Ragged London portrayed in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Through metaphorical imagery, the authors Sala and Booth portray a sinister version of London. Both show that hypocrisy and aristocracy leave the poor to fend for themselves while the rich steal from them. To show the situation in the back slums, Sala uses the metaphor of a maze to portray, while Booth uses the metaphor of Africa. With the help of these metaphors, both authors criticize the hierarchical order. 

Both Sala and Booth start with a contrast of London in order to criticize the aristocrats. Sala writes: “The trapezium of streets enclosed within it’s boundary are not, by any means of an aristocratic description” (Gaslight and Daylight with Some London Scenes they Shine Upon, pg 169). Thus through the diction such as ‘trapezium’ and ‘boundary, the author gives the reader the image of a ‘trap’ and ‘suffocating place’. The ‘trapezium of streets’ also shows the isolation of the space. Sala also in another sentence repeats the fact that ‘No lords or squires of high degree live in this political Alstia’(Gaslight and Daylight with Some London Scenes they Shine Upon, pg 169). The sarcastic tone of the repetition shows the annoyance of the author about the situation of the ‘back slums’. However, compared to Booth the description that Sala gives is comparatively less hyperbolic. Booth compares London to the ‘Darkest Africa’, which was described by Mr. Stanley, to be a place where ‘the rays of the sun never penetrate’ (The Darkest England and The Way Out, pg 174). Through a rhetorical question "the ivory raiders who brutally traffic in the unfortunate denizens of the forest glades, what are they but the publicans who flourish on the weakness of our poor?” (The Darkest England and The Way Out, pg 174) the comparison of ivory raiders and the publicans conveys the intensity of the situation for the author.  

The author shows people who have a very distorted way of living to portray the lifestyles of the inhabitants in those areas. Sala describes the lifestyle as a ‘a maze of sorry thoroughfares, a second-rate butcher’s meat and vegetable market, two model lodging houses, a dingy church, and some ‘brick barns’ of dissent are within the boundaries’(Gaslight and Daylight with Some London Scenes they Shine Upon, 169). The metaphor of ‘the maze’ connects with the trap of the trapezium. The ‘second- rate butcher’, the parenthesis, ‘two model dingy houses” illustrates the second-hand lifestyle that the people in the slums can afford. The diction tells the reader about the severity of the lifestyle in the slums. The metaphors show the intricacy of the lifestyle. In the end of the essay Sala also mentions ‘the grave dog… waiting for the door to be opened, as-in this region of perpetual beer-fetching”(Gaslight and Daylight with Some London Scenes they Shine Upon, 169). The authors show a very depressed scene in:  ‘The public-house doors are always on the swing; the baker’s shop (they mostly sell seconds) are always full so are the cook-shops, so are the coffee-shops: step into one, and you shall have a phase of Patmos before you incontinent’. The author here portrays a very gloomy scene where most people pour their sorrows into the alcohol they drink. Therefore the author depicts the trapped lifestyle of the middle class.(Gaslight and Daylight with Some London Scenes they Shine Upon, 169)

Through the diction and imagery he uses, Booth shows a greater severity. The author writes ‘As in Africa, it is all trees, trees, trees with no other world conceivable; so it is here-it is all vice and poverty and crime’(The Darkest England and The Way Out, pg 175), the trees here are compared to the vice, poverty and crime. By comparing the ‘trees’ are something that acts as a barrier for a man in the same way ‘poverty’ does the same. Therefore this shows the reader is the extremity of the ‘trap’ in the slums. The author compares the area to ‘the Workhouse as an intermediate purgatory before the grave’(The Darkest England and The Way Out, pg 175). Again the hyperbole of the lifestyle of the people in the slum amplifies the constant struggle of the workforce. Eventually the author compares the slums to ‘Dante’s hell’(The Darkest England and The Way Out, pg 176). The amplification again helps emphasize the severe conditions of the slums. ‘Often and often, when I have seen the morass, tramples underfoot by beasts of prey in human shape that haunt these regions, as if God were no longer in His world, but that in His stead reigned a fiend merciless as Hell ruthless as the grave’(The Darkest England and The Way Out, pg 176). By involving ‘God’ and his criticizing His ‘incompetence’ the author expresses the helplessness of the people that live in poverty. Thus Booth gives a harsher description than Sala does. However, both make the same point on the lifestyle of the people: that the second-hand, monotonous life of the people that are preyed on by the rich. Booth makes his point clearly when he mentions ‘tangled of monotonous undergrowth’. Sala makes his point by alcohol acting a trap and monotonous way of life in the slums.

These descriptions of the city give the reader the feel of the city. Both give vivid imagery to explain the lifestyle in the slums. They also play with the reader’s senses. Sala mentions ‘sallow, cabbage stalk and fried fish’(Gaslight and Daylight with Some London Scenes they Shine Upon, 170), which gives off a distinct stink in the area. On the other hand Booth describes the smell as ‘foul and fetid’(The Darkest England and The Way Out, pg 176). Most writers portray Victorian London as a depressed and very dark city where there is an obvious divide between the middle-class, the lower class and the rich people.



























Citations: 

1. Booth,William. "The Darkest England and The Way Out". In The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Toronto, Ontario: Broadview Press, 2005

2. Sala, George. "Gaslight and Daylight with Some London Scenes they Shine Upon".In The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Toronto, Ontario: Broadview Press, 2005

Victorian Psychology

In the Victorian ages, psychology and understanding human behavior became a new trend in itself. Thomas Carlyle, Henry Maudsley and James Sully through different views explain the dual personality of Jekyll and Hyde. Each explains a different part of the story and the author. The authors examine the fact that each person already has a dual personality however; most of them are subconscious while for some people that duality becomes reality. And each relate to the other to convey the idea behind dual personality.

Thomas Carlyle explained that the “Age of Romance never ceased” (The Age of Romance, pg 192). The romance here is a metaphor for passion and adventure. The author through this conveyed that the passion and adventure is a person never dies. “Why there are enough passions still great enough to replenish Bedlam” (The Age of Romance, pg 192), the author argues that there are many passion that are raving mad enough to fill an insane asylum. Through this statement the author portrays the intensity of the passions. The author then goes on to explain that “A passion that explosively shivers under the Life it took rise in ought to be regarded as considerable; more no passion, in the highest heyday of Romance yet did”, this personification of passion conveys that even the passion that a person wants to indulged in but cannot should also be considered and thus keeps the Romance alive. (The Age of Romance, pg 192).

The Double Brain by Henry Maudsley explains the way our brain functions and a theory as to why a person would have a dual personality. “To wit, how comes it to pass that the hemispheres of the brain, when dictating different movements, yet an understanding in common and work together to a common end. They are organs of one body- two like structures molded on one stem- in the organic life of which their basic unity lies” (The Double Brain, pg 194), he explains that the brain works as one unit even though it has two hemispheres. The functions of both the brains help the whole body to work. The metaphor of the stem is the spinal cord, which helps in connecting the nerve impulses of both the parts of the brain to connect with the body. Through this explanation of the working of the brain the Maudsley explains the phenomenon of dual personality through a metaphor to help the reader understand the repercussions.

The author believed that there are two main types of mental disorders “mania and melancholia” (The Double Brain, pg 194). He believed that mania is something wherein the former “there is a great exaltation of self with answering lively display thereof in thought, feeling and conduct- phenomena witnessing to a generally brisk and easy reflex action” (The Double Brain, pg 194). And said that ‘The maniac never feels the least doubt in himself’, and this is the description of Hyde. While the later type of mental disorder is described as “great depression of self with answering sluggish expression of thought, feeling and conduct- phenomena witnessing to dull, slow and inert reflex function” (The Double Brain, pg 195). And “The melancholic feels and laments that he is not himself, that he and things around him are changed and unreal, that he and things around him are changed and unreal, that he is another self or in subjection to another self, when his main affliction is a loss of faith in self… mental ability to realize self and its correlative loss of hold on the not-self, as being due to the failure of the organic driving force” (The Double Brain, pg 195), through these descriptions the author shows the paradox between Jekyll and Hyde. Furthermore, the descriptions of the mental disorders also are the base of the explanation that the author gives for dual personality: “Let the supposition be of such a convulsive action of the limbs of one side only; what would be the revelation then? Of a self- bound to another self, which was hindering and opposing it- of a self-divided against itself, a distracted or double self. Both in movements and in mental function is the unity of a double organization” (The Double Brain, pg 196), here the author explains the duality of the brain and that one side overpowers the other however, both the hemispheres still oppose each other leading to ‘disintegration of self’ (The Double Brain, pg 196). The author explains that due to such integration one of the hemispheres sees the real object and the other sees the unreal object, however both seem ‘vivid’ enough. And thus due to this “judgment and will necessarily be equally lamed and deranged” (The Double Brain, pg 197), and this is because both the hemispheres do not work as a whole. After reading both the passages the reader could connect the fact that Maudsley descriptively explains the passion that Carlyle explained.

James Sully gave another explanation of Dual personality. However, he did this through explaining the dual nature of a person’s conscious. He argued that a person always had dual personality due to the nature of a person’s subconscious. Through “The Dream as Revelation”, he explains that dreaming awakens that subconscious, which when awake the subconscious is suppressed. “It recognizes and seeks to account for the irrational side of dream-life. At the same time it regards this life as an extension of human experience as a revelation of what would otherwise never have been known”(The Dream as Revelation, pg 204), the author indicates that modern science theory wants to be able to explore the subconscious mind, as it is something that was discovered recently in that time period. “It strips the ego of its artificial wrappings and exposes it in its rude native nudity” (The Dream as Revelation, pg 205), through this personification the author conveyed that the part that mediates between the conscious and subconscious is removed and all is merged into one. ‘Rude native nudity’, parallels with the explanation of ‘reversion to a more primitive type of experience”. The ‘rude native nudity’, also means that the revelation that the subconscious mind is without any boundaries and goes into your darkest and deepest thoughts. Through this the author explains that this experience is due to the fact that “sleeps in one means of stupefying the supreme controlling organs. Hence in sleep we have a reversion to a more primitive type of experience”. (The Dream as Revelation, pg 205) Thus, the author explains that humans have a conscious and subconscious mind. And while sleeping we are exposed to our second side of our personality.

Furthermore, James Sully also looks at the possibility of hypnosis triggering a person’s dual personality. He explains, “In the hypnotic trance it is possible to blot out from the subject’s mind all that has occurred in his experience” (The Dream as Revelation, pg 206). Hence, the author expresses that “the proposition that the soundest men undergo changes of personality may well strike the reader as paradoxical; yet the paradox is only on the surface” (The Dream as Revelation, pg 206). Through the phrase “yet the paradox is only on the surface”, the author explains that every person has a conscious and a subconscious. And that subconscious can either be awakened through your dreams or through hypnosis. And humans go through “re-transformation” and thus the “pattern of our consciousness is ever being re-formed” (The Dream as Revelation, pg 206).

These different causes of “dual personality”, give the reader an insight on not only the character Mr. Jekyll but also the author itself. As the author himself confessed that the story came to him in a dream. These revelations give the reader a broader aspect on the subject of dual personality. And thus would feel more comfortable about their dual personalities instead of shunning them. In Conclusion, ever author All the three views give a interesting view of the book which, help the reader to connect to the character of Mr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Citations:

1. Carlyle, Thomas. "The Age of Romance". In The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Toronto, Ontario: Broadview Press, 2005

2. Maudsley, Henry. "The Double Brain". In The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Toronto, Ontario: Broadview Press, 2005

3. Sully, James. "The Dream as Revelation". In The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Toronto, Ontario: Broadview Press, 2005

Views on Degeneration

       Many scientists and researchers such as Lombroso and Charles Darwin have studied into the matter of degenerates. They have studied not only the physical factors but also the nurture factor of degeneration. Thus, because of different aspects of research each helps build a connection to understand degenerates. Thus Charles Darwin through his evolution theory talks about the physical aspects of degenerates while; Gina Lombroso continues Ceaser Lombroso’s work and studies the nurture aspects of degenerates. And both come to the conclusion that degenerates are due to primitive nature of humans. However, the difference is that Gina Lombroso classifies all “criminals” as degenerates while; Darwin examines the more obvious features of a degenerate criminal or not, and through that examines their behavior.

         Charles Darwin in “Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals”, chapter 10 “Anger”, writes about the physical features of degenerates and the causes behind them. Through them he explains the “anger” that is showcased in degenerates by comparing them to the behavior portrayed by animals. He starts with “The lips are sometimes protruded during rage in a manner, the meaning of which alike I do not understand, unless it depends on the descent from some ape-like animal”(Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, pg 157). And continues with “the lips, however, are much more commonly retracted, the grinning or clenched teeth being thus exposed”(Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, pg 157) . He believed that such expressions are due to the fact that some humans are evolving back into the primitive animal. He uses the simile of crocodiles to explain behavior in children: “Everyone who has had much to do with young children must have seen how naturally they take to biting, when in passion. It seems instinctive to them as in young crocodiles, who snap their little jaws as soon as they emerge from the egg” (Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, pg 158). Every action whether in children or adult is connected to an animal.

           

            Thus with the help of Dr. Maudsley, Darwin expresses his theory on the reason behind humans developing back into primitive animals. Darwin writes, “He adds, that as every human brain passes, in the course of development, through the same stage as those occurring in the lower vertebrae animals… it’s most primitive functions, and no higher functions’”(Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, pg 158). And continues that “the same view may be extended to the brain in its degenerated condition in some insane patients” (Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, pg 158). These functions include “snarls”, the “lip” and “obscene language”. Thus further Darwin asked the question “Why should a human being, deprived of his reason, ever become so brutal in character, as some do, unless he has the brute nature within him?” (Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, pg 158).  With the help of this question Darwin answers: “The difference consists solely in the upper lip being retracted in such a manner that the canine tooth on one side of the face alone… other signs of rage are not necessarily present” (Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, pg 158). Here Darwin expresses that due to the physical being of the degenerate a person would feel that the human is angry; however, not always is that true. He believed more than real show of anger it is an “expression” (Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, pg 158).. And the expression is more of a “playful sneer or ferocious snarl” (Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, pg 158). Further he explains that this expression “reveals his animal descent”. To emphasize his point Darwin gives the example of the “anthropomorphous ape”: “We are readily believe… great canine teeth”. Through the explanation of anger and the physical features Darwin expresses his view on the fact that humans are transforming back into primitive animals.

            Gina Lombroso with the example the brought-up of children, explained the reasons behind anger and criminality. Further, following Cesare Lombroso she believed criminals are degenerates. Gina Lombroso believed that “criminal is an atavistic being, of a relic of a vanished race”(Criminal Man According to the Classification of Cesare Lombroso, pg 162). She explained this reasoning through stating “the criminal instincts, common to savages would be found proportionally in nearly all children, if not influenced by moral training and example” (Criminal Man According to the Classification of Cesare Lombroso, pg 160). She continued “the child, like adults whose abnormality consist of lack of moral sense” (Criminal Man According to the Classification of Cesare Lombroso, pg 161). She believed that children already showed signs of "anger" since their birth and thus if the anger was not directed then children would grow up to be criminals.An example she gave to prove her point was experiences of other scientists such as Moreau. She explained that Moreau “cites numerous cases of children…who would give away to violent anger, snatching up the nearest weapon” (Criminal Man According to the Classification of Cesare Lombroso, pg 161). In addition, she like Darwin believed that the human race was evolving back into primitive animals if not given any direction. She wrote “the dog left to run wild in the forest will in a few generations revert to the type of his original wolf-like progenitor” (Criminal Man According to the Classification of Cesare Lombroso, pg 162). To this theory she gave different causes behind the criminal mind that ranged from “indirect heredity”, “race, “meteoric causes” to “education” (Criminal Man According to the Classification of Cesare Lombroso, pg 163). 

            In Conclusion, both authors even though looked at different aspects of degeneration noted that this was the cause of humans becoming alike to primitive animals. And that even if physically degenerate or “criminal” being degenerate both show signs of the human developing into an animal rather than developing intellectually. Thus, both would conclude that a part of the human race is developing into primitive animals due to their behavior or physical changes or both.

Citations: 

1. Darwin, Charles. "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. In The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Toronto, Ontario: Broadview Press, 2005

2 Ferreo Lombroso Gina. "Criminal Man According to the Classification of Cesare Lombroso". In The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Toronto, Ontario: Broadview Press, 2005

The Secret Agent : Chapters 11-12

Analysis

Joseph Conrad, in his book also addresses the issues of Feminism during the Victorian ages. Through Winnie and her devotion for Mr. Verloc Conrad portrayed “the perfect wife”. However, after Stevie is killed Conrad portrays a different Winnie.  Therefore, by portraying a Winnie that is confused due to her new found “freedom”, led to Mr. Verloc’s death. The author begins with “Mrs Verloc was a free woman”(The Secret Agent, pg 214), this affirmative statement conveys to the reader the “freedom” of Mrs. Verloc.  The author continues, “She had thrown open the window of the bedroom either with the intention of screaming Murder! Help! or throwing herself out.”(The Secret Agent, pg 214). In those times most women did not know what to do with their freedom. Furthermore, a woman was never exactly ‘free’ from society because, society would judge her from every move that she took. Thus this is confirmed “For she did not exactly know what use to make of her freedom”(The Secret Agent, pg 214). Because Winnie had always been caged throughout her life, she would not have known what a woman would have done when she was free. The repetition of the word “freedom” expresses the confusion and emphasizes on Winnie’s newfound “freedom”.

Further Conrad with the help of contradictory statements conveys the confusion created in Winnie’s head as to the steps she would take towards this “freedom”. The author describes her confusion, as “her personality seemed to have been torn into two pieces, whose mental operations, did not adjust themselves very well to each other” (The Secret Agent, pg 214). It always almost as if she had a personality disorder due to her being unaware of which actions she would and could take. One part of her wanted to flee, but another due to the devotion needed to stay, as her husband was still present. The use of two different options helps the reader to connect to the character, as the reader also goes through such a process everyday. Further, in this setting the streets (for the first time) was completely empty: “The street, silent and deserted from end to end, repelled her by taking sides with that man who was so certain of his impunity”(The Secret Agent, pg 214), the personification of the street also is a metaphor for the society. The society “deserted” her, as no one would have helped her because of the male-dominant society she was surrounded with. This view is confirmed in the next two lines: “She was afraid to shout let no one should come. Obviously no one would come” (The Secret Agent, pg 214), the situation was obvious because society had already “deserted” her. Her senses come back when “her instinct of self-preservation recoiled from the depth”(The Secret Agent, pg 214).  The use of personification portrays that due to the confusion Winnie almost forgot of the outside world and thus when she realizes that she will find no help, she her lost sense of control comes back to her. The hyperbole “recoiled from the depth” puts forward the lost sense of control that Winnie had and thus it went deep inside. And thus to free herself she “dressed herself to go out into the street another way” (The Secret Agent, pg 214) by dressing herself in complete black in order to make it obvious that she was mourning for her little brother. The repetition of “she was a free woman” was as if she was reassuring herself that was indeed “free”.

            Winnie eventually gained her consciousness, however because of the new found “freedom”, the thoughts she had were quite drastic, which led to Winnie murdering her husband. The author implies the sense of control that Winnie found in the line “She had commanded her wits now, her vocal organs; she felt herself to be in an almost preternaturally perfect control of every fibre of her body”(The Secret Agent, pg 219). The control of “every fibre” showed that slowly she gained a clearer idea of her intentions and actions. Furthermore, “preternaturally perfect” and the description of “every fibre” signifies the control she gained due to her freedom. A foreshadow of her actions is depicted in “She did not wish that man to change his position on the sofa which was very suitable to the circumstances.” (The Secret Agent, pg 219) Therefore “she started at once, as if she were still a loyal woman bound to that man by unbroken contract.” (The Secret Agent, pg 219) The “loyal woman” signifies a perfect wife and “unbroken contract” is the metaphor for marriage. However, this line underlines the irony in where Mr. Verloc broke the “contract”, but acts as if she isn’t supposed to break it as she controlled her actions. And because of this gathered up frustration, control and freedom Winnies murders Mr. Verloc.

            In conclusion, the author conveys the message of the treatment of women in the Victorian Age. Throughout the scene Mr. Verloc is allowed to be frustrated however, Winnie is not. Even if Mr. Verloc is wrong, he blames is on Winnie as she stitched the address on Stevie’s shirt. (The Secret Agent, pg 216) Because of the frustration Winnie gathered up the courage to murder Mr. Verloc because she had nothing to lose. Whatever she had was already taken away from her. Thus, Winnie felt as if she had no other choice but to seek justice from the person who took away her life.

Citation: 

1. Conrad, Joseph. The Secret Agent. Toronto, Ontario: Broadview Press, 2009