Analysis of Setting and Atmosphere

Stevenson's use of setting is crucial in creating the novel's atmosphere of mystery and fear. The vivid descriptions and contrasts between locations mirror the internal conflicts of the characters.

Key techniques:

• Personification of buildings to create a threatening mood
• Motifs like fog and locked doors to represent secrets and repression
• Contrasting descriptions of respectable and sinister locations

Highlight: The "dingy neighbourhood" hidden behind the respectable facade represents the hidden desires of Victorian gentlemen, creating intrigue and tension.

These techniques combine to create a rich, atmospheric setting that enhances the novel's themes of duality and the struggle between public respectability and private vice.

Example: The description of Hyde's door as "blistered and distained" with tramps and children defacing it creates a vivid image of neglect and moral decay.

By carefully crafting the novel's settings, Stevenson builds a world where the respectable and the sinister exist side by side, reflecting the complex nature of his characters and Victorian society as a whole.

Gothic Elements and Fear

The text employs classic Gothic techniques to create an atmosphere of dread and unease.

Quote: "lamps glimmered like carbuncles"

Vocabulary: Carbuncles are both precious stones and painful boils, creating a dual meaning

Highlight: Light becomes corrupted, transforming from a symbol of hope to one of disease

Example: The personification of "haggard daylight" suggests nature itself is exhausted by the city's moral decay