Scarica THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE e più Appunti in PDF di Lingue e letterature classiche solo su Docsity! THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON: He was born in Edinburgh in 1850. Because of his poor health, he spent his childhood kept in a dark room under the influence of his family’s Calvinism. He studied Engineering at university, but he was not happy to attend this university, he was just following his father’s footsteps. He traveled a lot around the world and lived in many countries. He lived during the Victorian world, with which he was I conflict. He openly rejected his family’s religious principles and their love for respectability. In 1875 he left the engineering university and graduated in law. He also decided to start his writer carreer. In 1894 he died of a barain haemorrhage. GENERAL SUMMARY OF THE STORY: Dr Jekyll is a kind, well-respected and intelligent scientist who meddles with the darker side of science, as he wants to bring out his 'second' nature. He does this through a potion that transformed him into Mr Hyde - his evil alter ego who doesn't repent or accept responsibility for his evil crimes and ways. Jekyll tries to control his alter ego, Hyde, and for a while, he managed to do it. However, towards the end of the novel, Hyde takes over and this results in their deaths: Hyde killed Jekyll and then committed suicide. The man who discovered this creepy situation was Utterson, a lawyer who investigated this case in order to discover what was happening to his friend Dr Jekyll. CHAPTER 1: Story of the Door The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde begins with two friends, a lawyer, Mr. Utterson and Mr. Enfield. During their walk they stop in front of a particular door, because Mr. Enfield has a story to tell about it ... one winter morning, he was walking on the street and witnessing an incredible scene: a man of small stature collides with a girl on the corner of a street making her fall on the ground. The eight-year-old girl is frightened and remains on the ground. Instead of helping her, man savagely mistreats her. Enfield decides to intervene and goes after the man to make him stop. Then the relatives of the girl and a doctor arrive. To resolve the situation, the little man decides to pay cash for what he has done. Therefore, he accompanies them to the mysterious port where he lives, and comes out with a check and ten pounds. However, to sign the check is Dr. Jekyll, a generous and wanted man. For this reason, they all think that this little man blackmailed Jekyll to sign this check. The next day, they will all go to the bank and find out that the check is valid.THE EXPERIMENT: After years of work, Jekyll eventually created a chemical solution that would allow him to complete his work. Jekyll purchased a large quantity of salt for his final ingredient, and then when the potion was ready he drinked it, knowing full well that he was putting his life in danger. The drink caused him pain and nausea, but as these feelings passed, Jekyll began to examine the results of his work. In fact, he felt strong, sensual and wild and he noticed that his body had changed. His hands were smaller and gnarled looking, and his clothes were suddenly far too large, which led him to conclude that his alter ego, which he later named Edward Hyde, was a small, dwarfish man. Jekyll reasoned that this identity was physically smaller because it represented his evil side which had previously been repressed and carefully controlled. In truth, Jekyll enjoyed living as Hyde. He was free to behave in a less honorable manner and partake in the darker side of London. Through Hyde, Jekyll could live a dual life, where he could both maintain respectability and indulge his most base desires.
