Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Setting Analysis

There are many themes that can be found or interpreted from the text of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One that is most apparent is the idea of filth which is explained in the city and the characters. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines filth as foul, putrid or moral corruption (“Filth”). Examples of this filth are established in both the setting of the story as well as in the development of the characters. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde provides many opportunities for a reader to form his/her own attitude of each character and decide upon the reality behind the stories. The text allows readers to better understand and judge the characters independently however, it uses word choice and description to persuade readers to dislike and feel negatively towards characters who may be filthy or sinister.
The text focuses on using the theme of filth to describe the setting so that readers can reason …show more content…
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde encourages readers to categorize the characters as moral or immoral prematurely by means of the maid’s and Enfield’s opinions that have little truth to back them up. By definition, filth extends beyond dirt or being dirty to the concept of corruption and foul behavior which is effortlessly perceived as the text details the eerie times of London and the evil acts of the community. Readers are further encouraged to judge the characters centered upon the opinions and embellishments of the other characters. This theme fashions an internal conflict for readers because our society imparts us not to judge a person based upon what others say or believe and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde encourages the opposite by making readers judge characters by their resemblance to the state of London. Readers may or may not know enough about Hyde at this point to decide whether he is a filthy character or not, but they do have enough information to understand that the city of London is in a period of filth and