Victorian Society's Fear of Science
Picture this: you've grown up believing God created everything, then suddenly Charles Darwin publishes On the Origin of Species in 1859, suggesting otherwise. That's exactly what shook Victorian society to its core! Darwin's theory was so controversial it got banned because it contradicted biblical teachings about creation.
This fear of science wasn't just about evolution. Victorians worried that scientific development could lead people away from God and into dangerous territory. They believed some knowledge was meant to stay hidden.
Stevenson uses this real-world tension to create horror in his story. He suggests that when we "dabble with the unknown" through science, we risk losing all control - exactly what happens to Dr Jekyll.
Key Insight: Stevenson shows both sides of science - Utterson's "amazement" at Jekyll's achievements alongside the terrifying consequences when experiments go wrong.
