Background of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay - 2077 Words

Background of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was published in 1886 and is one of the best known of Stevensons novels. It concerns the way in which an individual is made up of contrary emotions and desires: some good and some evil. Through the curiosity of Utterson, a lawyer, we learn of the ugly and violent Mr Hyde and his odd connection to the respectable Dr Jekyll who pays out a cheque for Hydes despicable behaviour. A brutal murder follows. The dead man is one of Uttersons clients, Sir Danvers Carew. The murder weapon was, unbelievably a cane†¦show more content†¦Originally, the tale was a straightforward horror story, with no allegorical undertones. After reading the original version to his wife, however, she suggested that more could be done with the story and after initially resisting, Stevenson burned the initial manuscript. The rewriting of the new Jekyll and Hyde took a scant three days. Immediately upon its publication in January of 1887, it was recognized as a grand work. An anonymous review in The Times praised the book highly, observing that Nothing Mr. Stevenson has written as yet has so strongly impressed us with the versatility of his very original genius, concluding with the plea that the story should be read as finished study in the art of fantastic literature. Critics claim that Dr. Jekyll was the first time Stevenson sustained a full-length narrative that was not only exciting, but also a well-composed story with a powerful parable. The Strange Case of Mr. Jekyll and Hyde is a book based on Robert Louis Stevensons own experiences, especially with middle-age men in Edinburghand London (this, therefore, is one of the explanations of a lack of female writers). He focused on a milieu he knew well: the clubby, middle-class world of powerful men. And what he knew best about that milieu becomes the driving force of the novel it was a world in which faÃÆ' §ade countedShow MoreRelatedAn Atmosphere of Mystery and Suspense in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde1352 Words   |  6 PagesAn Atmosphere of Mystery and Suspense in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde During the Nineteenth century, horror stories were getting more popular than ever. Several distinctive horror stories, like Dracula, Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are still known today. These stories were not set in busy countries, but written as happening in Transylvania, Switzerland, the Arctic, and other far away and little known countries. The setting links to some peculiarRead MoreEssay about Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde1188 Words   |  5 PagesDr Jekyll and Mr Hyde This novel is more than just a traditional horror story as it has many hidden and complex meanings and explanations, of what seem and would have normally before this book, been simple events. 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There is a force, vitality, clearness and distinctiveness in the characters, not only in Beowulf’s personalityRead MoreDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hydes, The Horror Genre Essay1742 Words   |  7 PagesHow successfully does Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ use the conventions of horror genre? Author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the novel ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ in 1885. It is said that the idea for the novel came to Stevenson in a dream that he had, he then wrote the book within six days. Stevenson was frequently ill throughout his childhood meaning he spent a lot of time in bed reading stories this is where his extraordinary imagination came from. He was also fascinated by the story of Deacon