Strauss' criticism of Christian teachings
• The changing role of religion in many people's lives would have led to great anxiety, something Stevenson manipulates in his writing to create fear in the reader
• The novella was interpreted by many contemporary critics and readers as much more powerful than a 'shilling shocker', and a sermon even used text from the novel as it was seen as concerning the essential tale of good vs evil
• Effect of Science and Technology on society

  The advancement of technology and scientific discoveries led to a great improvement in the everyday lives of the population, particularly the upper and middle classes
• Darwinism


  Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, which caused a sense of fear as it went against religion and creationism
• John Hunter


  Stevenson's inspiration for the character of Dr Jekyll, a doctor of high status who had a duality in his house with his specimens and student accommodation
• Because there are two doctors in the novel, much of the language and premises used are relevant to scientific procedure
• Sigmund Freud and the Structural Theory of the Mind

  The id is the primitive and instinctual part of the psyche, the superego is an individual's moral conscience, and the ego represents the outward version of a person and balances the id and superego
• In the novel, Hyde could be argued to be representative of an individual wholly controlled by the id, whereas Dr Jekyll could be viewed as a character symbolising the ego
• Fin de siècle


  The end of the nineteenth century, when imminent change caused great social anxiety due to a fear of the unknown
• Fin de siècle


  The end of the nineteenth century, when people believed a new century would bring great social anxiety due to a fear of the unknown
• The change from the 19th to 20th century coincided with large technological and scientific advances, leading to a greater sense of fear surrounding a rapidly changing society
• Darwin's theory of evolution was seen to be at odds with creationism, a key Christian belief, leading people to begin rejecting religion or holding it at a lower significance
• Romantic movement


  • Art was significantly influenced by this in the early 1800s, championing human emotionality over reason
• Towards the end of the 19th century, people became more interested in the darker side of the human mind
• Key characteristics of Gothic literature


  • References to the supernatural (e.g. ghosts, vampires)
  • Intense emotions heightened by a foreboding atmosphere
  • Dealing with the concepts of madness and insanity
  • An inherently 'evil' character with a link to the supernatural
• Secrets


  Hold a lot of power in Gothic literature
• Stevenson employs many stock conventions of the Gothic genre to reason with contemporary issues, but sets the novella in London rather than an isolated setting
• Urban Gothic


  The cityscape is used as the psychological focus of the narrative, creating an intense atmosphere
• There is a clear blend of realism and fantasy within the novel, making the characters realistic whilst also producing terror and suspense
• Other Gothic texts


  • Dracula (1897, Bram Stoker)
  • The Time Machine (1895, H.G Wells)
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890, Oscar Wilde)
• Atavism


  Lombroso's theory that some people are 'born criminal' and have more primitive physical characteristics
• Many people believe that although explicitly set in London, the novella is in fact set in Edinburgh
• Victorian London


  • Smoggy and industrial, with a massive overcrowding issue and large class disparity
  • Crime-ridden, especially in the poorer locations
  • People were expected to maintain strong morals and be charitable to maintain a good reputation
• During the Victorian period, England was at the peak of the British Empire, with a massive increase in trade and a well-equipped army
• There was an intense and strictly-structured hierarchical system in Victorian England, with restricted opportunities for social mobility
• Homosexual law and interpretation in the text

  Prior to 1967, the law in England against homosexual intercourse was known as the 'Blackmailers Charter', and the novella contains subtle themes of erotic attachment and blackmail