The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Second Edition

First published in 1886 as a "shilling shocker," Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde takes the basic struggle between good and evil and adds to the mix bourgeois respectability, urban violence, and class conflict. The result is a tale that has taken on the force of myth in the popular imagination. This Broadview edition provides a fascinating selection of contextual material, including contemporary reviews of the novel, Stevenson's essay "A Chapter on Dreams," and excerpts from the 1887 stage version of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Also included are historical documents on criminality and degeneracy, the "Jack the Ripper" murders, and London in the 1880s. New to this second edition are an updated critical introduction and, in the appendices, writings on Victorian psychology by Thomas Carlyle, Richard Krafft-Ebing, and Henry Maudsley, among others.

This Norton Critical Edition includes:The first British edition of the novel, published in 1886 by Longmans, Green, and Co., the only edition set directly from Stevenson's manuscript and for which he read and corrected proofs.Deborah Lutz's thorough introduction and detailed explanatory footnotes to the novel.Seven illustrations.A rich and relevant selection of background materials centered on the novel's composition, reception, and historical and cultural contexts, alongside seven of Stevenson's letters.Interpretative essays by Elaine Showalter, Jack Halberstam, Martin Danahay, and Stephen Arata.A chronology and a selected bibliography.About the Series Read by more than 12 million students over fifty-five years, Norton Critical Editions set the standard for apparatus that is right for undergraduate readers. The three-part format--annotated text, contexts, and criticism--helps students to better understand, analyze, and appreciate the literature, while opening a wide range of teaching possibilities for instructors. Whether in print or in digital format, Norton Critical Editions provide all the resources students need.

Dr Jekyll is a well-respected, curious scientist who tries to separate his good characteristics from his evil impulses. Dr Jekyll uses science to explore his alter ego Mr Hyde and attempts to control Mr Hyde's evil urges, even as they grow in intensity.

"Dr. Jekyll is a kind and respected man. His friends cannot understand his companionship with the wicked, mysterious Mr. Hyde, who seems to have come from nowhere and yet has a terrible hold on the doctor. Even as Hyde commits crimes that shock all of London, no one can guess how -- or why -- the two men are so close. Only at the very end of this gripping tale is the incredible truth revealed."--Book, p. [4] of cover.

Bold visionary, Henry Jekyll, believes he can use his scientific knowledge to divide a person into two beings--one of pure good and one of pure evil. Working tirelessly in his secret laboratory, concocting a potion that would tear at the core of what makes a man human, he eventually succeeds--but only halfway. Instead of separating the good and evil halves, Jekyll isolates only the latter. What seems at first a relief to the doctor becomes a nightmare as he loses control of the transformation. His friends feel Jekyll will waste away and fear the worst. Can Jekyll undo what he has done? Or will it change things forever?