Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hydes, The Horror Genre Essay - 1742 Words

How successfully does Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ use the conventions of horror genre? Author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the novel ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ in 1885. It is said that the idea for the novel came to Stevenson in a dream that he had, he then wrote the book within six days. Stevenson was frequently ill throughout his childhood meaning he spent a lot of time in bed reading stories this is where his extraordinary imagination came from. He was also fascinated by the story of Deacon Broody the man who was a cabinetmaker by day and a robber by night this is where he got the idea of the dual identity of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Stevenson had a strict Christian background and grew up learning the clear difference between good†¦show more content†¦One of which is frequently mentioned at important points in the story is darkness, this emphasises the idea that the darkness cloaks the criminal actions of Edward Hyde such as violence, murder and sex. Quite a few of these criminal acts took place at midnight this is rather like in the novel ‘The Tell Tale Heart’ by Edgar Allan Poe. There are also many references to dark vs. light and good vs. evil this is used as a metaphor for the fight between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Stevenson uses pathetic fallacy to create an atmosphere ideal for that of a horror story. Throughout most of the novel the weather is described as foggy, ‘face of the fogged city moon’ this adds to the idea of not being able to see clearly. The sentence ‘A haggard shaft of daylight would glance in between the swirling wreaths’ was as if the light were fighting to break through the fog just like Jekyll fighting to break out of Hyde. Personification is used in the chapter eight-The Last Night to describe the trees ‘the thin trees in the garden were slashing along the railings’ as if they were in despair and acting out of anger. The way Stevenson describes London adds to the horrific atmosphere of the book. The description ‘labyrinth of lamp-lighted city’ conjures up a sense of mystery making the city sound like a maze where every thing looks the same and there is no escape. Another description that adds to theShow MoreRelatedJekyll and Hyde: A Comparision Essay1210 Words   |  5 PagesDr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Stevenson’s â€Å"The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde† was one of the most famous works of horror fiction of all time in English literature. It was based in the nineteenth century. It reflects the influence of two important ideological forces in the Victorian era. The text uses gothic and detective elements to interest the reader as they were very popular at the time. 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