Dorian Gray and Dr. Jekyll
During the second half of the 19th century a new sub-genre of gothic fiction emerged, the urban gothic. This sub-genre focus around the life in a industrial or post-industrial society. In classic gothic stories from both the Romantic era as well as the Victorian era the plot was often set in the contemporary countryside, much unlike the urban gothic. As the name clearly suggests, these works of literature takes place in the city, often inspired by real occurrences and ideas. For instance Jack the Ripper's rampage through Whitechapel or Charles Darwin theory of evolution and natural selection. Two famous works of literature from this sub-genre is Robert Luis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from 1886 and Oscar Wilde's The picture of Dorian Gray from 1890. In both works the concept of a double life is put in the limelight, a theme which was quite often used in gothic literature.
The main character in the The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the highly esteemed Dr. Jekyll and Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray have despite many differences, both in appearance and personality, one thing in common; the desire to veil their bad side from the rest of the world. Dr. Jekyll, who is in the book described as a man who wouldn't hurt a fly, begins to feel trapped in his own glorified personality, and to be able to live out his other side, his darker side, he decides to create an alter ego. With the help of a serum he has developed, he manage to separate his good side from his evil side, thus he is transformed into a new version of himself. Based on the evil part of Dr. Jekyll's personality, the alter ego takes the form of the cruel and greedy Mr. Hyde, a short, ugly man who cares for nothing but himself. In the beginning Dr. Jekyll can go on living his normal life during the day and the life of Mr. Hyde during the night, but it doesn't take long however until Mr. Hyde corrupts Dr. Jekyll and forces him into an addiction of the serum leaving Mr. Hyde with the power. Just like Dr. Jekyll's bad conscience, Mr. Hyde ugliness grows for every bad deed and crime he commits leaving Mr. Hyde looking more and more like a demon, making it harder to maintain the secret hidden. Finally, caused by the escalated havoc, Dr. Jekyll's conscience becomes to heavy for him to bear and he finds no other resort than his own death.
In Dorian Gray's case it is not an alter ego who has to take the blame for his darker side, but a portrait of him made by his so devoted friend Basil Hallward. Just like Mr. Hyde, the once so beautiful and sincere portrait becomes more spoiled for every cruelty Dorian commits. At the chance of avoiding the ugliness his sins causes him, the young and pure Dorian Gray becomes with a little help from a certain Lord just as corrupted as Dr. Jekyll.
The main character in the The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the highly esteemed Dr. Jekyll and Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray have despite many differences, both in appearance and personality, one thing in common; the desire to veil their bad side from the rest of the world. Dr. Jekyll, who is in the book described as a man who wouldn't hurt a fly, begins to feel trapped in his own glorified personality, and to be able to live out his other side, his darker side, he decides to create an alter ego. With the help of a serum he has developed, he manage to separate his good side from his evil side, thus he is transformed into a new version of himself. Based on the evil part of Dr. Jekyll's personality, the alter ego takes the form of the cruel and greedy Mr. Hyde, a short, ugly man who cares for nothing but himself. In the beginning Dr. Jekyll can go on living his normal life during the day and the life of Mr. Hyde during the night, but it doesn't take long however until Mr. Hyde corrupts Dr. Jekyll and forces him into an addiction of the serum leaving Mr. Hyde with the power. Just like Dr. Jekyll's bad conscience, Mr. Hyde ugliness grows for every bad deed and crime he commits leaving Mr. Hyde looking more and more like a demon, making it harder to maintain the secret hidden. Finally, caused by the escalated havoc, Dr. Jekyll's conscience becomes to heavy for him to bear and he finds no other resort than his own death.
In Dorian Gray's case it is not an alter ego who has to take the blame for his darker side, but a portrait of him made by his so devoted friend Basil Hallward. Just like Mr. Hyde, the once so beautiful and sincere portrait becomes more spoiled for every cruelty Dorian commits. At the chance of avoiding the ugliness his sins causes him, the young and pure Dorian Gray becomes with a little help from a certain Lord just as corrupted as Dr. Jekyll.