The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Introduction
This unit is designed to acquaint with some background material and historical information
surrounding the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis
Stevenson. Mr. Stevenson published his novella in 1886 during a time when Great Britain was
undergoing a great many societal and technological changes. Your assignment is as follows:
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Research library print and online resources on your assigned question.
Cite at least two print sources and two Internet sources.
Use Noodletools.com to produce notecards and a bibliography.
Complete an outline of the paper and hand it in with your completed paper.
Write an expository paper of about three pages that includes all of the information
requested.
Research Procedures
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Determine what the topic asks you to research by highlighting or underlining the key words
in your topic.
Use the list of search terms to books and websites that will give you an overview of your
topic. (An overview is an approximate 2 page summary that answers the who?, what?,
where?, why?, and how? about your topic.)
Refine your topic based on what you find in the overview.
Prepare a working bibliography of sources that you use. Remember, you may read a
Wikipedia article, but it cannot count as one of your sources and you may not refer to it in
your paper.
Prepare a preliminary outline of your topic. Refer to the “Sample Outline” instructions.
Read pages from the various sources that you have found and take notes using NoodleTools.
Assemble your notes and organize a final outline. Check the outline to make certain that
each subtopic relates to the main topic and is in logical order.
Write a first draft of the paper and read it aloud.
Write a revised draft with footnotes and a bibliography.
Hand in the following: 1. Outline 2. Paper. 3. notecards. 4. Bibliography.
If you have a question concerning a specific individual, use Wilson Biographies and
Twayne Authors databases.
Type in the word <hyde> in Eagle Eyes to retrieve appropriate Internet sites.
Log in to Noodletools.com and select MLA Starter.
2014 Timeline for Research Project
Reminder :
Due Monday, March 17 – Your final Animal Farm essay.
*Over the weekend of March 1 – Develop an overview of your topic by checking online sources, such as Wikipedia and encyclopedias. Begin to look at formal on-line
sources that you will be able to use in your paper and cite in your bibliography. Look for
major subject areas within your topic that you can develop through further research.
*Monday, March 3 – Introduction to the unit in class.
In class: Develop an overview of your topic by checking on-line sources, such as
Wikipedia and encyclopedias. Begin to look at books sources that you will be able to
use in your paper and cite in your bibliography. Look for major subject areas within
your topic that you can develop through further research. Begin to take notes. Look for
major subject areas within your topic that you will develop though further research.
Tip: Try to avoid taking notes that quote your sources directly. If you take notes in your
own words, you will be less likely to plagiarize from your sources.
For homework: Continue to research your project via on-line sources.
*Tuesday, March 4 –
In class: Continue research and note-taking in the library. Have individual
progress check with Mrs. Simchak.
For homework: Continue to research your project via on-line sources. Be ready
to show Mrs. Simchak the authors and titles of two books and two on-line sources that
you intend to use to complete your written assignment.
*Wednesday, March 5 -In class: Continue research in library. Begin to outline your essay, using the form
suggested in the project’s introductory materials. Determine if you need to do any further
research.
Tip: Remember that your opening paragraph will create a context (background) for your
discussion and should introduce all the main points you plan to develop in the body of
your essay. .
For homework: Work on the outline of your essay. Hand it in on Friday.
*Thursday, March 6 –
In class: Continue to research and outline. Hand in an outline, if you are ready.
For homework: Continue research at home. Begin writing your essay, if you are
ready.
*Friday, March 7 – Submit an outline of your essay for review. This outline is
required work. It will be handed back on Monday so that you can begin writing your
essay.
*Friday, March 14 – Essay is due in final form. Remember to adhere to the standards
of proper essay form. Your outline, with my comments on it, research notes, and a
formal bibliography must also be submitted with your essay. You may also hand in
a revised outline.
Prepared by K. Craver and L. Lennon 10/2010
1. In London during the 1800s, the life of a thirteen- year-old chimney sweep was grueling
because of the nature of the job. Describe the details of the job of chimney sweep, and in
your explanation be sure to include the following:
a. Who would be the most likely candidate for the job of chimney sweep? Why?
What was the approximate age when a child would begin sweeping chimneys?
b. How was a child trained to sweep chimneys? What were often his initial
reactions to climbing a chimney?
c. What were a sweep’s working and living conditions?
d. What were his salary and advancement opportunities?
e. What were his occupational diseases and other health issues?
Sources: Mayhew, Henry. London Labour and the London Poor Vol.II pp. 338-464;
Gibben, James. The Chimney Sweep Yesterday and Today and Hibbert, Christopher.
Daily Life in Victorian England pp. 67+ Worker chapter on general conditions; Life in
Victorian England pp. 22-23; Thomson, John. Victorian London Street Life in Historic
Photographs pp. 43-46.
2. Crime and poverty flourished during Stevenson’s lifetime. Thousands of people lived on
the proceeds from crimes, such as pick pocketing, shoplifting, prostitution and burglary.
Discuss why many people were forced to turn to a life of crime during the Victorian
period. Then focus on one type of criminal: the pickpocket. Describe the various types of
pickpockets and their methods. Also describe what it was like to live the life of a
pickpocket. Include a description of what would happen to them if they were caught at
their work.
Sources: Mayhew, Henry. London Labour and the London Poor Vol. IV pp. 303+;
Hibbert; Christopher. Daily Life in Victorian England. pp. 103-111; The Victorian
Underworld p. 63-70 and 260-275.
3. After his transformation into Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll would disappear into the slums of
London. Here life was dirty, crowded, and noisy, but exciting, for the slums were free
from the social strictures that controlled his behavior as the prominent Dr. Jekyll.
Describe life in the Victorian slums of London. Why did the slums exist? What sorts of
people lived there and why? What were their living conditions? How did they support
themselves? What were their activities and amusements? Why would Mr. Hyde have
enjoyed his forays into the slums of London?
Sources: Mayhew, Henry. London Labour and the London Poor Vol. IV; Hibbert,
Christopher. Daily Life in Victorian England.; The Victorian Underworld. Hibbert,
Christopher. London the Biography of a City, pp. 201-229; Porter, Roy. London: A Social
History, pp. 239-325 Girouard, Mark. Cities and People pp. 271-284; Hayes, John.
London from the Earliest Times to the Present Day.
4. During the Victorian period, a broad middle class developed. Why was this social change
possible? Discuss the Victorian middle class in towns and cities by describing the life of
a typical middle class woman. What was the primary occupation for a middle class
woman? What were the daily routines and responsibilities of the women of this class?
What were their pastimes and amusements? Describe any other aspects of their lives that
you find interesting, such as their homes, their food, and their clothing.
Sources: Hibbert, Christopher. Daily Life in Victorian England. Chapter 1, 2, 3, and 5.
History of Private Life Vol. 4 pp.47 +, p. 193 +; Harrison, J.F.C. The Early Victorians,
1832-51. Chapter 2, pp. 42-79, Chapter 4, pp. 113-149; Houghton, Walter E. The
Victorian Frame of Mind, 1830-1870. pp. 183-217. Thompson, F.M.L, The Rise of
Respectable Society.
5. During the Victorian period, a broad middle class developed. Why was this social change
possible? Discuss the Victorian middle class in towns and cities by describing the life of
middle class boys and girls. What was the Victorian attitude towards children? Did the
lives of boys and girls differ in daily routines and responsibilities? How were they
educated? What were their pastimes and amusements? Describe any other aspects of their
lives that you find interesting, such as their homes, their food, their clothing.
Sources: Hibbert, Christopher. Daily Life in Victorian England. Chapter 1, 2, 3, and 5.
History of Private Life Vol. 4 pp.47 +, p. 193 +; Harrison, J.F.C. The Early Victorians,
1832-51. Chapter 2, pp. 42-79, Chapter 4, pp. 113-149; Houghton, Walter E. The
Victorian Frame of Mind, 1830-1870. pp. 183-217; Thompson, F.M.L, The Rise of
Respectable Society.
6. Stevenson wrote his novella in 1886 during the Victorian period, a time when Britain was
experiencing a period of intense social and economic change. Discuss one of the major
reasons for this change: the Industrial Revolution. Include in your discussion the reasons
behind the Industrial Revolution. Describe the kinds of industries that were developed
and why they were successful. Also discuss the impact – both positive and negative -- of
the Industrial Revolution on the lives of many people in Britain. Describe, for example,
how it created great differences in the way that factory owners and their workers lived.
Sources: Crittenden, Aidan. Backgrounds to English Literature: The Victorians, pp. 1417; Engels, Friedrich, The Condition of the Working Class in England. Thompson,
F.M.L, The Rise of Respectable Society. pp. 343-346.
7. During Stevenson’s time, the working classes were beginning to flex their political
muscles. Many were influenced by the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. How
did Marx and Engels’ backgrounds influence the development of their communist
philosophy? Explain the system of government they supported. Describe why their
beliefs would have appealed to working class people in England. Consider, for example,
the way workers were treated. What were their working conditions in factories and
mines? What political rights did they have?
Sources: Barzun, Jacques. Darwin, Marx, Wagner, pp. 129-132, 156-159, p. 169 (quote
in beginning)-171; McLellan, David. Karl Marx, biographical note, pp. xii-xiv. Meyer,
Alfred. Marxism Since the Communist Manifesto; Berlin, Isaiah. Karl Marx: His Life and
Environment. Engels, Friedrich, The Condition of the Working Class in England, pp. 912. Manuel, Frank E., A Requiem for Karl Marx, pp. 57-65; Hunt, R. N. Carew. The
Theory and Practice of Communism, pp. 9-13; Lenin, V. I. Marx-Engels-Marxism, pp.
15-20, 56-66.
8. Many readers of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde saw echoes of Charles
Darwin’s theories of evolution in the text. They considered the character of Mr. Hyde,
who is described as “apelike” and “moving like a monkey,” to suggest that Darwin’s
theories may be right: that all living things have their origins in earlier forms of the
species. Explain Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, particularly his “survival of the fittest”
concept, where his theories originated, and how he developed them as the result of his
personal experiences as a scientist.
Sources: Moorehead, Allen. Darwin and the Beagle, pp. 19-35 and 247-270; Irvine,
William. Apes, Angels, & Victorians, pp. 83 and others (look in index); Barzun, Jacques.
Darwin, Marx, Wagner, pp. 27-28; Helligman, Deborah. Charles and Emma. Bradford,
Gamalieil. Darwin, pp. 44-55.
9. Literary critics also found The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to be a reflection
of new ideas about the workings of the human mind. Mr. Hyde, for example, may have
represented Dr. Jekyll’s subconscious desire to be free from the societal restrictions. Mr.
Hyde was also suffering from a form of mental illness. During that time, Sigmund
Freud’s studies changed the way people viewed these illnesses, and he is now known as
“the Father of Psychoanalysis.” Explain and describe his method of analyzing
psychological problems and treating emotional disorders. Be sure to include information
regarding his identification of the id, ego, and superego and how they interact in the
human psyche.
Sources: Paley, Alan L. Sigmund Freud Father of Psychoanalysis pp. 8-20; Freud,
Sigmund. An Outline of Psychoanalysis. pp. 9-21. What Freud Really Said, pp. 141-167.
10. One of the reasons that The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was so popular may
have been that its publication coincided with a series of actual murders by a serial killer
called “Jack the Ripper.” Describe the mystery surrounding “Jack the Ripper” without
going into the gory details. Be sure to include: 1. the basic facts of the case; 2. any
evidence against him; 3. the nature of the investigation and 4. its journalistic legacy.
Sources: Thomas, Donald. The Victorian Underworld, pp. 8,108, 113; Evans, Stewart P.
& Keith Skinner, The Ultimate Jack The Ripper Companion; Roland, Paul. The Crimes of
Jack The Ripper.
11. Drug use and abuse was increasing during the 1880s. Medicines containing opium, for
example, was frequently prescribed even to children, to help them sleep. Stevenson’s
character develops an addiction to the potion he has created. Explain what addictive
drugs were available during Stevenson’s lifetime and describe why and how they were
used and abused. Be sure to include information regarding laudanum and opium.
Sources: DeQuincey, Thomas. Confessions of an English Opium Eater, pp. 2, 155, 157161, 190, 208-211; Hodgson, Barbara. In the Arms of Morpheus… ; Courtwright, David
T. Forces of Habit Drugs and the Making of the Modern World. pp. 33-34, 35-39, 93-94.
12. When Dr. Jekyll strode about London everyone automatically took him for a gentleman –
a man of education, refined tastes, and civil behavior. Although the concept of “a
gentleman” included a man’s moral attributes, it involved the role of education –
academic, social and religious -- in molding a boy into a proper gentleman. Describe an
ideal English gentleman, including…
a. a gentleman’s upbringing and education, including “the grand tour” to Europe
b. acceptable professions for a gentleman and the training for them,
c. the social customs, the behavior expected of a gentleman
d. moral values expected in a gentleman.
Sources: Clark, G. Kitson. The Making of Victorian England. pp. 254 +; Houghton,
Walter E. The Victorian Frame of Mind. Pp. 119+, 267+ and Hibbert, Christopher. Daily
Life in Victorian England, pp. 46-52. Mason, Philip. The English Gentleman, pp. 12-13,
162, 173, 200-203. Thompson, F.M.L. Rise of Respectable Society, pp. 259-267.