What Lurks behind the Other Side of the Coin Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hydes Story, Explored

Introduction A Gothic novel has been amply represented in literature and studied well enough, yet it is still unbelievably popular. Edgar Poe, Charlotte and Emily Bronte, Bram Stocker, Daphne du Maurier, Mary Shelly, Oscar Wilde and many other writers became famous owing to the Gothic universes that they created.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on What Lurks behind the Other Side of the Coin: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’s Story, Explored specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Evolving with every new story and character created, the Gothic genre in general and some of its most prominent authors in particular definitely deserve being considered a bit closer, and Robert Stevenson with his Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of such authors. Thesis Statement Despite the fact that some elements of Robert Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde do not align with the traditional Gothic novel genr e, Stevenson’s story still should be defined as Gothic, since it not only creates a compelling Gothic character with a classic story arc, but also develops the character, therefore, contributing to the evolution of the Gothic novel genre. Gothic Novel and Its Key Features With a relatively long history and quite a solid heritage, Gothic literature has a number of features that have become the staple of the genre and can be seen as the defining characteristics of the genre. Among the most frequently used ones, such themes as the description of the fallen world and elements of the supernatural should be mentioned (Throwbridge 27) A Gothic character has also quite a number of features attributed to him/her; acquired in the course of Gothic novel evolution, these character traits define a Gothic hero and at the same time set limitations for the character’s growth. As a rule, a Gothic character develops such traits as emotionality and impulsivity, and often has a dark back story (Throwbridge 25). Also rendering the issue of the fallen world and the supernatural elements within the realm of the ordinary, the plot of a Gothic novel is traditionally composed of mystery, elements of fear or terror and events leading to the character’s moral demise (Throwbridge 45). The elements of the supernatural are evident in a number of Gothic novels. For instance, in Wuthering Heights, Bronte mentions moonlight several times as an element of mystery and describes a moonless night to create the atmosphere of suspense and threat: â€Å"There was no moon, and everything beneath lay in misty darkness† (Bronte 121).Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The idea of the world demise is also translated into the setting, in which events traditionally take place in Gothic novels. According to the principles if Gothic storytelling, the key events are supposed to take place in a castle, old mansion or in a gloomy background, during fog, rain or cloudiness (Throwbridge 15). Elements of Gothic settings can be traced in The Namesake, though, technically the novel is defined as a bildungsroman. For instance, Gothic architecture is briefly mentioned in the novel: â€Å"he has fallen in love with the Gothic architecture of the campus† (Lahiri 108). Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Analysis It would be wrong to claim that the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde fits the traditional concept of a Gothic narration impeccably; however, the question is whether the alterations made to the genre actually work for the benefit of the story or not. As far as the use of clichà ©s goes, it seems that the lack of the traditional, well trodden tropes that seemed to have worn out their welcome well before the story was written makes the novel all the more thrilling. The lack of traditional lackluster elements that do not move the story forward and only serve to make the author look lazy clearly makes Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde unique in its own way. First, the fact that the novel is set in London, and, more importantly, on one of its busiest streets – at least, in the major part of the narration – sets the novel apart from a range of other Gothic stories. True, Stevenson does render the concept of decay and deterioration at some point when describing Mr. Hyde’s dwelling; however, the majority of the events depicted in the novel do not take place in the London suburbs. Even the lead, though definitely rubbing elbows with a number of traditional Gothic character archetypes, still differs from a common Gothic interpretation of a protagonist. While in the tradition of a Gothic novel, the leading character is supposed to succumb to temptation of the antagonist, in Stevenson’s novel, Dr. Jekyll is his own worst enemy. Thus, Stevenson diverges from the traditional method of building a Gothic character and, instead, explor es the phenomenon of the latter by looking at his flaws. There is no obvious â€Å"bad guy† in Stevenson’s novel, and the lead is clearly no victim of an evil villain; instead, Dr. Jekyll falls prey to his own psychotic mind: â€Å"If I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also† (Stevenson para. 45).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on What Lurks behind the Other Side of the Coin: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’s Story, Explored specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although the story is narrated not by the twofaced monster himself, but by his friend, the new angle of viewing the character still enables the reader to consider the situation from Jekyll/Hyde’s perspective and embrace the horror that the character feels: â€Å"[†¦] man is not truly one, but truly two† (Stevenson para. 83). The last and definitely the most important change that Stevenson makes to the tr adition of a Gothic story is the choice to abstain from using the elements of the supernatural in the novel. However, Stevenson does not carve the given element out of the story completely; instead, he replaces it with the mystery of science. Indeed, when taking a closer look at the change that happens to Dr. Jekyll as he drinks the serum, one will find out quickly that the scene of transformation has a lot in common with the werewolf related folklore and has, in fact, little to do with actual biological processes: the â€Å"virtue of transcendental medicine† (Stevenson para. 80), therefore, is miles away from being an accurate description of biological and chemical processes in a human body. Nevertheless, Stevenson defies the concept of the supernatural and decides to switch it with what can technically be defined as science fiction. Hence, Stevenson practically heralds that the time for science to replace magic has come. Conclusion Although traditionally considered a Gothic story, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde creates unique character elements and neglects a number of typical Gothic story elements. The few clichà ©s that are left to identify the story with Gothic novels, however, serve their purpose well by informing the character, defining the story, outlining the key themes and creating a very specific and rather dark mood. For instance, the â€Å"shadow of the fallen world† (Throwbridge 87), though conveyed in a very subtle way, can be easily traced in the transformation of the lead character. The â€Å"strong feeling of deformity† (Stevenson para. 9) that the character gave Mr. Utterson can be applied to the general impression of an average citizen when taking a closer look at the things that are basically wrong with society. A novel that revolutionized Gothic literature by introducing a different character and shifting the emphasis from the collapse of the world to personal regress, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde deserves to be ranked among the best Gothic novels ever created.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights. 1846. Web. http://www.literaturepage.com/read/wutheringheights.html. Lahiri, Jhumpa. The Namesake. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2003. Print. Stevenson, Robert Louis. â€Å"Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.† Project Gutenberg. 18 Dec. 2011. Web. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42?msg=welcome_stranger. Throwbridge, Serena. Christina Rossetti’s Gothic. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Academic, 2013. Print. 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The Great Gatsby Essay Example

The Great Gatsby Essay Example The Great Gatsby Essay The Great Gatsby Essay Essay Topic: The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby Is the story of Jay Gatsby narrated by Nick Caraway, the neighbor. The story shows deferent themes throughout the movie Like greed, power betrayal and Justice. It also shows a vivid peek of the American life In the sass. The lives of the characters revolve around the mysterious Gatsby which give the story an unexpected outcome. The only thing known at the beginner of the film about the mysterious Gatsby was that he had an extraordinary gift for hope. The hope being related to love, Just like a lot of other films it was intriguing to see how it involved the rest of the characters. Gatsby believed that if he was able to obtain what he wanted so badly, he would live happily ever after. Having the power would help him achieve such thing, with the surprisingly help of guy named Nick Caraway. He happened to be Gatsby neighbor and just like many people in the city of New York he was curious to see the great and famous Gatsby. Nick had moved to New York City to learn the bond business. Honest, reserve and willing to listen to whoever needed It. Having his house next to the enormous mansion of Gatsby made him wonder, what he was like, what he did and why so much extravagant parties. Surprisingly he received an Invitation to a Gatsby party where their friendship started and he happened to be the best helper to keep that gift of hope in order to reach his goal. The goal had a name Daisy Buchanan who was Nicks cousin. The work contains innumerous references to the fast-paced immoral lifestyles that the population were leading during the period the novel was set, the roaring 20s. The book also shows us a view on the American Society of the time. It shows us the failure of the American dream. The idea that American political idealisms strove to allow equality between everyone is crushed, the truth was actually a lot different. Social and ethnic discrimination was widespread and divisions between the classes were evident. Fitzgerald comments on the morality of the period in the characters within the story. He shows us characters from both sides of the social divide. In Myrtle, he portrays a woman, trapped in the valley of the ashes (Pg 29), which is socially nowhere. Although she is married to George, a hard-working man who desperately wants to be closer to his wife, she completely forgets her moral obligation to her him and enters into an affair with Tom Buchanan, in an attempt to break free from her social class. In this futile attempt to better herself socially, she only ends up becoming vulgar and corrupt, inheriting the immoral traits of Tom. As a result, she starts to shun members of her own society and belittles them, in doing so she loses all sense of self-respect. This is evident at the party in chapter two. The living room was crowded to the doors with a set of tapestried furniture entirely too large for it, so that to move about was to stumble continually over scenes of ladies swinging in the garden of Versailles. (Pg 35) Here we are shown that although Myrtles apartment is clearly small her choice of furniture to occupy it is opulent and clearly over done. At the party Myrtle changes her attire, and as a result her character changes, with the influence of the dress, her personality had also undergone a change. (Pg 36) When Mrs. McKee compliments her on the dress, her response is disdainful and belittling. She says Its just a crazy old thing (Pg 37), I just slip it on when I dont care what I look like (Pg 37),. Here we can see how Myrtle is offhanded with Mrs. McKee. Myrtle also makes clear her greed when she announces a fanciful shopping list, she is apparently incapable of having real feelings of her own, so she relies on things to express emotion. It is clear that Myrtles attempts to climb the social ladder and become a member of the Buchanans class will never be accepted, they will evidently will never let her in, but she is too blinkered by her ambitions to live a glamorous glitzy lifestyle to realise. Another reflection on the immoralities of the period is how Gatsby makes his money. We discover that, through his dealings with Dan Cody, he has made his fortune by illegal sale of alcohol. As Gatsbys wealth grew he moved to New York. His house is located in West Egg. The house is described as a rather artificial place, it was a factual imitation of some Hotel De Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool Pg 11. Here we see how wealth is used to provide an artificial fai ade to Gatsbys life.