How does Robert Louis Stevenson Create Tension in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Essay

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a gothic horror story. Around the time the novella was written, people were very much into things that were old, dark and creepy, which is very typical of this type of story. They were also very interested in how the human mind works. This story has the aspect of the human mind in it, which shows that Robert Louis Stevenson was influenced by society in this matter. Throughout the story, Stevenson creates tension in a number of different ways e.g. the way the plot unfolds, the structure, characterisation, setting and by deliberately keeping the reader waiting. Stevenson shapes the plot so that we do not see the whole picture until the very end. Instead he reveals it to us slowly by giving us clues. These clues make the reader wonder, and start to ask questions. This is good because the reader will keep on reading to find out the answer to their questions. The incident where a small man (Mr. Hyde) tramples all over a little girl is one of those clues. First Stevenson tells you about Mr. Hyde trampling over the girl. After this, he tells you that Mr. Hyde goes through a sinister looking door and then produces a cheque signed by Dr. Jekyll. This raises suspicion because Dr. Jekyll was a very respectable kind of man. He was hardly the kind of person to cold-heartedly trample over little girls. Another clue he gives us is the will Dr. Jekyll made. It said that if anything should happen to him, all his possessions should be given to Mr. Hyde and Mr. Hyde alone. This is strange in itself as most people leave things to all their family and close friends. Even stranger is the fact that his will said that if Dr. Jekyll went missing for three months or more, Mr. Hyde should simply take over his life. This is very strange, its almost as if Dr. Jekyll knew that something would happen to him. The last clue that I am going to mention (although there were many more) is the murder of Sir Danvers Carew. This was a horrific murder. But the clue lies in the weapon used to kill him. It was a stick that Mr. Utterson had bought Dr. Jekyll as a present. This is another clue that gets you thinking. Did he steal the stick? Or is there some other explanation? This creates a lot of tension in the story, it also makes the reader want to read on until they find out the answer. The structure of this novella is something that also creates tension. It is set out so that the reader sees things from more than one point of view. First of all you get the story from Mr. Utterson’s point of view. Then you get Dr. Lanyon’s narrative, which explains the letter he received from Dr. Jekyll. After this you get the full statement from Dr. Jekyll himself, which is where you get the answer to all your questions. Because of this layout, the reader is kept waiting until the very end of the story before they can make sense of what has been happening. This is why the structure creates tension. The way Stevenson reveals Mr Hyde to us makes a lot of tension. He keeps on building up the character by revealing bits about him here and there throughout the story. This brings him across as a very strange and mysterious character. The setting also plays an important part in the build up of tension. The way Stevenson describes the door at the beginning of the novella creates a lot of tension. He describes it as â€Å"blistered and dismatches on the panels† he also says that â€Å"children played shop upon the steps†, â€Å"schoolboy had tried his knife on the mouldings† and â€Å"for close on a generation no one had appeared to drive away these random visitors or to repair their ravages†. This makes the door sound very neglected and not a very nice place at all. Also, he describes it as â€Å"sinister†. This makes it sound very evil. All of this builds up tension and makes the reader want to read on to find out what the door has to do with the story. Throughout the story Stevenson deliberately keeps the reader waiting. A classic example of this is in the chapter â€Å"The Last Night†. Stevenson gives us a lot more clues to the mystery, such as Poole visiting Mr. Utterson about Dr. Jekyll. After their conversation finishes and they go to find Dr. Jekyll, he makes us wait and wait. First, we have to wait while the door is broken down. Then they find Mr. Hyde’s body dead on the floor and we are then left with a question: Where is Dr. Jekyll? In conclusion, I think Stevenson was very successful in creating tension in the story. All the different clues and questions he gave us right the way through the story create loads of tension. This is because as the story progresses it gets more complicated, and harder to understand. Then finally he gives the reader all the answers to all of the questions swimming round in their heads. As I read the story, I was getting more and more confused. I was trying to figure out what was going on, but did not succeed. As I got further through the story I just wanted to keep on reading to get more clues so that I could try to figure it out. When I finally got to the end of the story, and the accounts from Dr. Lanyon and Dr. Jekyll, everything dropped into place. After you read it, you start to think about all the clues you have been given and how obvious it should have been. I think this is a book that people will still be reading for many years to come. It is very interesting to read and it’s very enjoyable. This is the type of book, that if you read it again you would look at it from a totally different perspective, which therefore makes it a lot more interesting.

Against Bullfighting

October 24, 2011 Jose Pliego San Martin In 2010 15,000 bulls were killed only in Spain, you know why? Because of bullfighting. Bullfighting is a so called â€Å"tradition† in Spain, Portugal and some Latin American countries like Mexico and Venezuela. Reality is bullfighting is only a constant torture to a poor bull unable to defend itself. So that you can understand me better I am going to tell you about the Spanish-style bullfighting: A man, dressed like a clown, tortures and torments a bull with a red cape. Then the picadors keep on abusing him, provoking painful wounds that cut into his neck muscles with a pica.After that the banderilleros, blood-thirsty, with an item called banderilla weaken the bull even more. Severely injured, the bull charges with rage against the steel that destroys his organs. The matador is supposed to break the artery next to the heart, but that never happens. Instead he drills his lungs and the bull often vomits blood. Agonizing in a blood bath, t he puntillero puts an end to his life. Even then, he is not allowed a little dignity to leave this world in peace, his ears and tail are cut off (often when he is fully conscious), and his broken, bleeding body is dragged around the ring by mules.Not content with his suffering, which must be too horrible to describe with words, the crowds boo and mock at him. They even throw empty beer cans to the arena. His body is then taken away to be skinned, and even then he may not be dead when this happens. That’s what the crowd watches in the ring, but what is also really concerning is the previous preparation they give the bull. The bull is not an aggressive animal, and the reason he is angry and attempts to charge at the matador whilst in the bullring is mainly because he has been horrendously abused for the previous two days. In fact, what spectators see is not a normal, healthy bull.The bull has wet newspapers stuffed into his ears; Vaseline is rubbed into his eyes to blur his vis ion; cotton is stuffed up his nostrils to cut off his respiration and a needle is stuck into his genitals. Also, a strong caustic solution is rubbed onto his legs, which throws him off balance. He is kept in a dark box for a couple of days before he faces the ring: the purpose of this is to confuse him. When he is let out of the box, he runs desperately towards the light at the end of the tunnel. He thinks that at last his suffering is over and he is being set free — instead, he runs into the bullring to face his killers and a booing crowd.And it happens to more than 20,000 bulls a year!!!!! Calling â€Å"culture† the organized sadism, violence, pain or death is an insult to one’s intelligence and to the development of our evolution. Your indifference makes them powerful! You MUST manifest your disgust against that criminal party! Don’t collaborate with that insane game! BULLFIGHTERS MUST BE SENT TO JAIL! In recent years, there has been a sustained press interest in the atrocities involved in bullfighting and fiestas involving animal abuse. This media focus has caused worldwide concern.This has deeply embarrassed the Spanish Government who is under extreme pressure to change their laws. Also, it has made people in general more aware of the cruelties involved in bullfighting and the fiestas, and therefore less likely to visit bullrings. On September the 25th the last corrida in the Spanish region of Catalonia took place. This because the parliament of Catalonia voted to ban bullfighting, making it the first region of mainland Spain to do so. The vote took place as the result of a petition brought to parliament, signed by 180,000 people who say the practice is barbaric and outdated.The ban takes effect in January 2012. It is only a matter of time before this abomination has ended, and bulls are allowed to live their lives in peace all around the world. We should all follow the example of the Catalonians and prohibit bullfighting. Now a days there are a lot of efforts to put it down. We only need to raise our voices and express our feelings against those assassins†¦ THINK: ARE YOU WITH IT OR ARE YOU AGAINST IT? It is cruelty, not culture. It is criminal, not fun. So†¦ VOTE AGAINST BULLFIGHTING!!

Does Meditation Affect General Happiness essays

Does Meditation Affect General Happiness essays The last decade has witnessed an enormous increase in research examining the effects of mindfulness meditation. One of the basic assumptions guiding this research is that meditation ultimately makes people happier (Choi, Karremans, Barendregt. 2012). According to Barongan, findings support that the brain changes through meditative practices. He states how there are changes in the brain that lead to greater self-acceptance, which creates a larger capacity of empathy for others (Barongan. 2007). Interventions that used meditation to reduce the psychiatric symptoms within patients have become more and more common (e.g., Diodonna 2009), and research has demonstrated the effectiveness of this treatment in a wide range of conditions (Hoffman et al. 2010). In Canada, Mood and anxiety disorders are the highest psychiatric disorders treated. Psychotherapies specific to anxiety and depressive disorders have made a positive change in the world we live in today. Unfortunately once patients have decreased their depressive and anxiety symptoms, they do not always feel an increase their general happiness. In 1998 there was a new branch of psychology that was introduced to the world by Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. This recent branch was introduced as Positive Psychology. This field was intended to complement, not to replace the traditional practices of psychology. Positive psychologists seek to make normal life more fulfilling. Positive Psychology focuses on the good in life, not the bad and does not just simply treat mental illnesses. The purpose of this study is to find out if meditation will increase individuals general happiness. This study looks at the effects of meditation and how meditation can contribute to positive psychology while increasing patients general happiness. Although most studies have looked solemnly at the reduction of depressive and anxiety symptoms in patients, this study is relevant to previ...

the hot zone essays

the hot zone essays "Lassa is a Level 4 virus from West Africa, and it was one of Peter Jahrling's favorite life forms-he thought it was fascinating and beautiful, in certain ways. He had held in his gloved hands virtually every hot agent known, except for Ebola and Marburg. When people asked him why he didn't work with them, he replied, "I don't particularly feel like dying." Richard Preston traces the known paths of Ebola and Marburg in The Hot Zone. He tells of their discovery, effects, and the outbreaks. Level 4 scientists for the Army, the CDC, and several civilian scientists track down the viruses in order to conduct tests and find the secret hiding place of the viruses. The height of the story occurs when Ebola Zaire is discovered in a monkey house near Washington, D.C. and the Army has to decontaminate the entire facility. Luckily, the airborne strain only affected monkeys and didn't infect humans. Preston concludes with his own trip to Africa to look at a possible reservoir of the viruses. Preston's style is sensational journalism. He uses graphic detail when describing the effects of the viruses to make it sensational. Doctors would be brief and scientific in their reports on the symptoms. Preston description's are not brief and are graphic. " His face lost all appearance of life and set itself into and expressionless make...the eyeballs themselves seemed almost frozen in their sockets, and they turned bright red. He began to look like a zombie...and then you see that his lips are smeared with something slippery and red, mixed with black specks, as if he has been chewing coffee grounds. .... He is going into shock. He leans over, head on his knees, and brings up an incredible quantity of blood from his stomach and spills it onto the floor with a gasping groan. The only sound is a choking in his throat as he continues to vomit while unconscious. Then comes a sound like a bedsheet being ...

Practical vs. Practicable

Practical vs. Practicable Practical vs. Practicable Practical vs. Practicable By Mark Nichol What’s the difference between practical and practicable? There’s a practical distinction, and I hope you will find my explanation practicable. The words both stem ultimately from the Greek term praktikos, meaning â€Å"practical.† However, while practical refers to something that is effective, useful, or easy to use, practicable means â€Å"something that is or could be done.† A practical idea is one that is sensible because it can be implemented, and a practical can opener, for example, is one designed to be easy to use. (The antonyms are impractical and impracticable.) The definition of practical is even more precise in the performing arts: A practical chair, for example, is one that is actually used in the course of the performance; a nonpractical chair is used as a set decoration but may not be functional. (For example, though it looks nice, it may be made of fragile materials and may not be strong enough for anyone to actually sit on.) Practical also shows up in the phrase â€Å"practical joke,† which derives from the rare sense of the verb practice that means â€Å"deceiving, or taking advantage of, someone.† Besides the verb form of practice, which means â€Å"rehearse or prepare, or to apply, or to habitually do something,† as well as â€Å"undertake professional work in† (as in the phrases â€Å"practice medicine† and â€Å"practice law†), and the noun equivalent, there are several other words stemming from the same Greek term. Practic, for example, is a rare adjectival and noun form meaning, respectively, â€Å"practical† and â€Å"practice,† and praxis refers to engaging in an art, science, or skill or to customary conduct, or to practical application of a theory. A practicum is a course of study in which clinicians or educators are supervised in practicing what they have already learned in theory. The adjective practiced means â€Å"expert,† and the adjective practicing has ordinary connotations related to the definitions of practice above but also applies to adhering to the customs of a religion. Malpractice, meanwhile, in medicine refers to improper care and in law applies to abusing a position of trust. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:35 Synonyms for â€Å"Look†How to Punctuate with â€Å"However†Proverb vs. Adage

Case study Canadian Food Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Canadian Food - Case Study Example Due to its expansion, CFHI has observed an increase in its operational needs and tasks which are similar to those faced by expanding for-profit organizations. For the expansion to be successful CFHI would have to reach as many donors as possible and this would be made possible due to speedy and efficient website techniques. Another need of CFHI is the limited efficiency of it`s IT department which hinders the growth of the organization as a whole. These limitations are often faced by for-profit organizations due to their expansion plans and strategies. Another need of CFHI is to improve its communication process with its customers, the donors, which can be done through immediate update of its website as soon as any disaster happens. These needs of CFHI are quite similar to those faced by for-profit organizations. 2. Compare donor loyalty to customer loyalty. The customers of CFHI are its donors who contribute funds which are further processed by the organization for relief works. The refore, it is essential for CFHI to maintain good relationships with its customers who are the donors. Just like for-profit organizations, it is really important for non-profit organizations to keep a strong clientele and maintain good relations so that the customers are loyal with the organization. CFHI should also keep the donors satisfied because without their donations the organization would not be able to carry out its operations and thus, achieve its objective (NON-PROFIT: Donation loyalty, 2013). In order to keep the donor satisfied and hence, loyal with the business, the organization needs to maintain strong relationships with them and provide more opportunities to them (Building donor loyalty, 2013). The organization can do this by keep itself updated with the level of technology in the market. Customer loyalty is when the customers keep buying the products from one supplier instead of buying it from different suppliers. The purpose or the main motive of customers is to get the maximum benefit from their purchasing power (Customer loyalty and retention, 2013). However, the main motive of donors is to contribute their funds for the betterment and benefit of not themselves, but for the people living in disaster affected areas. Therefore, the major factors affecting donor loyalty include how well the organization makes use of the funds and their experience in providing relief work. The organizations need to make as much information available for the donors as possible so that donors can make proper and well-thought decisions about their donations. 3. Why does real-time data matter to donors? The customers of CFHI are its donors and without the support of its donors, the organization would not be able to achieve its mission and objectives. It is extremely important to keep the donors satisfied by regularly updating the website and providing real time information for the donors (Alan Cole, 2012). This is because donors would only help by contributing money if these donors trust the organization and believe that the organization would use the funds for the maximum benefit of the people residing in disaster struck regions. The donors need to know the current statistics as to how the organization used its past funds and donations. The donors need to know the current funds required by the organization and the ways through which the donors can help depending on the disaster involved. Without real time informa

Computer crime Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Computer crime - Research Paper Example These criminals are traced through the computer system, and they are got through computer IP addresses and Mac addresses which are unique with the log files they generate. These are among the various and popular problems of lack of confidentiality and privacy in the computer users. Below is a discussion of various examples of computer crimes. Some of the contents circulated in computers in various non-specific ways. These may include obscenities, inflammatory and derogatory contents of speech form people focusing on a specific target group in the society e.g. gander, race or religion among other social groups. This can also be used to propel hate speech in political volatile regions and political arrest situation where ethnicity prevails among the leaders. Fraud is a criminal act that involves false acquisition of money through the use of computer and network system. This includes hacking of bank accounts, vandalism of ATM and the use of fishers to hack password for false transfer of online money. This is an illegal practice and harms the unsuspecting victims. It is evident that information and technology and government officials have well documented numerous incidents on the breakdown of servers and network infrastructures due to sabotage (Parker, 1983). These criminals pulls down the servers, and stop the normal operation causing loss of data, and siphoning information from the servers and hence causing many institution suffer from computer terrorism