How does Stevenson create an atmosphere of suspense and horror in Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Why was this so significant at the time it was written? In the book Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson truly proves himself as a wonderful writer. Throughout the story he keeps a huge sense of suspense and horror, capturing the reader’s interest and making them want to read on. From just the first paragraph he has gained the readers interest and pulled them into the plot of the story. The opening sentence of the story is: “Mr. Utterson the lawyer was a man of a rugged countenance, that was never lighted by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary, and yet somehow lovable.” This sentence quickly grabs your attention and shows what an interesting and complex character Mr. Utterson is. Throughout the story Stevenson continues to describe every aspect of the story in amazing detail creating a clear image of what is going on. One building that plays a very big part in the story was described in extreme detail. From the beginning you learn that there is something unpleasant about this building. The first word that Stevenson used to describe this building was sinister. Not many buildings look sinister, and the thought of this building looking like this immediately tells you that there is something not right about it. Stevenson also mentions that it is two stories high but has no windows, just a door on the lower floor. This building does not just look sinister, but it looks un-natural, this reflects the personality of Hyde who you learn lives in the building. Stevenson also tells you how this building has been neglected and badly cared for “The ... ... middle of paper ... ...ust have felt to find that he never knows when he may turn into Hyde. The thought of being caught and hung for his crimes worries Jekyll so much that he decides to bring his life to an end. In these final few sentences Stevenson creates a huge and dramatic atmosphere leaving the reader on the edge of his seat. “Will Hyde die upon the scaffold? Or will he find the courage to release himself at the last moment? God knows; I am careless; this is my true hour of death, and what is to follow concerns another than myself. Here, then, as I lay down the pen, and proceed to seal up my confession, I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end.” Throughout the story Stevenson continues to grab the reader and keep them reading on. Due to Stevenson’ s brilliant story writing and imagination, this book has gone down as one of the best books of all time.
Stevenson then went on to put a scary touch to the story by telling us
Stevenson uses many literary techniques to create suspense and amuses the readers. He uses the literary symbolisms such as paradox and symbolism. However the most important technique is point of view and the changing of narrators throughout the book. Many critics such as Alice D. Snyder, Peter K. Garett, and Vladimir Nabokov wrote literary criticisms about Stevenson’s use of language. Lots of the evidences come from the book The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in order to support the critics’ claim. Peter K. Garett’s claim of Stevenson’s use of language is that the relation between Jekyll and Hyde is played out in terms of grammatical and narrative positions. Vladimir Nabokov’s claim was that Stevenson creates suspense and mystery by
Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of this novella has written it very cleverly, with certain techniques used that have a greater impact on the reader and ones that make it more than just any thriller/shocker. Every novella has a purpose to it and so does this story, the purpose of this novella has been made to narrative the reader and it is quite clearly reflecting the genre of the thriller/shocker. As well as this the novella has been made as a shilling shocker which depends on sensationalism and represents an immoral lifestyle that may include violence in extremity.
How effective is the setting in creating tension and suspense? Stevenson’s work in the past? Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a novella about a scientist who experiments. with the morals of good and evil.
Robert Louis Stevenson in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is telling people that they fear the knowledge of their duality so they keep silent. That everyday people are silent they fight a "war" within their bodies and minds. People are afraid of the truth, about themselves, so they stay quiet. Everybody has a part of himself or herself that they don't reveal to anyone. People are afraid to show it, but when it comes out they would rather not talk about it. People cannot do this, it is essential that one be capable of good and evil to be in existence.
Merriam-Webster defines ‘parasite’ as ‘an organism that lives in or on another organism and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host 's expense’.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was written by Robert Louis Stevenson during the Late Victorian era. Although "this horror story owes its allegiance to Gothicism rather than realism, many critics suggest that Robert Louis Stevenson 's tale of a man split between his respectable public identity and an amoral secret self captures key anxieties of the fin de siècle" (Norton 1669). The Late Victorian era was “the state of mind prevailing during the final decades of the nineteenth century” (Norton 1668). In the story of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, there are some reflects of the breakdown of Victorian values that took there undergo of their citizen responsibility as a whole.
In the novel “The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” a number of
The power of curiosity can change your involvement in a situation. Everyone’s curiosity gets the best of them, and they tend to involve themselves in situations more than they would please. Throughout the book, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” by Robert Louis Stevenson, the theme of curiosity is demonstrated. Some folks suggest, that there are better themes than curiosity to demonstrate the book, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” by Robert Louis Stevenson. However, throughout the beginning, middle, and end of this book, the theme of curiosity is demonstrated.
Jekyll does deserve his final miserable fate because he commits several selfish deeds to the point where he brings his miserable fate upon himself. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson uses Jekyll to represent how man prioritizes by putting himself over others. Throughout the book, Jekyll’s two different sides are used to show that man is consistently selfish and will usually think of himself before others. Even though Jekyll has a good side and an evil side, both sides of him are selfish. Jekyll originally takes the potion for selfish reasons, Jekyll uses Hyde to conquer his own evil temptations, and in the end Jekyll gives into Hyde and completely gives up.
In Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll, in grave danger, writes a letter to his good friend Lanyon. With Jekyll’s fate in Lanyon’s hands, he requests the completion of a task, laying out specific directions for Lanyon to address the urgency of the matter. In desperation, Jekyll reveals the possible consequences of not completing this task through the use of emotional appeals, drawing from his longtime friendship with Lanyon, to the fear and guilt he might feel if he fails at succeeding at this task. Through Jekyll’s serious and urgent tone, it is revealed that his situation is a matter of life and death in which only Lanyon can determine the outcome.
Stevenson uses many methods to achieve and sustain an atmosphere of mystery and suspense in the novel of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He does this by using a clever sense of setting, vocabulary, surroundings and the manner of his characters which are used to describe and slowly reveal the appearance of Hyde . Some of these are highlighted in the depiction of the Dr Jekyll’s house, such as Mr. Enfield's story, Henry Jekyll’s will and the meeting with Hyde.
Texts are a representation of their context and this is evident in Robert Stevenson’s novella: “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”, where many values of late nineteenth century Victorian England values were reflected through the themes of the novel using language and structural features. These values included: technological advances, reputation and masculinity and are demonstrated in the text through literary and structure devices as well as the characterisation of the main character.
To what extent can the strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde be? viewed as a gothic novel? Jekyll and Hyde is a gothic novel. It was written by Robert Louis. Stevenson, he got the idea for the story after a dream he had.
wrong, a lot like the way Mr Hyde was thought of. So to Mr Utterson,