Jekyll and Hyde context 1886
Religion
o Uses universally recognised system of symbolism by referencing bible
o Invokes feelings of tradition and history, adding power to the text
o Stevenson questions religious rules
o Represents Victorian piety
o Fear of temptation and influence (genesis chapter 3)
o Hyde = unholy Jekyll = secret sinner
o Religious allusion solidifies theme of science vs religion, prompting readers to explore the noticeable
juxtaposition within the text as well as their own society
o “I incline to Cain’s heresy” - this refers to the Biblical story of Cain and Abel (the first two sons of
Adam and Eve). In the story Cain murders his brother Abel as he is jealous that God prefers the
sacrifices Abel makes to please God. Some people believe that Cain is therefore the origin of greed
and evil. The comparison to the two brothers, one good and one evil, is symbolic of the duality found
within Jekyll and Hyde.
Transmorphism
o In the bible it is implied that only Christ has the power to change in society and that transformation
should always be positive. Jekyll’s disregard for this is clear when firstly he transforms and secondly
when he transmorphs for destructive and detrimental reasons
o Disobedience of bible shows scientific development and Stevenson’s own uncertainty, as they often
contradict e.g. creation and evolution
o Also presents Jekyll as attempting to play God by creating life, his failing to do so could represent
rising atheism, causing audience to question morality
o Colossians 3:10 - “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the
image of its creator”
Changing religious beliefs and scientific development
o Waning in religious belief for a variety of factors
o Victorians attempting to remain pious while publishing theories
o Pushing scientific boundaries- people left feeling like they had to choose one
o Experiments with anatomy
o Double standards
o Hyde’s transformation = evolution
o Thomas Huxley, scientist coined the term agnostic, relied on empirical evidence to support
knowledge about the world and thought that faith and science were mutually exclusive
o The changing role of religion in people’s lives lead to widespread anxiety, which Stevenson
manipulates within his writing to create elements of fear and tension within the reader
o In 1851, a public census found only 40% of people went to church
o Advancement of technology and other scientific discoveries lead to improvements in everyday lives
o Population increase in the industrial revolution – from 8 to 30 million between 1800 and 1900- due
to improvements in medical knowledge and better infrastructure, proving usefulness and dispelling
many doubts
Darwinism
o Stevenson plays on fears of degeneration or devolution by giving Hyde ape-like and caveman esque
features. In the novel, Mr Hyde is labelled as a “troglodyte” perhaps this is a comment on the
theories of evolution - he is a regression to the primitive and violent stage of development.
o Publication of the origin of species in 1851 which applied theories of evolution by natural selection
o Fear of ‘devolution’ prevalent within gothic literature
Freudian perspective
Religion
o Uses universally recognised system of symbolism by referencing bible
o Invokes feelings of tradition and history, adding power to the text
o Stevenson questions religious rules
o Represents Victorian piety
o Fear of temptation and influence (genesis chapter 3)
o Hyde = unholy Jekyll = secret sinner
o Religious allusion solidifies theme of science vs religion, prompting readers to explore the noticeable
juxtaposition within the text as well as their own society
o “I incline to Cain’s heresy” - this refers to the Biblical story of Cain and Abel (the first two sons of
Adam and Eve). In the story Cain murders his brother Abel as he is jealous that God prefers the
sacrifices Abel makes to please God. Some people believe that Cain is therefore the origin of greed
and evil. The comparison to the two brothers, one good and one evil, is symbolic of the duality found
within Jekyll and Hyde.
Transmorphism
o In the bible it is implied that only Christ has the power to change in society and that transformation
should always be positive. Jekyll’s disregard for this is clear when firstly he transforms and secondly
when he transmorphs for destructive and detrimental reasons
o Disobedience of bible shows scientific development and Stevenson’s own uncertainty, as they often
contradict e.g. creation and evolution
o Also presents Jekyll as attempting to play God by creating life, his failing to do so could represent
rising atheism, causing audience to question morality
o Colossians 3:10 - “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the
image of its creator”
Changing religious beliefs and scientific development
o Waning in religious belief for a variety of factors
o Victorians attempting to remain pious while publishing theories
o Pushing scientific boundaries- people left feeling like they had to choose one
o Experiments with anatomy
o Double standards
o Hyde’s transformation = evolution
o Thomas Huxley, scientist coined the term agnostic, relied on empirical evidence to support
knowledge about the world and thought that faith and science were mutually exclusive
o The changing role of religion in people’s lives lead to widespread anxiety, which Stevenson
manipulates within his writing to create elements of fear and tension within the reader
o In 1851, a public census found only 40% of people went to church
o Advancement of technology and other scientific discoveries lead to improvements in everyday lives
o Population increase in the industrial revolution – from 8 to 30 million between 1800 and 1900- due
to improvements in medical knowledge and better infrastructure, proving usefulness and dispelling
many doubts
Darwinism
o Stevenson plays on fears of degeneration or devolution by giving Hyde ape-like and caveman esque
features. In the novel, Mr Hyde is labelled as a “troglodyte” perhaps this is a comment on the
theories of evolution - he is a regression to the primitive and violent stage of development.
o Publication of the origin of species in 1851 which applied theories of evolution by natural selection
o Fear of ‘devolution’ prevalent within gothic literature
Freudian perspective
