The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde considers the notion that humanity possesses an innate capacity both for good and evil, but that only by suppressing this dark side can we make pretence at civilised respectability. The two doors to Dr Jekyll’s house represent his split character. The covert, concealed entrance used by Hyde is a marked contrast to the public door used by the respected doctor. The concept that morality is merely a public facade is played to extremes. Hyde is a monster, small and quickly able to conceal himself, as his name suggests. The violence and ugliness characterised by Hyde represent the dark underbelly of society.
It is a short but complicated text; a masterpiece of timing and disclosure helped by the use of letters and multiple narratives. The text is meant to be unsettling and make us question whether we can ever be secure that our own dark side will not emerge. There is an insidious evil within Jekyll and it shocks us that a respected pillar of society is capable of murdering children. Jekyll’s is not a supernatural change; but man-made, scientifically constructed. Jekyll and Hyde appear to be polar opposites but they cannot survive together. Yet they also need each other dependently. The story must end in death because both sides cannot be sustained and will burn one another out. There is a sense of moral retribution for Jekyll, who would have been safe if only he had repressed his dark side. Nevertheless, there is no moral absolute. We recognise a frightening truth in Jekyll’s desire to allow Hyde his own self-expression. The story’s continued relevance relates to its ability to make the reader engage with moral questions which apply to any period of history.
Stevenson’s works and especially The Master of Ballantrae make no pretence that they will offer truth without ambiguity. This novel challenges the reader to take evidence from the multiple narrative accounts and try to piece together the contradictory versions of events. Similar to Jekyll and Hyde, James and Henry too cannot co-exist. However, there is the suggestion of a more radical idea: that good and evil are not necessarily in opposition and may exist simultaneously within one person. The notion of Henry representing good and James evil does not sit entirely comfortably. We are given no evidence to prove that either brother should be described in this way. The ‘evil’ characteristics of James, as detailed by one of the narrators, MacKellar, can be narrowed down to such activities as drinking, playing cards and seducing the local women. To MacKellar’s Calvinist way of thinking, such exploits are those of the devil. Yet, filtered through our own moral perspectives, James’s actions can be seen as youthful extravagances. They do not signal absolute evil, as MacKellar seems to believe.
Meanwhile, in the course of the story, Henry’s more ugly characteristics emerge, particularly in his explicit favouritism of Alexander over his daughter, for whom he has a profound disinterest. Stevenson endeavours to prevent the reader sitting at ease with straightforward, neat conclusions. The structure and the range of narrative voices encourage constant questioning and analysis. Similarly, the dual interpretations available and the development of Henry’s and James’s characters offer constantly shifting perspectives. These aspects invite further questions about the nature of morality and truth. Stevenson provides profound insight into a world in which moral codes are relative rather than absolute.
The theme of the unreliable narrator and ‘the double’ appear early in Stevenson’s work. In Treasure Island, the child moves in an adult world and must learn about adulthood and morality. Knowledge is the key to this development and the opening of Kidnapped also resonates with this. Kidnapped itself furthers the idea that factual understanding is important, as it is the language of adulthood. The last phrase of the novel’s first sentence signals the main character’s final move from childhood to the adult world: ‘I took the key for the last time out of my father’s house’. This contrasts with the first phrase of Treasure Island telling us that there is ‘treasure there not yet lifted.’ The treasure is used as a metaphor throughout the novel for the imagination.
There is darkness in these works but Stevenson thought that children should be taught and helped to face reality by showing them the good alongside the bad. Nevertheless, these works have suffered by being relegated to the sphere of children’s literature. Kidnapped is an adventure tale as well as a serious examination of Scottish history and culture. In fact, the child and the adult readings enrich one another.
Weir of Hermiston shares many features found in Stevenson’s earlier works. The key theme is the conflict between father and son. But it is the depiction of Christina which makes the book unique. Previous works are notable for their lack of female characters. The possibility that Christina might fall in love in this novel, opens new prospects for development. There is the suggestion of a pagan fatalism – rather than Christian preordination. The novel breaks the mould in this respect. Despite being unfinished, Stevenson’s notes indicate a violent, perhaps tragic ending to a novel itself notable for its brutality. Stevenson himself thought it was going to be his masterpiece.
