1.
It deals with the relation of the baser parts of
man to his nobler—of the capacity for evil that
exists in the most generous natures, and it
expresses these things in a fable which is a
wonderfully happy invention.
—Henry James, American novelist
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1

2.
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde ­ 1886
The work is commonly associated with the rare
mental condition often spuriously called "split
personality", wherein within the same person
there are two distinct personalities. In this case,
the two personalities in Dr Jekyll are apparently
good and evil, with completely opposite levels of
morality. The novella's impact is such that it has
become a part of the language, with the phrase
"Jekyll and Hyde" coming to mean a person who
is vastly different in moral character from one
situation to the next.
feb 3­19.14
2

3.
feb 12­14.25
3

4.
Plot
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4

5.
Mr Enfield Narrative
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5

6.
Utterson Narrative
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6

7.
Dr Lanyon Narrative
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7

8.
Dr Jekyll Narrative
All years listed are based on the idea that the book was written
shortly after the events. Therefore 1885 is the final year. All dates
are counted backwards .
feb 12­18.26
8

9.
Dr Jekyll Narrative 2
feb 12­18.34
9

10.
4 Narrators
Enfield
Utterson
Lanyon
Jekyll
1872 Oct 1883 20 March 1885
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10

11.
Narrative structure
Will Letter Letter Letter Letter
Oral narrative
Written narrative
Full statement of the case
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde belongs to a category of fiction known as
Enfield the novella, novelette, or short novel. Novellas are longer and more
Utterson complex than short stories but shorter and simpler than novels. The
novella form has appealed to many great writers. Among the best­
Lanyon known novellas are Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Henry
James’s The Turn of the Screw, Herman Melville’s Billy Budd, and
Jekyll Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
feb 12­22.07
11

12.
Timeline
1833 ‐ Henry Jekyll is born
1872 ‐ Dr Jekyll begins to work on the potion and quarrels with lanyon
1882 ‐ Jekyll first changes into Hyde
February 1883 ‐ Jekyll tramples over a small girl
7 October 1883 ‐ “Story of the door”
7 november ‐ 1883 Utterson confronts Jekyll
21 November 1883 ‐ “Dr Jekyll was quite at ease”
August 1884 ‐ Jekyll wakes as Hyde without drinking the potion
4 October 1884 ‐ “The Carew Murder Case”
5 October 1884 ‐ “Incident of the letter”
8 January 1885 ‐ Utterson an Lanyon attend dinner with Jekyll
9 January 1885 ‐ Hydes desperately writes a letter to Lanyon
9 January 1885 ‐ Jekyll, Hyde and Lanyon have a busy day
10 January 1885 ‐ Jekyll begins to revert uncontrollably to Jekyll
12 January 1885 ‐ Utterson is shut out of Jekyll’s home
13 January1885 ‐ Dr Lanyon’s narrative
14 January 1885 ‐ Utterson is shut out of Jekyll’s home again
17 January 1885 ‐ “Remarkable incident of Dr Lanyon”
18 January 1885 ‐ Utterson receives Jekyll’s response
25 January 1885 ‐ Dr Lanyon takes to his bed
5 February 1885‐ Dr Hastie Lanyon dies
1 March 1885 ‐ “Incident of the window”
12 March 1885 Jekyll fails to replace his ingredients
20 March 1885 ‐ “The last Night”
feb 12­21.57
12

13.
Character
summary
feb 3­20.37
13

14.
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14

15.
The size and age of Jekyll and Hyde
Jekyll is much bigger than Hyde. This is seen
particularly when Hyde's small body is found in
the much larger clothes of Dr Jekyll. The author
is perhaps suggesting Hyde is a smaller part of
Jekyll, but that if people repress the bad in them
it will take over and destroy them.
Hyde is younger and more energetic than Jekyll.
This suggests evil is something that develops
later in life, after a period of childhood
innocence. It also suggests Stevenson felt there
is something primitively energetic and exciting
about mankind's baser nature; that the 'higher',
respectable nature of social humans is repressed
and tame.
feb 3­20.35
15

16.
By the 1880s, however, pessimism
THE TIME AND PLACE and worry had begun to cloud the thoughts
The novella takes place in London in the 1880s. of many Victorians. With the increase in the urban
The settings include Jekyll’s fine home in a formerly population, poverty became a formidable problem.
grand neighborhood now in decay; Lanyon’s The strength of Britain’s vast empire was challenged
comfortable home in Cavendish Square, where by difficult foreign wars. Workers demanded more
many distinguished doctors have their houses and power, and women were entering the workforce in
offices; and Hyde’s house in Soho, a part of greater numbers. The changes in traditional society
London known for its immigrant populations. disturbed and frightened many Britons
Victorian Society
In The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson describes life in London during the
1880s, the latter half of the Victorian period. During that time, society was sharply divided into distinct
social classes and their corresponding communities. In Forlorn Sunset (1947), Michael Sadleir described
the city as “three parts jungle” noting that very few districts were truly public in the sense that people
could move in and out of them with ease. Generally, people were uncomfortable and often unwelcome in
parts of town that were not inhabited by their own social group. To avoid wandering into an unknown
area, most Londoners stayed in their own neighborhoods. This geographical and social fragmentation is an
essential part of the setting of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
feb 12­14.16
16

17.
Duality in London Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: The Duality of London By A. Ullah
Soho
Soho’s character stems partly from the neglect by
rich and fashionable London, and the lack of
redevelopment that characterized the neighbouring
Cavendish Square areas.By the mid­19th century, all respectable
families had moved away, and prostitutes, music
halls and small theatres had moved in.
feb 13­11.58
17

18.
feb 13­12.13
18

19.
Night and Day
feb 13­12.30
19

20.
Names
The names Jekyll and Hyde
The two names seem to have a double meaning.
The two syllables of Jekyll's name (Je and kyll)
perhaps mean 'I kill' ( Je is the French for I). In the
last chapter, Jekyll describes how he tried to get
rid of (kill) the Hyde in him.
Hyde spelled as 'hide' suggests something hidden
from view, or the rough skin of an animal. Jekyll is
in some way trying to kill the hidden Hyde and his
animal nature.
feb 3­20.34
20

21.
Themes summary
1 Social zoning
2 Social and economic inequality
3 Return of repressed impulses
4 Science VS religion
5 Survival of the fittest
6 Political fear
7 Duality
8 Hypocrisy
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21

22.
Why has Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde touched so many readers so powerfully?
feb 12­23.50
22

23.
Dr. Jekyll and Freud
The theory that has most influenced interpretations of Dr Jekyll and
Mr Hyde is Sigmund Freud’s theory of repression. According to
Freud, repression is a process by which unacceptable desires or
impulses are excluded from consciousness and left to operate in the
unconscious. Only by such means as psychoanalysis, dream
analysis, or hypnosis can the repressed desires or impulses be
brought to light and examined. From a psychoanalytic point of view,
Henry Jekyll, outwardly a respectable doctor, has repressed his
desires to live a life of vice and forbidden activities. Stevenson hints
at Jekyll’s wild youth and secret desires. Jekyll’s need for
respectability keeps him from openly admitting and pursuing his
desires, and the resulting conflict between what he secretly wants
and what he feels his position in society requires of him
causes a mental disorder.
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23

24.
Doppelganger
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24

25.
Monsters....a decalogue
Monsters are created ­ mostly by scieentists. They do not exist in nature Pull
Once created Monsters become a threat, just for the fact they exist Pull
Monsters have to be killed to get rid of their threat Pull
Monsters and their creators perish together. One cannot survive Pull
without the other
Monsters are outcasts and as such kept hidden or relegated to Pull
particular areas
Layer reveal
25

26.
Monsters... a decalogue
Monsters are ugly and repulsive but vital and energetic. They
have powerful sexual appetites. They tend to get the upper hand Pull
Monsters have disruptive effect on the narrative.They multiply points
Pull
of view and documents, scatter timelines, blur distinctions, twist plot
Monsters create suspense and mistery. Crimanl deeds mushroom Pull
whenever they apper and violence and rage seed
Monsters challenge authority at all levels. They have to be put out of the Pull
way to restore order.Normal social rules do not work for them
ty and tend to be create in Pull
Layer reveal
26

27.
Further Reading
The beast within
The Annotated Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Review of a cartoon version
Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Barbara T. Gates, Alumni Distinguished Professor of English, University of
Delaware
feb 3­19.34
27

28.
feb 13­15.47
28

29.
Allegati
1872.docx
1882.docx
feb 1883.docx
7 oct 1883.docx
7 nov 1883.docx
21 nov 1883.docx
aug 1884.docx
4 oct 1884.docx
5 oct 1884.docx
9 jan 1885.docx
8 jan 1885.docx
9 jan 1885_2.docx
10 jan1885.docx
12 jan 1885.docx
13 jan 1885.docx
17 jan 1885.docx
18 jan1885.docx
1 march 1885.docx
20 march 1885.docx