19th Century: Comparing Frankenstein And Robert Stevenson

Shane Blanton

History 102

Proff. Hewitt

October 26 2014

Scaring the 19th century

Technology has been on the rise since the dawn of time, advances through history have ranged from minimal to break through discoveries. During the time of the 18th and 19th centuries’ technology, new ideas and theories were at a break through point. The culture was changing in various ways in Europe; people were beginning to think in a new way. The age-old monarchy was changing, more democracy was being established, women were beginning to want more rights and respect and new inventions were coming out. Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein and Robert Stevenson’s The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde came out fairly around the same time, both had a new science fiction

The readers also were taken by the notions of the evil found from within, as people began to think more freely and were more open to new ideas these books can almost serve as a warning to the dangerous parts of humankind. The 19th century was still very “old fashioned” for our time today, but very modern for their time. One must consider the time period in which these books were published to identify with the feeling that a reader would get during this

The science was not a real life accomplishment in the book but theory still brought forth intimidating ideas the readers. Dr. Jekyll presented a daunting idea that all of man and woman has an evil alternate side to them. The horrible Mr. Hyde more or less symbolizes the evil that all mankind has within. The evil that is kept inside all of us and all it takes is a “potion” to bring this evil side out. The Novels put forth ideas that people may not have really considered prior to their publishing, or at least not in an entertaining casual setting, such as a fictional