Themes: Duality and Violence
Ever wondered what would happen if your worst impulses took physical form? That's exactly what Stevenson explores through the duality of human nature - the constant battle between good and evil inside us all.
Mr Hyde represents pure violence and evil, trampling over a child and brutally murdering Sir Danvers Carew. Stevenson doesn't hold back with descriptions like "clubbed him to the earth" and "with a flush of anger" - Hyde is everything civilised society fears.
The novella also examines appearance versus reality, showing how Victorians were obsessed with maintaining public respectability whilst hiding their true desires. Jekyll appears respectable and handsome, whilst Hyde is described as having "a strong feeling of deformity" - their physical appearances mirror their moral states.
Key Point: The weather often mirrors the violence - notice how Stevenson uses stormy, aggressive weather to foreshadow Hyde's brutal actions.
