Robot Says…

Deacon William Brodie was a well-known figure in Edinburgh during the late 18th century, living a double life as a respected cabinet-maker and councillor by day, and a thief and gambler by night. This duality mirrors the central theme of duality in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Brodie’s story provides historical and cultural context for Robert Louis Stevenson’s exploration of the duality of human nature. Edinburgh, with its stark contrast between the affluent New Town and the seedy Old Town, embodies the same duality expressed in the novel.
Dr Jekyll’s transformation into Mr Hyde can be seen as a fictional exaggeration of Brodie’s double life. The novel explicitly explores the idea of “man is not truly one, but truly two,” which is deeply aligned with Brodie’s concealed dual existence.
The character of Mr Hyde represents the darker, hidden self that Dr Jekyll seeks to suppress but ultimately cannot control. This corresponds to Brodie’s inability to reconcile his respectable public persona with his secret criminal activities.
The Victorian fascination with morality and respectability, as seen in Jekyll’s desire to maintain his reputation while secretly indulging in his darker impulses, is reflected in Brodie’s attempts to appear upright while committing crimes. This underlines the hypocrisy and repression prominent in Victorian society.
Stevenson uses imagery and language to emphasise the physical and psychological division between Jekyll and Hyde, such as the description: “the man seems hardly human! Something troglodytic.” This resonates with the idea of Brodie’s dual life, where his criminal actions would have rendered him almost unrecognisable to his peers.
The novel’s setting in London, though fictionalised, draws on Stevenson’s experiences in Edinburgh and its connection to figures like Brodie. The labyrinthine streets and hidden alleys of the city reflect the secrecy and duplicity of both Brodie’s and Jekyll’s lives.
The moral message of the novel – that attempts to separate or deny parts of one’s nature can lead to destruction – is exemplified by both Brodie’s downfall and Jekyll’s tragic fate. As Jekyll laments: “All human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil.”
By understanding Brodie’s story, readers gain insight into Stevenson’s inspiration and the cultural anxieties of the time, particularly the fear of hidden immorality beneath a veneer of respectability. This enhances the appreciation of the novel’s themes and its critique of Victorian society. </aside>

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