Phenomenon of Metamorphosis in Victorian Fiction

Abstract

The central theme discussed in this work is the phenomenon of literary metamorphosis occurring in two works of Victorian fiction, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson and The Island of Dr Moreau (1896) by Herbert George Wells. In the introductory chapter a definition together with the origins of 'literary metamorphosis' is provided. Since both works were produced during the Victorian Era, commonly referred to as the Age of Transition, the theoretical part focuses on the major social changes taking place during the reign of Queen Victoria. The main part of the work analyses the motif of metamorphosis occurring in the selected novels and explores its relation to the changes occurring in Victorian society.