Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Summary | Chapterly
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: A Complete Summary "Man is not truly one, but truly two." Overview Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) is a novella that has become a permanent part of Western culture—"Jekyll and Hyde" is shorthand for any person with a dual nature. Stevenson's story of a respected doctor who creates a chemical formula to separate his good and evil natures, only to find the evil side growing stronger, is both a gripping mystery and a profound exploration of the duality inherent in every human being. The novella is set in Victorian London, a society obsessed with respectability and the suppression of unacceptable desires. Stevenson suggests that this very repression creates the monster: deny your dark side and it grows stronger in the shadows. Plot Summary The story unfolds as a mystery. Mr. Utterson, a London lawyer, investigates the connection between his friend Dr. Henry Jekyll and the violent, repulsive Mr. Edward Hyde. Hyde has trampled a child, murdered an MP, and seems to hold some sinister power over Jekyll. The truth, revealed through Jekyll's final confession: Jekyll and Hyde are the same person. Jekyll, tormented by...