In the late 18th century, brutality and cruelty were important elements of the Gothic genre (“PowerPoint Intro to the Gothic”). The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, is a story where Dr. Jekyll, struggling to keep his virtuous reputation, creates Mr. Hyde, a new public persona, to be able to give in to his violent acts without feeling the guilt of indulging in them. Similarly, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Case of Lady Sannox” depicts a respectable Lord Sannox, who uses a disguise to pursue his revenge on his wife, Lady Sannox, and Dr. Stone, with whom she has been having an affair. Both characters are successful, for the most part, in reaching their goals, while keeping up with their gentlemanly appearance. …show more content…
This is apparent during the description of the appearance of Hyde’s apartment. When the house is first entered, “the rooms were furnished with luxury and good taste [...] However, the rooms [were] hurriedly ransacked [...] drawers stood open” (Stevenson 50). The apartment in itself holds a duality since, the first impression of it is that it is elegant and well-furnished but when paid close attention to it, it is cluttered and disorganized. The setting reflects Hyde because, just like the apartment, Hyde has a refined appearance but his psyche is malevolent. Likewise, the Turk’s house reflects Lord Sannox: “The floor was littered and the corner piled with Turkish cabinets [...] coats of chain mail, strange pipes, and grotesque weapons” (Doyle 6). The Turk’s house is dirty, which is a direct comparison to Lord Sannox’s malicious intentions. Additionally, Dr. Stone’s displeased reaction to the Turk’s house demonstrates his duality. On the one hand, he is admired because of his talents but, on the other hand, he is filled with greed and racism. To summarize, the setting reflecting character is used to represent the duality of Hyde through the appearance of his apartment, as well as Dr. Stone and Lord Sannox’s dichotomies through the aspect of the Turk’s