Duality in the Victorian Era - 582 Words

In 1837, the start of the Victorian era, Britain began experiencing massive changes in the culture of the nation and in the industrial sector. Cultural works began to move away from rationalism, and became more romanticized and more influenced by mysticism. Privacy became a hallmark of British life as well; the outer walls of citizens’ homes were transformed into a faà §ade by which innumerable mysteries resided behind. This romanticized idea of mystery that seemed to lurk behind the doors of the common, everyday man became a prevalent theme in the works of many writers and artists throughout the time period. Robert Louis Stevenson uses this theme of not knowing the true nature of an individual, as well as the idea of duality, to develop his theme that an evil side lies within every man and that balancing both sides is vital to preservation of ones sanity. The dual character combination of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of the most well-known in literature and is arguably the most blatant example of duality Stevenson uses to try and get the theme of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde across. The dual personalities Dr. Jekyll possesses are stark examples of the animalistic and civilized sides of man that inherently resides in all men. The virtuous Dr. Jekyll serves as a portrayal of the more rational, human side of man. When Mr. Utterson attends Dr. Jekyll’s dinner party he paints a picture of a quintessential Victorian man when describing Jekyll’s appearance, â€Å"wellShow MoreRelatedThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde : Literary Review1515 Words   |  7 PagesThe Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Literary Review The Romantic era was plagued with class conflict, poverty, and labor issues. The Victorian novel allows those who had access to them discover and focus on moral issues with society. Among the novel that were created during the era, the genre of a gothic novella emerged. Well knowns gothic novellas included Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Robert Stevenson’s gothic novella The StrangeRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1291 Words   |  6 PagesThe Victorian era was a period of great change in England in terms of social, political, and even scientific advancement. The country became highly regarded around the world, whereby London was the center of excellence and was characterized by its citizen’s high moral standards. The pressure on Englishmen to maintain a respectable persona among others was so tremendous that often reputations were damaged at the slightest deviation from social norms. Simila rly to the faà §ade of England’s perfectionRead MoreDuality In Dr Jekyll And Hyde933 Words   |  4 PagesDuring the Victorian Era, many people appeared as great contributing members of society and were praised, but were later looked down upon for their hidden secrets or actions committed. This is referred as duality, which also means having a double life. Duality is expressed in Robert Louis Stevenson’s book, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Which takes place during the Victorian Era. Duality was very common during the Victorian era. Many politicians and famous people during this time triedRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Hyde1436 Words   |  6 Pagesinto question. Robert Louis Stevenson takes this idea of doubles to a whole new level in his novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Hyde. Upon closer examination of Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Hyde and his reoccurring theme of duality, we see that however constrained a society is, a person must break free, be multifarious, exploratory, and irresolute. A person must be able to see the â€Å"damage behind apparent failure† and the hypocrisy â€Å"behind worldly success.† The first instanceRead MoreThe Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde913 Words   |  4 Pagesin the play, through Wilde’s clever use of words, characters digression of societal normalcy, and triviality of Victorian concepts. Cynical character Algernon asserts that women of Victorian society reinforce the importance of orderly money as a type of social contract. On page 3, it is quickly established the type of character Gwendoline poses as well as all Victorian women of the era in which they are, â€Å"...devoted to their bread and butter,† (Wilde, 3). Through Wilde’s sly use of humor, the readerRead MoreA Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1043 Words   |  5 PagesDuality presents itself as a common theme in late-Victorian literature and serves to allow readers to analyze late-Victorian literature and culture. Duality is loosely defined as an instance of opposition or contrast between two aspects of one thing. A struggle perhaps, between opposing forc es. Stevenson’s novel â€Å"A strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,† is centered around portrayal of deep duality in man and man’s struggle to contain his inner primal instincts. Stevenson uses many methods throughoutRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1126 Words   |  5 PagesAs Robert Grudin said in _______, â€Å"there is an almost tragic duality between outer and inner worlds, between the rush of experience and the immobility of awareness†. Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, brilliantly exemplifies the philosophical phenomenon that is the duality of human nature through the 2 main characters that coexist interdependently together, Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde. According to Webster’s dictionary, the duplicity of human beingsRead MoreSocial Control through Works of Fiction1390 Words   |  6 Pagesdeveloped a fear of the predator filled darkness of night. Using figurative descriptions of darkness as the enemy, the Church preaches the way of the light. The Church associates the side of good and evil with lightness and darkness appealing to the duality of man whether it is black and white, Ying and Yang or Good and Evil. The Church put a twist on this appeal when it started to manufacture works of fiction associated with creatures not of this world who oppose the message of the light, such as theRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1326 Words   |  6 Pagestime, affecting great change in art, music, and literature. Approaching the end of the Victorian Era, an overlap with early Modernism arises, as writers began resisting this sense of order and questioning accepted roles and beliefs. Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was published during the late Victorian era, but he clearly brings into question the acceptance of Victorian philosophies, especially the belief that one truth exists and that we can identify goodRead MoreRomantic And Victorian Themes Of The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1931 Words   |  8 PagesRomantic and Victorian Themes and Preoccupations in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was written during the height of the Victorian era. In this period, there were huge debates concerning pursuing desire versus doing what was socially acceptable. There were also constant scientific discoveries being made. Stevenson s piece, using a telescopic framework, is a product of romantic and Victorian traditions since it incorporates Victorian gentlemen