Set in fog‑shrouded Victorian London, the novella follows a respectable scientist who grapples with a hidden, darker side of his personality. Through suspenseful encounters and moral dilemmas, it examines the conflict between public virtue and private vice, becoming a foundational work in both gothic horror and psychological literature.
Try these questions
- What are the central themes of duality and the struggle between respectable society and hidden desires in the story?
- How does the relationship between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde illuminate the inner conflict of the main character?
- In what ways does the novella reflect Victorian concerns about scientific experimentation, morality, and social order?
- How does the use of multiple narrators and an epistolary structure affect the narrative tension and reader perception?
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Robert Louis Stevenson