Stevenson and Conrad The Duality of Human Nature - 778 Words

The Victorian Age marked a period of immense transition in many aspects of human life. In 1859 Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species, a work that opposed the traditional way of perceiving religion. Candyce Klin author of â€Å"Darwinism as A Cultural Issue†, states that The Origin of Species proposed the theory that all living creatures had to compete within their own preconditions in order to survive. This may be why the controversial issue of the duality of human nature has been found at the heart of many Victorian works. The theme of the duality of man can be found in the works of two famous English authors, Robert Louis Stevenson and Joseph Conrad. Stevenson and Conrad both incorporate the theme of the duality of human nature within their own novellas. Stevenson employs this theme throughout his novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and similarly Conrad employs this theme throughout his novella Heart of Darkness. In both novellas the theme is found i n the literary devices of symbolism and personification. Although both works embody the theme of the duality of human nature, each author takes their own individual approach in utilizing literary techniques to help preserve this crucial theme. Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh on November 13, 1850. From a young age Stevenson was fascinated with the darker side of human nature, reflecting his abiding interest in the concept of a double life (The Norton Anthology of English Literature 1643).Show MoreRelatedStevenson and Conrad: The Duality of Human Nature 949 Words   |  4 PagesConrad also employs the literary device of symbolism to further display the theme, the duality of human nature in his novella Heart of Darkness. Three major examples of symbolism are evident in this novella. These examples include, light and dark, the Congo River, and ivory. Similar to Stevenson, Conrad uses light and dark symbolism throughout his novella. Yet curiously in Heart of Darkness, light does not symbolize genuine goodness nor does dark symbolize pure calamity. Marlow proves this when heRead MoreStevenson and Conrad: The Duality of Human Nature 680 Words   |  3 Pagesis shown to further demonstrate the theme, the duality in human nature. Personification is defined as the ascription of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of a theoretical quality in human form. Stevenson uses personification to figuratively make London come alive. Mr. Utterson comments on the scenery by saying: â€Å"the fog still slept ... lamps glimmered like carbuncles† (Stevenson 1959). Stevenson further describes the city through the literaryRead More Stevenson and Conrad: The Duality of Human Nature 1793 Words   |  8 Pagesaspects of human life. In 1859 Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species, a work that opposed the traditional way of perceiving religion. Candyce Klin author of â€Å"Darwinism as A Cultural Issue†, states that The Origin of Species proposed the theory that all living creatures had to compete within their own preconditions in order to survive. This may be why the controversial issue of the duality of human nature has been found at the heart of many Victorian works. The theme of the duality of man canRead MoreVictorian Novel9605 Words   |  39 Pagesrevolutions and fighting across the Channel, in Britain was completely different. Here, the most vital issue for all citizens was stability and rising standards of living. Artists of ‘Pre- Raphaelite Brotherhood’ claimed to write only true about nature, concentrate only on the true ideas. These three years saw the rise of such works: of Bronte sisters’ Poems, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, William Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. The Following twenty years could be seen