Influences
A writer’s greatest motivation to begin a new novel or poem is a strong influence that offers a new insight on an unexplored experience. Whether it is in the form of a sudden epiphany, an encounter with a fascinating new stranger, or possibly a terrorizing nightmare, any uncommon experience can be the motivation; experienced first hand by Robert Louis Stevenson, Thomas Hardy and Oscar Wilde.
A year before the publication of his book, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson was awakened during his sleep by his frightened wife, Fanny. He had been experiencing a nightmare and was shouting and struggling in his sleep. Stevenson dreamed of “a man undergoing a weird transformation,” which deeply terrorized him (Barrell 1). Influenced by his vivid nightmare, Stevenson “was inspired to write one of the most unforgettable fantasy stories of all time”: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Barrell 1).
Although Stevenson was reputable for his overactive imagination, it was certainly not by coincidence that he dreamed of Henry Jekyll, the man who undergoes strange transformations in his book. Stevenson has often delved on the theory of duality of human nature, especially on the case of a Scots man from the eighteenth century named William Brodie (Barrell 1). Similar to Dr. Jekyll, Brodie was an eminent character, “matching Henry Jekyll's description of himself as 'inclined by nature to industry' and 'fond of the respect of the wise and good among my fellow-men.'” Also, Brodie's 5 ft. 4 in. stature and ominous dark eyes at the mention of evil resemble that of Hyde (Barrell 1). One last mutual feature: “when Jekyll makes the final transformation into his evil self, he wonders whether Hyde will 'die upon the scaffold' or have the courage to commit suicide.” Strikingly similar, Brodie commited suicide in 1788 (Barrell 1).
It has become a known fact that Stevenson was influenced by more than just a nightmare to write The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; however, when a New Zealand journalist asked him: “'had you heard of any actual case of double personality before you wrote your book?'” he replied, “'never... After the book was published I heard of the case of 'Louis V.,' the man in the hospital at Rochefort. Mr. [Frederic W. H.] Myers sent it to me.'” Stevenson obviously wanted his story to remain “enigmatic” to the general public because they more than likely had never heard of a case such as Dr. Jekyll's (Stiles 1).
As a keen observer, Thomas Hardy utilized his acute observation skills to give his writing a foundation of realism. From the time he was a child and into old age, he would walk or cycle the streets of London for hours a day “until he felt he knew the city and all that it had to offer 'like a born Londoner.'” He relied heavily on a mixture of memories of vivid experiences in combination with imaginative renditions to give his readers a poem or novel which they could enjoy and find common grounds with (Malcolmson 1).
At an early age, Thomas Hardy found that the most effective method of finding new, inspiring material for his writing was to visually experience it and commit it to memory. Although Hardy had an exceptional memory, he also relied on vividly detailed notes he kept on interesting buildings, settings, memorable encounters with people, and important events to fuel his imagination during his efforts to create new stories. He had described the topography of rural Dorset so thoroughly “that one can still follow the paths he wrote about” (Malcolmson 1).
With the accompaniment of his wife, Emma, Hardy would frequently travel in search of new inspiring scenes or people for his books and poetry. He coined their travels as “research trips to soak up local colour for his writing” (Malcolmson 1), so the two would walk the streets of cities and towns, while Hardy noted his observations. Hardy's extensive walks contributed greatly to the development of characters in his stories not only in the aspect of providing him with new ideas, but also in the sense that “many of his characters walk their way through their life stories and personal crises.” In his book, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Michael Henchard, a man who sold his wife and daughter walks into a new town and later becomes the mayor; “Gabriel Oak in Far From the Madding Crowd walks to seek work;... Tess walks from one set of troubles to another; most of the characters in The Woodlanders trudge many miles about their daily labour; and the newlywed lovers in Two on a Tower walk nine miles to a country railway station to avoid detection” (Malcolmson 1).
Several objects with enormous sentimental value to Hardy have influenced his writing; his childhood violin; his book illustrations; photos of family and other famous writers; an inkstand given to him by an ex-lover; a perpetual calendar set to the day he met his first wife; and many more. His early career as an architect also influenced his writing because he had a strong interest in building design, which is noted in his vivid building descriptions (Malcolmson 1). With all of these “memory aids” in his arsenal, Hardy replicated a fictional England that still intrigues readers today (Malcolmson 2).
Most notably known for his witty comedies and flamboyant personality, Oscar Wilde was a man with many influences. One influence being his mother, Jane Wilde, who was also a talented writer, translated Wilhelm Meinhold's Gothic horror novel Sidonia the Sorceress. She had a great influence on Wilde during his childhood; consequently, he read the translated version and derived it's “darker elements” for use in his own work; most notably in The Picture of Dorian Gray (“cmgww.com” 1). Being a comedian, it was strange that he would choose to write a Gothic horror novel.
Oscar Wilde's mother also influenced her son in a way that did not directly impact his writing; when he was a child, she used to dress him in girls' clothing because she desperately wanted to have a daughter. She would also invite her son to visit with her intellectual friends (“neuroticpoets.com” 1). These two factors may have contributed to his flamboyant personality and homosexual relations he developed later in his life. In 1858, Wilde's mother was finally blessed with a daughter, Isola, however she died from a fever (“cmgww.com” 1) eight years later, which devastated the family, especially the then twelve year old Oscar Wilde. The memory of his sister influenced him to write and dedicate the poem “Requiescat” to her later in his career. He also carried a lock of his sister's hair in an ornate envelope for the remainder of his life (“cmgww.com” 1).
Wilde was particularly inspired by aesthetics, as it is a prominent feature seen throughout his works. In 1881, he embarked on a lecture tour around the United States where he delivered over 140 lectures in just 260 days on the “Principles of Aestheticism,” sharing his passion for the topic (“cmgww.com” 1). While in America, Wilde met with other highly acclaimed writers Walt Whitman and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (“Neurotic” 1). In 1892, Wilde's first play, “Lady Windermere's Fan,” had it's opening in February and due to it's enormous success he was motivated to continue writing plays, producing more renowned works such as: “A Woman of No Importance,” “An Ideal Husband,” and “The Importance of Being Earnest” (“cmgww.com” 2).
Stevenson, Hardy, and Wilde were all certainly inspired and motivated in their practice. As a collective, they have created thousands of works comprised of pieces in poetry, ranging to novelty and essays. As it should be, a bulk of their works are still perused by readers today, prolonging their reputations for posterity.
A year before the publication of his book, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson was awakened during his sleep by his frightened wife, Fanny. He had been experiencing a nightmare and was shouting and struggling in his sleep. Stevenson dreamed of “a man undergoing a weird transformation,” which deeply terrorized him (Barrell 1). Influenced by his vivid nightmare, Stevenson “was inspired to write one of the most unforgettable fantasy stories of all time”: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Barrell 1).
Although Stevenson was reputable for his overactive imagination, it was certainly not by coincidence that he dreamed of Henry Jekyll, the man who undergoes strange transformations in his book. Stevenson has often delved on the theory of duality of human nature, especially on the case of a Scots man from the eighteenth century named William Brodie (Barrell 1). Similar to Dr. Jekyll, Brodie was an eminent character, “matching Henry Jekyll's description of himself as 'inclined by nature to industry' and 'fond of the respect of the wise and good among my fellow-men.'” Also, Brodie's 5 ft. 4 in. stature and ominous dark eyes at the mention of evil resemble that of Hyde (Barrell 1). One last mutual feature: “when Jekyll makes the final transformation into his evil self, he wonders whether Hyde will 'die upon the scaffold' or have the courage to commit suicide.” Strikingly similar, Brodie commited suicide in 1788 (Barrell 1).
It has become a known fact that Stevenson was influenced by more than just a nightmare to write The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; however, when a New Zealand journalist asked him: “'had you heard of any actual case of double personality before you wrote your book?'” he replied, “'never... After the book was published I heard of the case of 'Louis V.,' the man in the hospital at Rochefort. Mr. [Frederic W. H.] Myers sent it to me.'” Stevenson obviously wanted his story to remain “enigmatic” to the general public because they more than likely had never heard of a case such as Dr. Jekyll's (Stiles 1).
As a keen observer, Thomas Hardy utilized his acute observation skills to give his writing a foundation of realism. From the time he was a child and into old age, he would walk or cycle the streets of London for hours a day “until he felt he knew the city and all that it had to offer 'like a born Londoner.'” He relied heavily on a mixture of memories of vivid experiences in combination with imaginative renditions to give his readers a poem or novel which they could enjoy and find common grounds with (Malcolmson 1).
At an early age, Thomas Hardy found that the most effective method of finding new, inspiring material for his writing was to visually experience it and commit it to memory. Although Hardy had an exceptional memory, he also relied on vividly detailed notes he kept on interesting buildings, settings, memorable encounters with people, and important events to fuel his imagination during his efforts to create new stories. He had described the topography of rural Dorset so thoroughly “that one can still follow the paths he wrote about” (Malcolmson 1).
With the accompaniment of his wife, Emma, Hardy would frequently travel in search of new inspiring scenes or people for his books and poetry. He coined their travels as “research trips to soak up local colour for his writing” (Malcolmson 1), so the two would walk the streets of cities and towns, while Hardy noted his observations. Hardy's extensive walks contributed greatly to the development of characters in his stories not only in the aspect of providing him with new ideas, but also in the sense that “many of his characters walk their way through their life stories and personal crises.” In his book, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Michael Henchard, a man who sold his wife and daughter walks into a new town and later becomes the mayor; “Gabriel Oak in Far From the Madding Crowd walks to seek work;... Tess walks from one set of troubles to another; most of the characters in The Woodlanders trudge many miles about their daily labour; and the newlywed lovers in Two on a Tower walk nine miles to a country railway station to avoid detection” (Malcolmson 1).
Several objects with enormous sentimental value to Hardy have influenced his writing; his childhood violin; his book illustrations; photos of family and other famous writers; an inkstand given to him by an ex-lover; a perpetual calendar set to the day he met his first wife; and many more. His early career as an architect also influenced his writing because he had a strong interest in building design, which is noted in his vivid building descriptions (Malcolmson 1). With all of these “memory aids” in his arsenal, Hardy replicated a fictional England that still intrigues readers today (Malcolmson 2).
Most notably known for his witty comedies and flamboyant personality, Oscar Wilde was a man with many influences. One influence being his mother, Jane Wilde, who was also a talented writer, translated Wilhelm Meinhold's Gothic horror novel Sidonia the Sorceress. She had a great influence on Wilde during his childhood; consequently, he read the translated version and derived it's “darker elements” for use in his own work; most notably in The Picture of Dorian Gray (“cmgww.com” 1). Being a comedian, it was strange that he would choose to write a Gothic horror novel.
Oscar Wilde's mother also influenced her son in a way that did not directly impact his writing; when he was a child, she used to dress him in girls' clothing because she desperately wanted to have a daughter. She would also invite her son to visit with her intellectual friends (“neuroticpoets.com” 1). These two factors may have contributed to his flamboyant personality and homosexual relations he developed later in his life. In 1858, Wilde's mother was finally blessed with a daughter, Isola, however she died from a fever (“cmgww.com” 1) eight years later, which devastated the family, especially the then twelve year old Oscar Wilde. The memory of his sister influenced him to write and dedicate the poem “Requiescat” to her later in his career. He also carried a lock of his sister's hair in an ornate envelope for the remainder of his life (“cmgww.com” 1).
Wilde was particularly inspired by aesthetics, as it is a prominent feature seen throughout his works. In 1881, he embarked on a lecture tour around the United States where he delivered over 140 lectures in just 260 days on the “Principles of Aestheticism,” sharing his passion for the topic (“cmgww.com” 1). While in America, Wilde met with other highly acclaimed writers Walt Whitman and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (“Neurotic” 1). In 1892, Wilde's first play, “Lady Windermere's Fan,” had it's opening in February and due to it's enormous success he was motivated to continue writing plays, producing more renowned works such as: “A Woman of No Importance,” “An Ideal Husband,” and “The Importance of Being Earnest” (“cmgww.com” 2).
Stevenson, Hardy, and Wilde were all certainly inspired and motivated in their practice. As a collective, they have created thousands of works comprised of pieces in poetry, ranging to novelty and essays. As it should be, a bulk of their works are still perused by readers today, prolonging their reputations for posterity.
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