One of the most interesting examples of symbolism to my
mind in this excellent short story is the way in which the physical description of Dr.
Jekyll's house and laboratory mirrors the internal division between himself and Mr. Hyde
and exemplifies the dual identity that he has. Note how the house of Dr. Jekyll is
described as being very elegant and comfortable. Note the description of the hall we are
given as Mr. Utterson is ushered into Dr. Jekyll's house for the first
time:
...a
large, low-roofed, comfortable hall, paved with flags, warmed (after the fashion of a
country house) by a bright, open fire, and furnished with costly cabinets of
oak.
Utterson himself regards
this room as the "pleasantest... in London." This of course is a symbol of the debonair
and socially respectable Dr. Jekyll. Yet the laboratory that lies at the rear of Dr.
Jekyll's abode is described in very different terms, as a "certain sinister block of
building." Its signs of decay and neglect clearly link to the character of Mr. Hyde and
his perversity and evil. Note, too, that both sections of the house overlook different
parts of London, so that you would never know that the two sections were actually linked
from outside, just as in the same way that you would never imagine that there could be a
relationship between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is you looked at
them.
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