Book | Chapter
A juggernaut in the Streets of London
walking as destructive force in R. L. Stevenson's Strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde
pp. 187-196
Abstract
For most scholars, Edward Hyde is unquestionably atavistic, but Stevenson's portrayal of Hyde as a uniquely proficient walker complicates such a reading. In this chapter, I read Hyde through a Certeauian lens, and I contend that in his unusual ability to move with speed and direction through London's labyrinthine streets, Hyde prefigures Bill Brown's postmodern city-dweller. As such, Hyde possesses the ability to orient himself within an "unmappable" environment and becomes, in some respects, the most evolved character in the novella. However, as he performs a Certeauian subversion of the established order, he also wields the power of walking against other pedestrians, often preventing them from creating city-texts of their own. Thus, destructive walking holds threatening implications for De Certeau's diverse, street-level city.
Publication details
Published in:
Benesch Klaus, Specq François (2016) Walking and the aesthetics of modernity: pedestrian mobility in literature and the arts. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.
Pages: 187-196
DOI: 10.1057/978-1-137-60364-7_13
Full citation:
Welter Catherine M. (2016) „A juggernaut in the Streets of London: walking as destructive force in R. L. Stevenson's Strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde“, In: K. Benesch & F. Specq (eds.), Walking and the aesthetics of modernity, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 187–196.