Things are often hidden for a reason. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll spends quite a bit of time hiding an evil Mr. Hyde from respectable Mr. Utterson, a close friend. However, Utterson refuses to give up the search for the relation between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Robert Louis Stevenson’s story, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is a dark, timeless tale that links good and evil while pushing the restraints of Victorian society.
Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on November 13, 1850. He was the only son of his parents. As a child, he was bed ridden due to chronic health problems. He had a nurse, Allison Cunningham, who took care of him. She would read him books such as Pilgrim’s Progress and The Old Testament which greatly influenced his life. In 1867, he attended Edinburgh University. Expected to follow the footsteps of his father, who was a civil engineer, he attended the university as a science student. Although he was a science student, he studied French literature, Scottish history, and the works of Darwin and Spencer in his free time. When he spoke to his father about wanting to pursue writing and not science, his father became upset. To work this problem out, they came up with a compromise: Stevenson would have to study for the bar exam so that if dream of pursuing literature failed, he would have a career to go back on (Poetry Foundation). In 1873, around fall time, Stevenson became ill from nervous exhaustion and a severe chest condition. Because of this, his doctor told him to take an extended rest somewhere else. During this period of rest, he worked on many essays. After he returned to Edinburgh, he worked on writing book reviews and articles. He also worked and experimented with short stories. After a while, he became known in journalism and his pieces began appearing in journals such as The Fortnightly Review. Around the same time, he met Fanny Vandergrift Osbourne, a married American woman in Europe who was taking a break from her husband. He maintained a close relationship with her, and in May 1880, they were married after she was divorced from her husband (Poetry Foundation). In 1878, Stevenson published An Inland Voyage—his first book. In August of 1880, he returned to England. He and his wife stayed in the South of France that winter; from 1880 until 1887, they lived in England. During this time, Stevenson published three books: Treasure Island, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Kidnapped (Notable Biographies). After the death of his father in 1887, Stevenson decided to leave England and went to America, where he stayed for a year. …show more content…
In May of 1888, he moved to the South Seas with his wife, stepson, and mother. He fell in love with the area, and bought land in Apia, Samoa, where he wrote many of his short stories and novels. He lived there until December 3, 1894 when he died of a cerebral hemorrhage (Poetry Foundation).
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1886. Stevenson was having a nightmare in which he dreamed of the concept of Jekyll and Hyde. When he was awoken by his wife, he complained to her that he “was dreaming a fine bogey tale”. Stevenson sat at his desk and wrote the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—a manuscript of 30,000 words—in a short three days (Doyle).
After hearing the manuscript, his wife Fanny responded with criticism saying that he “had made it merely a story….when it should have been a masterpiece,” (Doyle). After hearing this from his wife, Stevenson was enraged and threw the manuscript into fire. Not too long after this, a calm Stevenson was regretting his decision. He sat down again to write and, three days later, the strange case returned. However, this time the novel was dedicated to his cousin Katharine, rather than to his wife (Fitzpatrick). Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde features the well-respected Henry Jekyll, a 19th century doctor who concocts a personality-altering potion that turns him into the malevolent and malicious threat known as Edward Hyde. The story first introduces the characters Mr.
Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on November 13, 1850. He was the only son of his parents. As a child, he was bed ridden due to chronic health problems. He had a nurse, Allison Cunningham, who took care of him. She would read him books such as Pilgrim’s Progress and The Old Testament which greatly influenced his life. In 1867, he attended Edinburgh University. Expected to follow the footsteps of his father, who was a civil engineer, he attended the university as a science student. Although he was a science student, he studied French literature, Scottish history, and the works of Darwin and Spencer in his free time. When he spoke to his father about wanting to pursue writing and not science, his father became upset. To work this problem out, they came up with a compromise: Stevenson would have to study for the bar exam so that if dream of pursuing literature failed, he would have a career to go back on (Poetry Foundation). In 1873, around fall time, Stevenson became ill from nervous exhaustion and a severe chest condition. Because of this, his doctor told him to take an extended rest somewhere else. During this period of rest, he worked on many essays. After he returned to Edinburgh, he worked on writing book reviews and articles. He also worked and experimented with short stories. After a while, he became known in journalism and his pieces began appearing in journals such as The Fortnightly Review. Around the same time, he met Fanny Vandergrift Osbourne, a married American woman in Europe who was taking a break from her husband. He maintained a close relationship with her, and in May 1880, they were married after she was divorced from her husband (Poetry Foundation). In 1878, Stevenson published An Inland Voyage—his first book. In August of 1880, he returned to England. He and his wife stayed in the South of France that winter; from 1880 until 1887, they lived in England. During this time, Stevenson published three books: Treasure Island, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Kidnapped (Notable Biographies). After the death of his father in 1887, Stevenson decided to leave England and went to America, where he stayed for a year. …show more content…
In May of 1888, he moved to the South Seas with his wife, stepson, and mother. He fell in love with the area, and bought land in Apia, Samoa, where he wrote many of his short stories and novels. He lived there until December 3, 1894 when he died of a cerebral hemorrhage (Poetry Foundation).
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1886. Stevenson was having a nightmare in which he dreamed of the concept of Jekyll and Hyde. When he was awoken by his wife, he complained to her that he “was dreaming a fine bogey tale”. Stevenson sat at his desk and wrote the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—a manuscript of 30,000 words—in a short three days (Doyle).
After hearing the manuscript, his wife Fanny responded with criticism saying that he “had made it merely a story….when it should have been a masterpiece,” (Doyle). After hearing this from his wife, Stevenson was enraged and threw the manuscript into fire. Not too long after this, a calm Stevenson was regretting his decision. He sat down again to write and, three days later, the strange case returned. However, this time the novel was dedicated to his cousin Katharine, rather than to his wife (Fitzpatrick). Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde features the well-respected Henry Jekyll, a 19th century doctor who concocts a personality-altering potion that turns him into the malevolent and malicious threat known as Edward Hyde. The story first introduces the characters Mr.