Robert Louis Stevenson

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Robert Louis Stevenson, born November 13, 1850 in Edinburgh, Scotland and died on December 3, 1894 was a renowned Victorian author. Although he spent most of his childhood away from school due to illness, Stevenson later went on to Edinburgh University. First studying engineering, then law, Stevenson ultimately opted for a career in Literature. Stevenson has written on multitude of subjects. His stories incorporate a genuine simplicity that is appreciated by people of all ages. In his two most popular novels, Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr .Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson addresses concepts and themes that provoke thought in his readers. In both novels, the impossibility of identifying and separating good and evil is discussed. In Treasure Island, Long john Silver belongs to neither spectrum of morality, his cunning actions prolonged his neutrality. In the Strange Case of Dr .Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll is known as a classical good guy yet he struggles with his wicked alter ego Mr. Hyde. The forces of good and evil become the backdrop for Stevenson’s discussion on the presence of duality in various forces. Stevenson also incorporates the importance of friendship, and the impact of appearances on perception in these novels. This evident as protagonists Jim Hawkins’ in Treasure Island and Dr. Henry Jekyll’s in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde journeys and ultimate outcomes are shaped by their experiences with these concepts. Stevenson also depicts numerous other motifs and theme in these works such as the freedom of youth, the influence of appearances on one’s perception and the problematic effect of impulsive actions.
In Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, morality is more than the struggle b...

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...ays good and the bad not always bad. This is seen in Chapter 27 as Jim Hawkins battles with shipmates he believed to be comrades. If any of those characters had any strict moral obligation, they would strictly adhere to the rules of comradery yet they forge any sense of morality in order to gain wealth which equates to pleasure. This relates to Edward Hyde and his lack of moral that greatly enhanced his pleasure.

Works Cited

• Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island. London: Cassell and Company. 1883. Print
• Stevenson, Robert Louis. Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde London: Longmans, Green & co. 1886 Print
• Saposnik, Irving Robert Louis Stevenson Twayne's English Authors Series, Teas 167 p88-101 .Twayne Publishers, Inc. 1974. Print
• Germanà, Monica Gothic Studies Vol. 13 Issue 2, p98-115, Manchester: Manchester University Press 2012. Academic Journal

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