Robot Says…

Mise-en-scène, a term often associated with visual storytelling, can be applied metaphorically to the novel to explore the detailed “setting” of the narrative, which reflects the duality of human nature.
The setting of Victorian London plays a critical role in the novel’s mise-en-scène. The contrast between the respectable streets of Soho and the dark, fog-shrouded alleys mirrors the duality within Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Stevenson’s descriptions of the environments offer insight into the characters. For example, the door to Mr Hyde’s laboratory is described as “blistered and distained,” symbolising moral decay and secrecy.
Light and darkness are key motifs in the novel’s mise-en-scène. The “fog rolled over the city in the small hours,” creates an oppressive atmosphere that reflects the obscured morality and hidden sins of Dr Jekyll.
The physical appearance of Mr Hyde contributes to the mise-en-scène, with descriptions such as “something troglodytic” and a face that inspires “disgust, loathing, and fear.” These details create a visual representation of Jekyll’s darker impulses.
The mise-en-scène extends into the interiors: Dr Jekyll’s cabinet is described as “a large room, fitted round with glass presses, furnished, among other things, with a cheval-glass and a business table.” This juxtaposition of scientific precision with personal reflection (the mirror) symbolises the clash between his public and private selves.
Stevenson uses mise-en-scène symbolically to reflect the themes of duality and repression. The physical division between Jekyll’s home and Hyde’s laboratory underscores the separation between the civilised and the uncivilised aspects of his character.
The mise-en-scène also enhances the reader’s understanding of Victorian social hypocrisy. The respectable front of Dr Jekyll’s house, coupled with the hidden, sinister laboratory at the back, mirrors the facade of morality that conceals darker truths.
Direct quotations such as “a certain sinister block of building thrust forward its gable on the street” highlight how Stevenson uses physical spaces to evoke unease and foreshadow the unnatural nature of Hyde.
Overall, the novel’s mise-en-scène is not merely descriptive but serves as a visual and symbolic framework through which Stevenson critiques Victorian values and explores the duality of human nature. </aside>

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Relating to… Mise-en-scène

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