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Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Setting

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This novel by Robert Louis Stevenson has a setting that has a very important feature. We find the character Dr. Jekyll who is used to represent good while Mr. Hyde in the novel representing evil. Technically, they are the same person, but they symbolize the good and the evil that is characteristic to us (Sorensen). The setting of the novel is in London, but relies heavily on Roberts 's knowledge of his own hometown. The evil of Hyde grows as the darkness of the setting becomes clearer as demonstrated in Hyde 's house in Soho and the lab in the back of Dr. Jekyll 's house as well as the fog that covers the streets.This helps in creating the development of evil throughout the story.
The setting of the novel is most important in bringing the different …show more content…

Utterson narrates to him a gruesome story of a girl who gets trampled by Mr. Hyde, he then disappears in one of the doors down the street. Surprisingly,t he reemerges as a respectable gentleman with a check as a payoff to the relatives of the young girl. Dr. Jekyll does not want to ruin his reputations since that is why he paid them off. Dr. Jekyll later writes a will transferring his property to the creature – Mr. Hyde. In fact the lab door that is highlighted in the novel matches the character of Mr. Hyde perfectly. In many ways it is described to have some similarity with Mr. Hyde secretive nature. He does not of the idea of seeing and interacting with people in his own affairs. Looking at the untidiness in the doorway is a clear indication that the different people who would come along to visit him were also not invited into this house. This lab in which the character Mr. Hyde is associated with is referred in the novel as a sinister block of buildings. (Stevenson) It is seen that there is something that is terribly off with this building. It seems deformed in a manner just like Mr. Hyde. The setting, in this case has been used successfully by the author in the presentation and the development of the character of Mr. Hyde and Jekyll. It has also been used in the development of evil throughout the novel. The presentation of the character Mr. Hyde brought out as a terrifying character to the townspeople. This is evidenced by what happened to the little girl and also Sir Carew whom he had

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When the story opens, a story is being told about how Hyde trampled a young girl. Rather than stay on the scene, he retreats. It is Jekyll who provides the family with a check in order to keep them silent about the tragedy. Mutual friends of Jekyll’s, Mr. Utterson and Dr. Lanyon, are suspicious of the possible individual who could be terrorizing London, and they begin to investigate on their own. Jekyll wanted to separate his good side from his evil impulses creating a potion that would allow him to do that physically.

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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde consists of reputation, good vs evil and damage control. In other words, Utterson tirelessly works to prevent his best friend Dr. Jekyll from being dragged into the horrid affairs of Mr. Hyde, and Dr. Jekyll goes through the greatest of lengths to prevent his Hyde identity from being discovered, in order to avoid anyone knowing of his somewhat questionable scientific work and morally despicable behavior. Much of the novel is based on the characters ' reputations, how they have to maintain a good public image, as they are upper class people. The novel takes place in Victorian England and the main characters are all male members of upper class London.

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Hyde the embodiment of Jekyll’s repressed homosexuality, he also represents all of the negative aspects of being a homosexual in the 19th century. The most visible homosexual men in the 1800’s were middle to low class men and outsiders (Evans and Onorato). Hyde lives in the “dismal quarter of Soho” (Stevenson 22) which is described as a “dingy street [with] many ragged children huddled in the doorways, and many women […] passing out, key in hand, to have a morning glass” (Stevenson 23). This shows the reader that Hyde is indeed a man of low standings, which fits the stereotype of the 19th century gay man. Another key point is that Hyde is accused of blackmailing Jekyll by Enfield as he calls Hyde’s house the “Black Mail House”

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This distinct use of visual imagery creates a stark contrast between two seemingly different personas who will later be revealed to be different sides of Dr. Jekyll himself. The use of environment and setting also aids in distinguishing the two characters. When Mr. Utterson visits Hyde in his home, the surrounding environment is portrayed as a “dingy street” and “a gin palace” with “many ragged children huddled in the doorways” (Stevenson 1689). These images are symbolic of vice and poverty, all of which emphasise the perverse and deviant nature of Hyde as he commits several sins in the novel and is lacking in morals. On the other hand, Dr. Jekyll’s home is often depicted as “warmed by a bright, open fire”, “large”, and “comfortable” (Stevenson 1685), an embodiment of the Victorian outward respectability and “moral”

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“ And you never asked about the place with the door?” These quotes show how he is trying to help out and get to the bottom of things and criminal cases. Utterson is very caring and helpful showing he is the superego. In conclusion, In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde represents the three personality . Such as, the ID, the ego, and the superego.

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