Analysis of the Stylistic Figures In Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde
Each day, innocents are brutally executed. In the same time, courageous civilians risk their lives to save others. Once one has seen the evil and heroic acts that people have committed, it is necessary to study human nature. How is it possible for humans to engage in such horrible and extraordinary behaviors? This question has been a central theme of literary works for many decades. Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is no different. Stevenson’s novel examines mankind’s dual nature. He describes it as being both pure and wicked. Dr. Jekyll is one of the main characters of the novel. His dual personality makes him feel particularly ill, with his impurities contaminating his good intentions. Dr. Jekyll inadvertently creates Mr. Hyde to help him separate his morality from his evil. Stevenson attempts to define human nature through the intricate details of humanity by exploring these characters along with a variety other stylistic figures. Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a novel that explores the dualities of man and reveals the human soul.
Stevenson’s symbolic use of setting effectively highlights both the virtuous, and the evil characteristics of humanity. He also illustrates the complexity of our human nature. Stevenson’s ability to create a variety of settings is a testament to the complexity of humanity. This stylistic figure is used by the author to describe the street where two characters, Utterson & Enfield, walk. Although general shops look like smiling saleswomen, nearby is a block of blocks of buildings filled with crime (Stevenson 4-5). The general stores are a positive representation of humanity with their friendly atmospheres. The sinister block, however, is located in the same area and represents the dark side of humanity. It reveals the complexity of the human soul as well as the theme of duality. Joseph Egan, a literary criticism, emphasizes that the setting in this tale is symbolic. He wrote, “Hyde’s sinister doorway” was “the appropriate symbolof Henry Jekyll’s soul.” Egan says that Hyde’s evil presence is within Jekyll’s most animalistic, moralistic nature. Stevenson maintains the central idea that there is a duality to mankind by symbolically setting the scene, which exposes the complex nature of each individual. Author Theresa Adams states, “As an environment, the city mirrors some of its residents’ dreadful dualities” (Adams). Adams emphasizes the symbolic nature in the setting by quoting Adams. This further highlights mankind’s dual egos and the overall theme of duality. Multiple settings allow for the display of juxtaposing traits, which reflects the dual nature of mankind. Stevenson is skilled at setting up symbolic meanings, but this stylistic figure also serves another purpose. Stevenson creates suspense through the use of a mysterious setting that emphasizes the central idea of duality in human nature, while also revealing the depths and humanity. Enfield’s first encounter with Mr. Hyde is a foreshadowing of the evil entity. Enfield describes the place he decides to walk through at 3 o’clock in morning. Fear is spreading throughout his body. (Stevenson 5-6). The dark and foreboding setting creates a fear in the reader, which makes them anxious about what might happen. Stevenson is able to draw in the audience and emphasize the theme that there is a duality between man and nature, which can be a powerful way of educating the readers about the deepest parts of humanity. Adams asserts that Stevenson builds suspense by using the mysterious background to the story. “Jekyll’s Neighborhood” is described as “a mixed area characterized with wealth and poverty. Cleanliness and dirt, repair, and disrepair.” Stevenson’s use of suspense to grab the attention of his audience through this quote allows him to better educate them on the topic of the dual nature of man. The article “Dr. According to the article “Dr. Jekyll. This paraphrase helps to reveal the relationship between the setting, suspense, and the novel’s theme. Stevenson is able to grab the attention of his readers by creating a dark and threatening setting. By creating such a setting, Stevenson can effectively communicate the theme that mankind is dual to his audience, making it more relatable and revealing the humanity beneath. Stevenson employs multiple narrators in order to build suspense and emphasise the central idea.
Stevenson adds suspense to the novel by utilizing multiple narrators. He illustrates the dual nature of man while exploring the depths and soul of human beings. Utterson is Dr. Jekyll’s friend and one of the characters who acts as the novel’s narrators. Utterson doesn’t know the connection between Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde, and is concerned for his safety. Utterson states, “It makes me very cold to think about this creature stealing like Harry’s thief” (Stevenson 20). The narrator, who is concerned for his companion, believes that Dr. Jekyll was being blackmailed. Stevenson uses an ignorant narrator to hide the real circumstances of Dr. Jekyll’s life from his readers, creating suspense. The suspense makes the reader feel engaged, and allows them to grasp the themes of the duality between mankind and the complexity of human nature. According to Edwin Eigner, a literary critic, “Robert Louis Stevenson’s Romantic Tradition” (“No doubt this oblique approach added to the suspense of the work’s original audience”) (Eigner). Eigner argues that multiple narrators added to the mystery of the novel. He encourages the readers to read every word to find out the connection between Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde. Multiple narrators create suspense that captivates readers and helps them recognize the theme about the duality between man and nature. Multiple literary critics agree that Stevenson’s use a variety of narrators adds suspense to the novel, and reinforces its focus on duplicity (“Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde.” This paraphrase reveals a direct connection between Stevenson’s central idea about duplicity, and Stevenson’s use multiple narrators. This proves that Stevenson uses this stylistic device to keep the novel’s core theme. Stevenson’s multi-narrators create suspense, and this keeps the readers engaged and helps them fully grasp the story. Multiple narrators are a way to illustrate the complexity of the protagonists, which is a central idea.
Stevenson’s clever use of multiple narrations furthers the complexity and humanity of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. Multiple narrators are helpful in the development of the complex personalities of Dr. Jekyll, and Mr. Hyde. Neither of the protagonists is as simple as the first description. Utterson’s companion Enfield, who is the author’s first contact with Mr. Hyde, recounts his unpleasant experience. Enfield shares with Utterson his experience of first encountering Mr. Hyde. He described how he thought he looked more like an alien Juggernaut than a human being. Stevenson 6 Enfield’s quick story allows the audience to glimpse the underbelly of these alter-egos. They also get a glimpse into Dr. Jekyll’s goodness and superficially unkind nature. Stevenson explores the human complexity by slowly revealing the traits of each protagonist through multiple narrators. He also emphasizes the theme that there is a duality to mankind. Irving Massey claims that Dr. Jekyll’s companion, Lanyon gives a more detailed account of Mr. Hyde’s personality, emphasizing the truly evil nature of his character (Massey). Stevenson is better at examining the gross immorality of human behavior through the help of Lanyon and Lanyon. Lanyon also exposes Mr. Hyde’s sinister nature. Because of this, Stevenson uses multiple narrators in order to bring out the themes of duality and humanity. Irving Saposnik, literary critic and essayist, wrote that the three separate narrative voices – Enfield Lanyon and Jekyll – are placed in an order that adds increasing rhetorical and psychological dimension to the events they discuss. Saposnik claims Stevenson’s use innumerable narrators is a tool to help him describe Mr. Hyde or Dr. Jekyll. Saposnik also uses the depths of his protagonists to bring out the duality of mankind. In order to emphasize the duality of mankind, Saposnik uses multiple narrators. The central idea is also helped by the author’s use of indirect characterization.
Stevenson’s vaguely direct portrayal Mr. Hyde in his novel aims to make the villain’s actions universal across all civilizations. Stevenson successfully emphasizes mankind’s evil nature while showing the depths of our human souls. Utterson is confronted by the evil Mr. Hyde in the opening pages. He gives the impression of a deformed person without any identifiable malformation (Stevenson 18). In order to emphasize the evil, animalistic nature of all humans, Utterson gives Mr. Hyde a vague sense “malformation”. This stylistic figure focuses on the evil nature of Mr. Hyde to human beings and highlights the inherent wickedness of all people. Peter Conolly Smith declares that Hyde might have been a criminal. This makes the novel a blank canvas upon which the middle-class readership projects its fantasies and aberrances. Stevenson’s explicit description of Mr. Hyde in this quote as the immoral face of mankind helps to develop the theme of humanity’s duality, exposing both the contrastingly good and evil traits that make up the human race. Edwin Eigner is a literary critic who maintains Mr. Hyde as the evil face on the dual-sided coin that makes up humanity (Eigner). Stevenson exposes the human nature of both the coin Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll by drawing him out as an evil, vaguely ill individual. This stylistic illustration demonstrates the central idea of human nature’s dual nature. It identifies Mr. Hyde with the wickedness in every person and exposes the diversity that makes up humanity. This central idea was further reinforced by Dr. Jekyll’s unclear characterization by the author.
Stevenson portrays Dr. Jekyll as a moralistic, virtuous character in a way that is both subtle and effective. He also reveals the complexity of humanity by upholding the theme about the dual nature of man. Utterson uses direct characterization to describe Dr. Jekyll (Stevenson 21). Stevenson portrays Dr. Jekyll as a benevolent being in a clear and ambiguous manner. The author’s use of indirect characterization highlights the moral sphere and humanity, while also exposing the complexity of human nature. Jekyll’s personality is a direct description of his own, which makes him “the happiness to many” (Stevenson70). Stevenson’s use of indirect characterization is evident in Dr. Jekyll’s failure to list the moral acts that he feels compelled. Stevenson applies this stylistic figure to illustrate humanity’s undefined virtue. Stevenson emphasizes mankind’s pureness as well the intricateness of the human spirit overall, continuing the theme that human nature is dualistic. Masao Miyoshi, the literary critic, says that Dr. Jekyll has an obscure morality which allows Stevenson (Miyoshi) to generalize his traits to all people. Miyoshi exposes Stevenson’s resolve to define Dr. Jekyll the undefined social morality. This reveals the purity and duality that make up human nature. Stevenson’s central idea of duality in mankind is revealed through direct character throughout his novel.
Robert Louis Stevenson explores the dual nature of man in his novel Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by using multiple stylistic figures. Stevenson uses setting to symbolically express the central idea and reveal the depths within humanity. This device can be used to build suspense and engage an audience, in order to reinforce the theme of humanity’s dual nature. Stevenson’s use multiple narrators serves dual purposes. The added suspense is a way to keep the reader engaged and to reinforce the theme that there is a duality among us all. Furthermore, the multiple narrators provide a way to explore the complexity of Mr. Hyde’s character and help us understand the intricacies that make up humanity. Direct characterization also allows Dr. Jekyll to generalize the contrasting personalities of Mr. Hyde and humanity. It illustrates the theme that there is a duality between mankind and reveals the complexity of our human nature. Robert Louis Stevenson used setting, multiple narratives and direct character in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which effectively highlights the central idea, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and shows the intricate details of the human heart.
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