Literary Devices in Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Rather than taking place in only one part of the city, Stevenson’s novel is set in many different areas of London, each meant to reflect the character of its denizens. Soho, where Mr. Hyde li...
Setting
Notice the servants? The discrepancy between rich and poor? The bachelor living? The religious allusions? The repression? That’s all 100% Victorian England. This setting allows Dr. Jekyll to beco...
Narrator Point of View
The third person limited point of view picks one character and follows him around—in this case, Mr. Utterson. However, Mr. Utterson’s point of view is supplemented by four other narratives: Mr....
Genre
Make no mistake, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde gets our hearts pumping with its brutal murders, magical potions, inexplicable events, game-changing documents, and, of course, the evil-oozing Mr. Hyde. At...
Tone
If you tried to highlight the dramatic phrases in this slim novel, you'd end up with approximately a hundred and fifty neon pages.Take a look at a couple of these passages:
He would be aware of the...
Writing Style
In a book about the duality of human experience, we think it's only fitting that Robert Louis Stevenson uses a kind of split approach when it comes to the writing style of Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl...
What's Up With the Title?
The novel concerns the strange doings of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, who, we find out, are one and the same. Mr. Hyde just happens to be the terrible, evil, criminal side of Dr. Jekyll who is unleashe...
Plot Analysis
Mr. Utterson discovers that his friend, Dr. Jekyll, plans on leaving his entire estate to an evil, evil manQuite a dramatic way to start things off. You might even call this shilling shocker "shoc...
Booker's Seven Basic Plots Analysis
Dr. Jekyll dreams of separating his two naturesGiven his own appetite for shame, Dr. Jekyll decides that man has a dual nature—good and evil—and becomes obsessed with separating the two.Dr. J...
Three Act Plot Analysis
Mr. Utterson sets out to explore the connection between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.Mr. Hyde murders Sir Danvers Carew.By means of two separate narratives, we discover that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are...
Trivia
Today, "Jekyll and Hyde" is a term used in reference to someone with a split personality. (Source.)Most productions of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde significantly alter the original plot, usually inserti...
Steaminess Rating
Two words: Victorian repression. Probably Mr. Hyde is doing the deed somewhere in a foggy back alley, but we never get to see it.
Allusions
The BibleCain’s heresy (1.1)Captives of Phillipi (10.8)Babylonian finger on the wall (10.15)ShakespeareKing Lear: "Strip off these lendings and plunge headlong into a sea of liberty" (10.10)