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- Reading a novel in context: Jekyll and Hyde
Reading a novel in context: Jekyll and Hyde
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Context means the time, place and ideas surrounding a text when it was written. Knowing the context helps you understand why a writer made their choices. Robert Louis Stevenson's novella is a perfect example.
The story
In Victorian London, the lawyer Mr Utterson investigates the link between his respected friend Dr Jekyll and the violent, mysterious Mr Hyde.
At the end, Jekyll's written statement reveals the truth: Jekyll created a potion that transformed him into Hyde, releasing his darker side.
Context
Science: new scientific ideas, including Charles Darwin's theory of evolution (1859), made people anxious about what human nature really was.
The city: London had wealthy streets and very poor, dark ones close together, which matches the novella's double nature.
Writing about context
Weak: 'In Victorian times there was a queen.'
Strong: 'Because Victorian gentlemen had to appear respectable, Jekyll hides his darker desires, which is why he creates Hyde.'
How does the context of Victorian respectability help explain Jekyll's actions?
- Victorian gentlemen had to keep a perfect public image.
- Jekyll has desires he wants to hide.
- Hyde lets him act on them without damaging his reputation.
Answer: Jekyll creates Hyde so he can indulge his darker side while keeping his respectable public image, reflecting the pressure on Victorian gentlemen to seem perfect.
Jekyll and Hyde (1886) explores the duality of human nature. Victorian ideas about respectability and science help explain it. Link context directly to the text.
The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.
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