Jekylo And Hyde And The Theme Of Duality

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Duality is a combination of opposites, such as good and evil, love and hate, or life and death. It is used to explore things such as suppression, law breaking, and the unpredictability of human nature. It has been presented in many literary works, such as The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Romeo and Juliet, and “The Fall of The House of Usher”. The theme of duality is used in these three stories to convey new thoughts and concepts. The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson is a story set in nineteenth century England and focuses on Doctor Jekyll and his alternative personality, Edward Hyde. Robert Louis Stevenson was born in the year 1850, in the midst of the Victorian era. Victorian Morality is the term that represents the moral of the people living in this time period. This concept supported sexual repression, low tolerance of criminal activity, and a strong social responsibility. …show more content…

An unnamed narrator visits his boyhood friend, Roderick Usher. The duality is expressed mainly between Roderick and his sister Madeline. The siblings have a rather bizarre relationship and are as close as twins. After Madeline collapses he starts to mimic her behavior. “The disease of the lady Madeline had long baffled the skill of her physicians. A settled apathy, a gradual wasting away of the person, and frequent although transient affections of a partially cataleptical character were the unusual diagnosis.” Madeline gave another reason not to be buried. It was possible with her condition to be mistaken as dead when really she was alive. “I know not how it was—but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit.” This quote shows Roderick’s suggestion that the house has its own intelligence. “To an anomalous species of terror I found him a bounden slave.” Roderick is now afraid and lost and terror over rules

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