Context should inform, but should never dominate, your reading of the test. Any comments on contextual factors must always be linked to the ideas in the novella. When exploring the context in which the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was written, you should consider:
- the contexts in which the text is set
- the contexts in which the text is received
- and its literary context (genre)
Exam Tip
Stevenson wrote the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in the 1880s. While the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde carries a mark of its time, you should try to consider what the text has to say about people, human nature, societal structures etc. and recognise these as universal themes, which are just as relevant today.
For example, if you were to write about science and religion and people’s attitudes towards these concepts, you may also wish to consider today’s society and consider how much has (or has not) changed.
Each of the below topics links directly to Stevenson’s ideas in the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: