Gothic Literature and the Victorian Period British Literature

Victorian Era 1830 – 1900 Time of great and swift change in England and Europe Darwinism Industrialization Revolutions

Victorian era (continued) Social Reforms Child labor laws Increased literacy Sanitation Women’s suffrage Increased focus on etiquette Transportation developments

Victorian era (continued) As a reaction to all this change, Victorian society became very conservative, rigid and repressed

Gothic genre Originally a genre from Romantic period Shelley’s Frankenstein All the Victorian era changes brought fear to citizens Economic changes Social changes Gothic literature allowed writers to express their fears creatively

Penny Dreadfuls Brief, cheap, colorful stories of horror and monsters popular for the urban class of readers

Characteristics of Gothic writing Dark mood A look at the evil in men Castles with heavy architecture Death, decay, and madness Supernatural and fantastical “Terror of the soul” (Poe)

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Robert Lewis Stevenson Also wrote Treasure Island & Kidnapped 1850 – 1894 Very interesting man—illness, love, adventure, rebellion Sickly child with Tuberculosis In love with a married woman Moved to Samoa eventually Struggled against the repressive values of his age Jekyll/Hyde has become a part of our language

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Takes place in London in 1880 Novella Gothic elements A “fine bogey tale” Based on a dream Explores the philosophical side of the evil in man — good vs. evil!! Schizophrenia Doppelganger

Interpretations of Jekyll & Hyde Symbolic representation of the threats to British society (Hyde represents power of working class) Reflects Darwinistic beliefs that Hyde’s strong, evil side would survive when Jekyll’s good side fell (Survival of the fittest)

Interpretations of Jekyll & Hyde Reflects Nietzsche’s philosophy of the Apollonian and Dionysian sides of man—opposing forces represented by Jekyll and Hyde New ideas about the human mind ala Freud – Hyde represents Jekyll’s desire to be freed from society’s restrictions

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Jekyll and Hyde Discussion/Theme Questions Discuss the theme of Man’s Double Existence. How is this shown in the novella? Discuss how this applies to your lives. Discuss how Victorian Society was partly responsible for Jekyll’s actions. Give examples. How does our society make people feel repressed? How is J & H a novella about how things appear to look? How do appearances play a role in our society?