Research Paper on Jekyll and Hyde

Research Paper

Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde reflects

various aspects the British Modernism movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The

novel expresses the key aspects of self-consciousness and individualism, duality, and

experimentation; as a result reflecting the significant societal and cultural shifts at the turn of the

century. The British modernist movement greatly impacted literature, in turn resulting in fiction

focusing on character’s individual isolation and complex thought processes (Eastern CSU, n.d.).

throughout his life. The mention of religion is significant because it reflects Jekyll’s break from

tradition and desire to question societal beliefs. This is reflective of British Modernism of the

time period, “an avant-garde movement in literature and art that sought to break away from

ordinary social values, commercialism, and the “genteel” literary tradition that preceded

it” (Eastern CSU, n.d.). Jekyll’s break from tradition is significant because it expresses the shift

from rigid Victorian ideals to a more progressive era of British Modernism, one which

encouraged acknowledging different perspectives, increasing self-consciousness, and

complexity.

The second aspects British Modernism that are present throughout the novel are duality

and experimentation. One passage that conveys the element of duality is “And yet when I looked

upon that ugly idol in the glass, I was conscious of no repugnance, rather of a leap of welcome.

This, too, was myself” (Stevenson). This passage is critical because it expresses Jekyll’s decision

to reconcile the good and evil sides of his personality. He embraces not only his duality but the

duality of humanity. Experimentation is also a significant element that is present and is used to

convey a new form of expression. This method has been an important characteristic of British

Modernist literature and has helped the novel reflect societal and cultural changes throughout the

not only the psyche of Jekyll and Hyde but also the transformative impact that British

Modernism had on literature. The elements of self-consciousness and individualism, duality, and

experimentation all effectively reflect the individual isolation and complex thought processes of

the characters, and as a result provided an insight into the transition from the Victorian era to the

Modernist era; “Utterson’s solution to the tedium of Victorian gentlemanly life is both creative

and socially acceptable, for his actions lead to the pursuit of an objective truth, which Lanyon’s

and Jekyll’s letters ultimately provide for him. Jekyll’s solution, on the other hand, is primordial

and destructive because his acts point toward an inaccessible originary scene just before the

formation of language. Rather than an abortive act of representation, he engages in the savagery

of appropriation, leading him to a pattern of violence. In the end, Stevenson’s novella subtly

teaches readers the importance of curiosity, art, and culture to the human person” (Fashbaugh

9-10).

Works Cited

Davis, Colin. “From Psychopathology to Diabolical Evil: Dr Jekyll, Mr Hyde and Jean Renoir.”

Journal of Romance Studies, vol. 12, no. 1, 2012, pp. 10–23. EBSCO, eds-a-ebscohost-

com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=9&sid=2db42bd3-4f9f-4801-b54f-

Return from the Linguistic in Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr.

Hyde.” Anthropoetics: The Journal of General Anthropology, vol. 25, no. 2, 2020, pp. 1–11.

EBSCO, eds-b-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/eds/detail/detail?

vid=1&sid=f7544672-465d-492e-a25e-f376cd80443f%40pdc-v-

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Rita, Rokeya Sarker. “Dissociative Identity Disorder in Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange

Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” ASA University Review, vol. 11, no. 1, 2017, pp. 75–80.