Literary novella review: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson.

For my post today let us examine good vs bad, right vs wrong. This is Jekyll vs Hyde in the sinister novella about a man who uses science to alter his personality from his normal self to that of another. The man is question is Dr Henry Jekyll who seems innocent and a respectable man. Flip over the page to reveal his alter-ego Mr Edward Hyde who unlike the respectable Jekyll in every sense. This man is an evil, selfish brute who leaves harm and damage in his wake. This is a man to whom I disliked, one of the most cruel literary villains I have ever read about.

What I liked about this novella was how Robert Louis Stevenson created this sharp contrast between the two characters as though a person in society can suddenly turn into someone. To me, the novella comes across as Stevenson illustrating the consequences of repression. I see Jekyll and Utterson's relationship as very friendly, even perhaps more than friendly which would have been forbidden at the time, considering how it was deemed illegal to be gay. Mind you, countries had been decriminalising being gay throughout the 19th century. It is only a shame that the United Kingdom was not so quick with this.

As far as the novella goes, nothing is actually confirmed but it did make me question if there was this hidden underlying theme. Aside from this, the novella emphasises how people see being different as bad. I think this is what I liked about the novella. It is something that we face in society today. Being an immigrant or being transgender are two different social groups that face prejudice for being different. But that does not make them necessarily bad just for being different. This might be something Stevenson tried to convey in the novella. Although, Edward Hyde is different and bad. Even if this is one case where the worst is true, people do assume the worst when it is not always fair to. I liked how the novella got me thinking and I enjoyed reading it. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde gets an 7.5/10 for me.







Until next time,


Thomas.

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