The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: Science, Duality of Human and London

Kadir BOSTANOĞLU

Faculty of Letters

Department of Western Languages and Literatures, Karabuk University

ELIT309: Nineteenth-Century English Novel

2010103059

Dr Mustafa CANLI

Kind Regards to CANLI…

“Good and evil are so close as to be chained together in the soul.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
 The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: Science, Duality of Human and London
Teeming with remarkable developments and welfare, the Victorian age is
unprecedented. While industry’s evergreen seeds were sowed, the prosperity of Britain, on the
other hand, especially the Royal and upper classes, started to gravely flourish in that age.
Undoubtedly, in the midst of these developments, many prolific writers churned out
unforgettable works. Disclosing all sides of the Victorian period, The Strange Case of Dr
Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the magnum opus of Stenson, is overtly one of them. The novella deals
with how a promising, upper-class, moral, loved and respected man could change exact
oppositely, especially in the age for which famous its great virtues and rules. Besides, it
features a gothic genre along with its dark theme and supernatural personality and appearance
changing with poison developed by Dr.Jeykll. This essay aims to delve into the characteristics
of the novella in terms of a Victorian novel and mainly accentuates the science, duality of
humans and London at that time.
As of the nineteenth century, with the development of the industrial revolution,
science rapidly started to flourish. From biology to psychology many of which profoundly
were affected by this. Several scientists such as Darwin committed to science and put forward
many unorthodox ideas. Nevertheless, social strata were not able to catch up with the rapid
change and they were rather uneasy. In a similar way, Dr Jeykll, the title character, was
dedicated to science to boot. He so exaggerated this that Dr Lanyon described Jeykll as
‘’unscientific balderdash’’. Whilst Lanyon could balance both religion and science, Dr
Jekyll as though worshipped to science and which was feared by the people at that time. In
accordance with this, Jeykll developed a poison in his laboratory allegorizing the scientific
growth and changing him into Mr Hyde. Inevitably Hyde preponderated and captured Jeykll
and which paved the way for his end. The victorian novel was a reflection of the era and
science was seen as one of the most hazardous things. Stevenson realistically and aptly
mirrored what was happing in the novella. Rather than the positive side of science, the
negative side was intimidating for people. Hence Stevenson dealt with the situation as other
Victorian writers by integrating it into his magnum opus.
Coronated in 1837, Victoria imposed morality, earnestness and responsibility upon
folk. Virtue, at that time, was a must-thing possessed by everybody and as though the upper
class and Royal class owned it inborn. On the other hand, the working class or the lower class
was seen to be more prone to perpetrate crime. However, this is nothing but bias. People,
many times, pretended to be respected or not chastised. Likewise, Dr Jeykll was a wealthy
man, in this respect, he looked like a good man and was loved, and respected by many – so
much so that hitherto end of the novella Utterson abstained from blaming of Jeykll for some
crime. Nevertheless, he was prone to do evil deeds as a human being. He had a good side at
the same time evil side. After forming the potion, he stirred his other would-be dormant side.
While, sometimes, throwing a party in which prominent, gallant and wealthy members joined,
he, sometimes, perpetrated violence, for example, clubbing a girl or mowing down a man.
Stevenson, in this novella, dealt with the duality of the human being. He accentuated that
every person has a duo-side good and evil overlapping each other and one is dominant
according to one choice. On the other hand, he aptly subverted the pretending victorian
system in which as if everybody was of virtue and just a good side by surfacing reality.
Suffering from deferred pleasures, people were inclined to take them out secretly and which
gave rise to having people on two sides as well. Upon that, Stevenson brought this duality of
humans to light.
Not only became London mecca but also many influxed there for various and sundry
reasons. However, this variousness gave rise to many disturbances, mayhem and social class
issues. In Stevenson's times, London generally was described as a foggy and gloomy and dark
place where people strolled and even could not see each other. Besides, London was divided
into two parts according to the class of people. In the novella similarly, while Dr Jeykll,
Utterson and Lanyon were living in wealthy, well-kept Cavendish Square, on the other hand,
Edward Hyde was living in Soho where many dirty businesses were run. The setting was
selected subtly because the capital of science and industry was London at that time.
Therefore, it was the inevitable place for the Victorian novel. From its weather to its settler’s
lifestyle profoundly affected the imaginative world of the Stevenson. Moreover, he dealt with
duality even with it. Although it looked like a prosperous and wealthy city outside, it inside
actually was rather alarming and disappointing.
In conclusion, the Victorian novel is nothing but the Victorian age itself. Stevenson’s
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde masterly portrayed what scientific breakthroughs
could lead to, how people were compelled to behave in a certain way or pretend to be virtuous
and how actually London was a flop rather than an opportunity. These were what was going
on at that time and rendering his imaginative world by combining reality, which is one of the
most important characteristic features of the Victorian Novel, Stevenson harmonized reality
and fiction by using Dr Jeykll and Mr Hyde as an avant-garde of Victorian society.