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Deformity In The Victorian Era

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The Victorian Era: a time where perfection was of the upmost important. A period where the ideal man or woman was what was to be expected and anything short of that was typically looked down upon. It was a standard to look beautiful and quaint, and this ideal was especially reflected in Victorian literature. From Jane Eyre being criticized that she is plain, to Lady Bracknell pointing out that Cecily is sadly simple, a person’s viewpoint on another was crucial, and no author was able to tackle this aspect better than Robert Louis Stevenson. In his novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Mr. Hyde’s appearance and how others view him is taken to the extreme. He is a deformed man, yet no one can outright express how deformed he looks, only that he has a sense of deformity. In an age where people judged others based on their looks rather than their character, Mr. Hyde’s appearance is able to show that Victorians were both …show more content…

Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution only added to the hysteria as people started to believe that if humans could evolve, they could possibly devolve too. Victorians viewed deformity as a form of regression, so many people feared Mr. Hyde because they did not want to end up like him. They believed that if they were to surround themselves around him, they too would develop “ape-like” features and tendencies (Stevenson 25). A wall was put between the normal and the abnormal as Victorians feared that they could be exposed to deformities and invade their bloodline simply by being in the same room with someone. Victorians wanted a separation between them and the “freaks” because this realization that anyone could become Mr. Hyde was terrifying. Society shunned and hated them because aristocrats believed that is what they could become if they strayed from the righteous path. This scene when Mr. Enfield first meets Mr. Hyde expresses that ideal perfectly, replying to Mr. Utterson

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1891 Words | 8 Pages

The dreadful origins of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde is a novella written by Robert Louis Stevenson published in 1886. In the 1880s, one of the leading forms of literature in Britain was called the “Penny Dreadful”. The term “Penny Dreadful” is used to describe a form of cheap serial literature that was targeted toward the masses: these texts often had thrilling plots filled with crime as well as dark undertones. As a result of the popularity of penny dreadfuls at the time, it is no surprise that Stevenson’s novella was heavily influenced by this form of literature. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde’s vivid descriptions of London life.

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There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why. He must be deformed somewhere; he gives a strong feeling of deformity, although I couldn’t specify the point (Stevenson, 1886, p. 5) The quotation above is important to the book because the initial description of Hyde given by Enfield is consistently given by others as well. As Hyde is a being of pure evil, he sets others on edge yet his creation is entirely scientific.

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Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” because the story takes place in Victorian England we see that the characters have no room for expression of emotions or violence. Everything they do is secret, so the more Dr Jekyll is repressed, the more he wants to be Mr Hyde. The original characteristics of Henry Jekyll are reflected as “...life of effort, virtue, and control” (pg. 172) because, most of his life his vice activities were maintained a secret. According to Jekyll, when evil is separated into one body, one will not know right from wrong because there is no conscious in a being of complete evil which was Hyde for

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1591 Words | 7 Pages

Robert Stevenson uses his protagonist’s, Dr. Jekyll, person versus self conflict to illustrate this point. Throughout the text, the reader learns that Dr. Jekyll was born into good fortune and was well-respected in society. However, the reader learns that it was not enough for him. He craves irregularities and he seeks a way to experience both sides of his identity without harming his reputation, which leads him to immoral experiments that bring out Hyde. To be specific, Jekyll states the following, “Many a man would have even blazoned such irregularities as I was guilty of; but from the high views that I had set before me, I regarded and hid them with an almost morbid sense of shame” (Stevenson 55).

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532 Words | 3 Pages

This may be why he permanently morphed into Mr. Hyde, and then committed suicide because he could not face a world in which he was so hated. In a way, he became what he always was, a base man who sought after

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1056 Words | 5 Pages

And hitherto it was his ignorance of Mr. Hyde that had swelled his indignation; now, by a sudden turn, it was his knowledge. It was already bad enough when the name was but a name of which he could learn no more. It was worse when it began to be clothed upon with detestable attributes; and out of the shifting, insubstantial mists that had so long baffled his eye, there leaped up the sudden, definite presentment of a

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151 Words | 1 Pages

Overall, Stevenson’s presentation of the duality of man is conveyed by the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde because towards the end of the novel. Jekyll begins to realise that the schism which once caused them to despise one another, help them understand each other situation. Jekyll even begins to ‘pity’ Hyde toward the end of novel, praising his ‘love for life’ by calling it ‘wonderful’, as his creator he consequently acknowledges the condescending attitudes towards Hyde, unfairly for his appearance, however rightfully so for his actions. Moreover, like Darwin’s theory, Hyde could never be accepted into society, often being characterised as a ‘brute’. Additionally, Jekyll’s actions would be condemned by the Victorian readers, as he was

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As Stevenson was fascinated by Darwin theory of evolution he decided to portray it in his work. Due to the fact that in Victorian times the idea of rationalism was popular and that people weren’t supposed to show their strong emotions their darker sides were repressed and The locked doors and curtained windows of Jekyll’s house form the imagery of a man locking away the truth that lurks inside; Jekyll turning into Hyde is a metaphor of what happens when the unconscious mind is revealed; the murder of Carew symbolizes the repressed mind striking out at the conscious mind. The whole narrative is about unpeeling the layers that hide the repressed desires inside Jekyll Stevenson also uses several narrative points of view to intensify the feeling of a frightening outsider. As Hyde is often narrated in a mysterious way through different characters perspectives which slowly reveals horror a feature used in gothics.

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In the novel, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson explores the complexity of human nature. He uses characters and events in the novel to present his stance on the major theme: “man is not truly one, but truly two” (125). Branching from this major theme are many more specific views on the idea that human nature is divided into good and evil. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are two very different people who occupy the same body. Human beings struggle with good and evil and Stevenson goes to the extreme to to show this relationship.

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855 Words | 4 Pages

Enfield, Utterson, Lanyon and Jekyll are all aware of the social expectations and the importance of appearance, Jekyll and Hyde shows a contrast of public vs private. Even in the first chapter, Enfield is wary of sharing his story

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586 Words | 3 Pages

Mr. Hyde is the embodiment of Jekyll’s repressed homosexuality. Firstly, Hyde’s victims reflect Jekyll’s repressed feelings. The first victim is “a girl of maybe eight or ten” (Stevenson 3). His act of trampling the young girl shows his resentment toward women. This is because the Victorians try to force their views onto him and that he should be

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1067 Words | 5 Pages

Mr. Hyde looks like a bad person. “He is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something down-right detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why. He must be deformed somewhere; he gives a strong feeling of deformity, although I could not specify.”

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2146 Words | 9 Pages

Monstrosity is a deceiving word that can cause society to act in a particular way blinding them from looking at the inner traits and rather focus on the physical traits. A person 's personality has now no longer defined whom they are but instead, their physical appearance has. For quite some time society have judged those who are any different and don’t meet the standard of normality and as a result, people tend to lash out of anger, leading many people to accept the fact that mankind is nothing but corrupted and evil. One of these people being Mary Shelley 's who shared her views on mankind in her novel Frankenstein, as she presents a creature that had been viewed as an abomination to society for its appearance and wrongdoings. However, these

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1065 Words | 5 Pages

In 1886 the book "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", written by Robert Louis Stevenson, was released and became one of the most popular Stevenson's work. It was a huge success all around the world, bringing a lot of distinct aspects from the Victorian Era, such as conflicts between social classes; the influence of religion in people's life; the importance of people's reputation; conflicts

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1492 Words | 6 Pages

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: More Than A 19th Century Novel In Kellen Williams’s “"Down With The Door, Poole": Designating Deviance In Stevenson 's Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde”, Williams suggests that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde employs realism, as do many 19th century novels. In Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, it is evident that he weaves in a significant portion of Science and scientific language to propel the narrative and highlight the failings of the Victorian society. In addition, Stevenson’s perspective on the social anxieties of the time, namely “fears about degeneration” (Davis 208), the irrevocably dual nature of man, and the questionable morality of Victorian bourgeois values. However, the depiction of class and moral anxieties

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