

Biography, Characters, Context, Themes, And Synopsis

900 words - 4 pages

Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh to a middle class family. After gaining a degree in law, he went to France to pursue a career in writing. His first works were about his travels all over Europe, in France, and eventually to America to marry his wife, Fanny. He continued to travel all his life, using the places he went as inspiration and settings for his works. Stevenson went through several phases and genres during his career. He began writing accounts of his travels. Then, he transitioned to short stories. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde falls under this category as a long short story. Stevenson also dabbled in children’s stories, novels, and romances, creating a well rounded portfolio. He ended his life in Samoa, where he died, leaving many works unfinished. After his death and up until World War I, he was seen as an excellent and important author, especially on the British Isles. However, with the rise of new writing philosophies, his work was pushed to the background in favor of newer ideas.
Mr. Utterson - a well respected lawyer in London. He is very loyal and will never break a promise. He is a good friend of both Dr. Lanyon and Dr. Jekyll and represents both men legally, holding both of their wills. He is also the cousin of Mr. Enfield.
Mr. Enfield - a well respected lawyer in London. He tends to dig a little into situations, but also respects others’ wishes. He is the cousin of Mr. Utterson.
Mr. Hyde - a generally unlikeable man who seems to have no friends, save Dr. Jekyll. He is of short stature and is said to be deformed in some way and sends chills down the spine of everyone who sees him. He is the embodiment of the evil inherently present in Dr. Jekyll.
Mr. Poole - Dr. Jekyll’s servant. He is a trusting and loyal man, especially to those that treat him fairly, such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Utterson.
Dr. Lanyon - an old colleague of Dr. Jekyll and client of Mr. Utterson. He broke from Dr. Jekyll due to scientific disagreements, specifically in the field of study that led to the creation of Mr. Hyde.
Mr. Guest - Mr. Utterson’s clerk. He enjoys analyzing handwriting and determines Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’s handwriting are the same, except for the slant.
Dr. Jekyll - an old doctor who enjoys chemical experiments. He splits his personality into two parts, a mix of good and evil and pure evil. He has very little self control, but trust fully those close to him.
During the late nineteenth century in London, the population of the city exploded. This led to a rapid increase in the slum areas of...

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