The Victorian era marked a period of immense transition in many aspects of human life. In 1859, Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species, a work that opposed the traditional way of viewing religion. Candyce Klin, author of “Darwinism as A Cultural Issue,” states that The Origin of Species proposed the theory that all living creatures had to compete according to their own prerequisites to survive. This is perhaps why the controversial question of the duality of human nature is at the heart of many Victorian works. The theme of the duality of man is found in the works of two famous English authors, Robert Louis Stevenson and Joseph Conrad. Both Stevenson and Conrad incorporate the theme of the duality of human nature into their own novels. Stevenson uses this theme throughout his short story The Curious Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and similarly, Conrad uses this theme throughout his short story Heart of Darkness. In both novels, the theme is found in the literary devices of symbolism and personification. Although both works embody the theme of the duality of human nature, each author takes their own approach using literary techniques to help preserve this crucial theme. Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh on November 13, 1850. From an early age, Stevenson was fascinated by the darker side of human nature, reflecting his lifelong interest in the concept of double lives (The Norton Anthology of English Literature 1643 ). Stevenson composed The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1855 and published it the following year in 1856. After its publication, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde quickly became a bestseller in Great Britain. -Britain and America (The Norton Anthology of English...... middle of paper ......an example of symbolism is ivory. In Heart of Darkness, ivory symbolizes greed and the calamitous nature of man, or the evil side Throughout the novel, the agents and leaders of the Society are consumed by obtaining the ivory, so much so that they abandon all their principles. morals and instead apply any necessary method to acquire enormous quantities of ivory. Works Cited Conrad, Joseph "Heart of Darkness". , 2006. Print. Klin, Candyce “Darwinism as a Cultural Problem,” Cedar Crest College, April 2, 2014. Stevenson, Robert L. “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde L.” Norton Anthology of English Literature. By Stephen Greenblatt and MH Abrams. 8th ed. Flight. 2. New York: WW Norton, 2006. 1643-1685. Print.