Story of the Door

     Upon beginning The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, some ideals of the Victorian Era society were revealed and many emotional responses were provoked. From a new historicism prospective, the beginning chapter of the novel provides insights into the views of men vs. women, and child vs. adult. As Mr. Enfield and Mr. Utterson walk, Mr. Enfield shares a disturbing story regarding two strangers, one grown man and one girl between the ages of eight and ten, and their encounter in the city street. Mr. Enfield tells Mr. Utterson that, "the two ran into one another naturally enough at the corner; and then came the horrible part of things; for the man trampled calmly over the child's body and left her screaming on the ground" (Stevenson, pp. 3).  I believe that people in the Victorian Era lacked respect for their younger generations and didn't take their misfortunes as seriously as those of adults. Additionally, the person who tramped the young girl is described as, "some damned Juggernaut" (Stevenson, pp. 3). Historically speaking, the term Juggernaut refers to someone who is huge, powerful, and an immensely overwhelming force. Since the girl is under this "Juggernaut's" feet, this symbolizes how women were viewed below men in the social class of the time.

I connected the idea of man vs. woman to the Women's Rights Movement. Just as the girl had to fight to get back up after being knocked down, women have had to fight throughout history to achieve social status and work rights. Today, women are still not "equal" to men in the work place and frequently earn lower salaries for equivalent job positions. Personally, the "Story of The Door" triggered an emotional response. Upon reading of the poor trampled girl, I felt a sense of anger. I support Mr. Utterson's decisions to find Mr. Hyde, the man who stomped on top of her. I am eager to find out more about Mr. Hyde and discover more about the type of person he is.