The grotesque mode of writing has a long history and continues to exist in the 20th and 21st century. Yet, the concept of the grotesque hasn’t been a popular subject in literary studies for a long time. This changed in the second half of the last century when literary scholars started to agree upon the significance and benefit of the grotesque for literary studies. Some of the groundbreaking studies in the 20th century were those of Wolfgang Kayser (1957), Mikhail M. Bakhtin (1965) and Philip J. Thomson (1972). Consequently, the grotesque became an accepted and frequently used theory in literary criticism. Yet, studying the concept of the grotesque implies facing certain theoretical difficulties. Definitions and descriptions of the grotesque may differ and there is still no consensus about what the grotesque really is.
One reason for the difficulty in talking about the grotesque lies in the fact that scholars often defined the grotesque by referring to its use in different literary periods. However, what exactly is understood as the “grotesque” and how the grotesque is used as an aesthetic in a specific time is always dependent on the respective sociocultural circumstances. It is a term that is consistently redefined in (literary) history. Thus, it is advisable to narrow down a discussion of the grotesque to a distinct literary period. The German literary critic Christian W. Thomsen argues that in particular Gothic literature serves as a very rich source for an analysis of the grotesque aesthetic. He suggests that particularly this literary genre should be approached from the perspective of the grotesque. The study at hand follows his suggestion and focuses on one of the most prominent examples of late Victorian Gothic literature, namely The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Background
2.1. The General Literary Concepts of the Grotesque
2.1.1. Themes and Functions
2.1.2. The Grotesque Body
2.2. The Grotesque in Gothic Fiction of the 19th Century
3. The Grotesque in Robert L. Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
3.1. Grotesque Themes
3.2. The Grotesque Body
3.3. Gothic Peculiarities of the Grotesque
4. Conclusion
5. Works Cited
Objectives and Key Themes
The primary objective of this study is to examine the meaning and function of the grotesque in literature, using Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as a representative case study. The work explores how the grotesque aesthetic, through its portrayal of disharmony and physical abnormality, serves as a form of sociopolitical criticism within the context of late Victorian Gothic fiction.
- Theoretical exploration of the grotesque as a literary concept.
- Application of grotesque theory to Gothic literature.
- Analysis of the dual identity of Jekyll-Hyde as a grotesque construct.
- Examination of the grotesque body and its symbolic significance.
- Evaluation of sociocultural tensions expressed through Gothic techniques.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. Grotesque Themes
First of all the grotesque aspect of disharmony in The Strange Case can be illustrated by the main issue of the book, the dual identity of Jekyll-Hyde. The constructed character himself embodies the “conflict, clash and mixture of the heterogeneous” (Thomson 42). His rational part of identity, Dr. Jekyll, represents the middle or upper class of the English society. He is well respected and influential. Only his colleague, Dr. Lanyon, turned away from him more than ten years ago because he became “too fanciful,” “wrong in mind” and obsessed with “scientific balderdash” (Stevenson 19). These scientific tendencies give way to the other side of Jekyll-Hyde’s identity, Mr. Hyde. Hyde has no title, lives in isolation and is discredited by society for a murder (ibid. 83). First, the close relationship between both parts of Jekyll-Hyde’s personality becomes evident in Jekyll-Hyde’s testament which makes his lawyer Utterson feel “offended” and causes him to consider Hyde a fiend, due to his “detestable attributes” he heard about from Enfield (ibid. 18). The notion of his respectable friend being related to a man who “trampled calmly over a child’s body” strikes him as odd and thus, his rational explanation for Hyde being the inheritor of Jekyll’s fortune is that some sort of crime is involved (ibid. 25).
Troubled by the incongruous relationship he faces what Hutchinson calls the “hiddenness” of the grotesque (ibid. 189). Utterson remains ignorant of the fact that Hyde and Jekyll are actually one person until the end, but he anticipates that something odd and dangerous is behind all this. After their first encounter he says “‘There must be something else’ […] ‘There is something more, if I could find a name for it. God bless me, the man seems hardly human!’” (ibid. 23, emphasis in original). Although Utterson cannot explain why, he feels an “unknown disgust, loathing and fear” towards Hyde (ibid. 23). For him and also the reader, this feeling of disharmony is disturbing und unsettling. Until the end the narrative remains complex and leaves questions unresolved (Dury 113). That way suspense is created and the grotesque effect is maintained.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction establishes the relevance of the grotesque in literary studies and defines the focus of the investigation on Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella.
2. Theoretical Background: This chapter outlines scholarly perspectives on the grotesque, specifically addressing disharmony, abnormality, and the concept of the grotesque body.
3. The Grotesque in Robert L. Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: The analysis applies the established theories to the novel, examining dual identity, bodily metamorphosis, and Gothic elements.
4. Conclusion: The conclusion evaluates the findings, confirming how the novel utilizes grotesque techniques to mirror and critique Victorian societal norms.
5. Works Cited: A comprehensive list of academic sources and references used throughout the investigation.
Key Words
Grotesque, Gothic Fiction, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dual Identity, Disharmony, Abnormality, Literary Criticism, Victorian Age, Metamorphosis, Sociopolitical Criticism, Body Politics, Alienation, Horror, Narrative.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the literary function of the grotesque aesthetic in 19th-century Gothic fiction, specifically using Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as a primary analytical model.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The central themes include the dual nature of identity, the conflict between rationality and the irrational, the symbolic representation of the human body, and the critique of social hierarchies.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to demonstrate how applying the theory of the grotesque provides a deeper understanding of the novel while simultaneously illustrating the mechanics of the grotesque as a literary device.
Which scientific methods are utilized in this analysis?
The author employs a qualitative literary analysis, utilizing concepts from scholars such as Mikhail M. Bakhtin, Wolfgang Kayser, and Philip J. Thomson to evaluate the text.
What does the main body of the text cover?
The body covers a theoretical framework of the grotesque, followed by a genre-specific examination of Gothic literature and a detailed analysis of the characters and physical settings in Stevenson’s novel.
Which keywords best characterize this publication?
Keywords include Grotesque, Gothic Fiction, Dual Identity, Victorian Age, Sociopolitical Criticism, and Metamorphosis.
How does the author interpret Jekyll’s potion?
The potion is interpreted as an instrument of transition and a reaction to societal suppression, symbolizing the "unlocked" potential of an inner self that is denied expression in standard society.
What significance do 'doors' hold in the novel according to this analysis?
Doors serve as symbolic transitions between the respectable public persona of Dr. Jekyll and the hidden, irrational reality of Mr. Hyde, ultimately representing access to the protagonist's secret truth.
How is the concept of the 'grotesque body' applied here?
It is applied by viewing the physical transformation of the protagonist not just as a narrative event, but as a symbolic subversion of the idealized "completed" human form of the modern era.
What is the final conclusion regarding the grotesque in this novel?
The author concludes that the grotesque serves as a "mirror" to Victorian society, revealing the hypocrisy of respectable social classes and the destructive consequences of forced moral compliance.
- Citar trabajo
- Hans Niehues (Autor), 2014, The Grotesque in Robert Louis Stevenson’s "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/323798
