In Stevenson’s book, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Doctor Jekyll, a well loved scientist and a fairly classy man, finds interest in the studies of multiple personalities. He is a man with many friends and a good life, living in the better area of London. As he starts to delve into the idea of splitting a person’s personality and putting the two into separate beings, Dr. Jekyll becomes almost obsessed with finding a chemical solution that would do the job. This idea of being able to act out his more violent and dark side without feeling remorse excites him and encourages him in his investigative process and ultimately leads him to the solution he desperately searched for. After using the potion to turn into his other form, Mr. Hyde, Henry’s mental state starts to deteriorate. Not only does he actually feel remorse for his actions after transforming, but he is actually transforming without trying. Slowly he starts to become withdrawn from his social life and he becomes very unhappy, even after finishing what he spent so much time researching. Ultimately, Stevenson’s story ends with the death of Jekyll and with him, Hyde, destroying the once well respected and happy man. …show more content…
Frankenstein, the story’s main protagonist, begins to gather large limbs and various parts from old, deceased bodies. Excited by the idea of forming a living being by attaching these parts and shocking the form to life, Frankenstein gets his wish, creating a giant, man-like monster. Realizing what he has created terrifies him, Frankenstein flees to his bed-chamber, hiding from the monster. He realizes how badly his experiment has gone wrong and is tormented throughout the whole night by the mere thought of the creature. What had once excited the scientist now horrified him and pushed him to regret messing with such
Utterson, Lanyon, Enfield, Jekyll... one of these does not belong. Clearly, within the context of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Henry Jekyll struggles to fit himself into the strict Victorian society. In the events leading to his demise, he longs to separate his firm, polished face from his true inner self; from here, Stevenson paints this juxtaposition with the use of several point-of-view techniques. When Utterson, the protagonist, “[stands] a while when Mr. Hyde had left him... putting his hand to his brow like a man in mental perplexity” (Stevenson 19), he clearly becomes the literal center of attention for the story’s opinions and perspectives. Rather than giving an omniscient style to the novel, Stevenson provides an external viewpoint in order to engage his audience. The use of point-of-view techniques in Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde reinforces the audience’s reaction to the story’s moral dilemma.
Compare the use of “secrets” with in the two main characters of the both novels - Victor Frankenstein and Dr Jekyll (including Mr Hyde)
Throughout Western literature, writers have created characters who act as perfect foils to each other with dramatically observable differences. Each pairing has a stronger and weaker in the combination, and usually one outlives the other. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the pairing exists in one body, and yet the struggle is heightened because both aspects of the identity are equal in strength. Ultimately, Stevenson emphasizes it is Jekyll who holds the power of life or death over Hyde. Hyde's "love of life is wonderful," but Hyde is also aware of Jekyll's "power to cut him off by suicide (Stevenson 101)." It is the awareness of each for the other which confirms that neither
The key ideas in chapter 1 of ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr
Within the same passage, Jekyll remarks that he became “conscious of a heady recklessness” and felt “more wicked, tenfold more wicked” (54). These subtle descriptions appear to be somewhat hidden as Dr. Jekyll’s euphoria overwhelming fills the page and, as a result, may fool the reader into believing that succumbing to certain desires is simply natural. However, Stevenson wittingly choses to add minute details to demonstrate that Jekyll is gradually, yet unknowingly, losing his “better half.” Through his joy, the author is able to reflect how humans can be unaware of the monstrous actions they are partaking in, bringing a sense of unease to the reader. By welcoming this monster, Stevenson is able to convey the notion that humans all have wicked desires hidden within. The moment one unleashes such desires out is the moment one loses their humanity.
Among the words used to describe the elitist Victorians, “hypocrites” may very well be the most popular. This supposed generation of “Do-Gooders,” with their heightened sense of morality, repressed sexuality and increased piety, were actually far from perfect. They had an exceptional list of standards by which they claimed to dutifully abide, but more often than not fell short of. The Victorians were, in the words of literary critic Walter Houghton, brilliant actors able to “[conceal] or [suppress] their true convictions and their natural tastes” (146). The matter of Victorian hypocrisy, as it has come to be known, has been scrutinized by a plethora of critics and authors alike. However, the moral façade that has come to be associated with the Victorian era was perhaps first criticized in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Apart from being an exceptional Gothic work, Stevenson’s novella is an excellent critique of the hypocrisy that dominated the Victorian era. In his novella, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson uses the characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to expose the double standards and moral pretensions that governed Victorian society.
Stevenson illustrates his belief that it is impossible to truly be good with Doctor Jekyll. He even comments “[M]an is not truly one, but truly two” (Stevenson 125). Jekyll has conformed to society his entire life, trying to be a perfect person. He has never had the opportunity to express his other half. Jekyll creates Hyde so he can be free of societal constraints and do things that a reputable man cannot. Jekyll releases Hyde who ultimately consumes him because he has never learned how to moderate his evil impulses.
While Dr. Jekyll was in his opposite form, Mr. Hyde, he managed to murder a man named Sir Danvers Carew, “Mr. Hyde broke out of all bounds, and clubbed (Carew) to the earth,” (Stevenson 15). Dr. Jekyll quickly becomes addicted to this version of himself, he lives vicariously through this opposite side of himself, similar to how drug addicts do through using cocaine or meth. When he made the decision to use the potion one more time, “it was in my own person that I was once more tempted to trifle with my conscience; and it was as an ordinary secret sinner that I at last fell before the assaults of temptation,” this was his ultimate downfall (Stevenson 50).
Dr. Jekyll’s obsession with appearance causes him to become addicted to the character Hyde, which the text reveals in the last chapter of the book. For instance, growing up in the Victorian era as a Christian, the laws shunned down upon all activities considered pleasurable. Thus wanting the members of society to be “in favor of self-disciplined moral earnest” (Stevenson 48). Although Dr. Jekyll abides by the strict rules of the Victorian culture, it still sparks a “certain impatient gaiety of disposition” in him, furthering Dr. Jekyll to complete his pleasurable activities in solitude, out of fear of losing his reputation:” I found it hard to reconcile with my imperious desire to carry my head high and wear a more commonly grave countenance before the public” (Stevenson 47-48). As a result of Dr. Jekyll’s secrecy, he begins to create a draught allowing him to split personalities or create an alter ego, Mr. Hyde. When Dr. Jekyll becomes Mr. Hyde, he has a sense of freedom to act as he pleases and escape the consequences: “I was the first that ever did so
“All human beings as we meet them are commingled out of good and evil.” Stevenson uses his main characters Jekyll and Hyde as a link between civilization and non-civilization. Stevenson observes man's relationship with good and evil. In the presence of others, Dr. Jekyll is both a prosperous and respected doctor; He is well established in his community because of his charitable works. When Dr. Jekyll seeks to separate and purify his good and evil natures, he transforms into his doppelganger who
To begin with, Jekyll, in Stevenson’s book, lives behind a disguise for years trying to embrace his civilized-self and ignore his savage urges. The fear of his mask falling off at any moment pushes Jekyll to create Hyde as his only solution towards a sense of liberation. In Jekyll’s mind his identity is being ripped apart constantly making him and his alter ego, Hyde, perfect specimens, “of a double consciousness, of a ‘divided self’” (Letley 10). In his statement about the case, Jekyll declares
If Hyde has been described as Hyde "savage, uncivilized, and given to passion…poorly evolved" (Shubh), then perhaps he represents the true, original nature of man, repressed by society, norms, and conscience. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde suggests that this restrained, amoral side of human nature, once given a chance to escape, cannot be controlled. Even in this 'height of western civilization', Victorian England, this tempting evil can overcome even the most virtuous of men. Jekyll is neither good nor bad, but a man whose deeply repressed urges motivated him to separate, but not remove, the evil parts of his nature. There is a misinterpretation that Hyde is an unwanted byproduct of trying to create pure good, that Jekyll is not in control as Hyde, and that Jekyll doesn't enjoy being Hyde. In fact, Jekyll loves being Hyde, he revels in the freedom that he brings him (Stevenson 54), but the problems with his dual personality starts when he has to face the consequences of his actions. Jekyll has a difficult time balancing Hyde's debaucheries and Jekyll's rational, refined side. However, Jekyll realizes too late that he has indulged in Hyde too much and has let him grow out of control. At the beginning of the novel, Hyde was the “smaller, slighter, and younger than Henry Jekyll” (Stevenson 57). His more youthful appearance represents how young and free Jekyll feels as Hyde, but also symbolizes how little his personality was seen before Jekyll drank his potion. Early in the novel, Hyde is easily controlled, Jekyll can use his potion to limit how often he transforms into Hyde (Stevenson 56). However, as he starts to morph back and forth, it starts to take more and more potion to control the switches until
“His Master Hyde, if he were studied," thought he, "must have secrets of his own; black secrets, by the look of him; secrets compared to which poor Jekyll's worst would be like sunshine.” (Stevenson 11). Though Dr. Jekyll is seen as the perfect man he still has his flaws, he knows no happiness. Jekyll did all he could to bring joy into his life, but was always let down by not truly experiencing it. As an act to try to find happiness he created an alter ego, Hyde, whom brings him happiness along with many troubles.
The novel “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde“ by Robert Louis Stevenson discusses dualism and internal conflict. All the individuals have two kinds of distinguishable sides exist which are good and evil; in the book, Dr. Jekyll represents the good and Mr. Hyde represents the evil. Not only Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, other character’s perspective toward the dualism is revealed. Especially in time period when the book is published, is called Victorian London, the period of Queen Victoria’s reign from 20 June 1837 until her death. It differs between wealth class Victorians and poor class Victorians. Poor Victorians had a rough and hard life, often ending up in the workhouse or early death, Additionally, people who are rich had many pressure
Hyde. In this way, Jekyll becomes monstrous himself as he wishes to pass on his evil parts into another person. Jekyll’s concoction is a threat to cultural morals and values as it enables someone to set evil free. Consequently, there is no obligation and interest in adhering to any moral standards. In the end, he is a split person, one-half is represented by Jekyll and the other one by Hyde. Stevenson used the different standpoints in the story to create the feeling that Jekyll and Hyde are two different individuals: “‘The Master Hyde, if he were studied,’ thought he [Utterson],’must have secrets of his own; black secrets, by the look of him; secrets compared to which poor Jekyll’s worst would be like sunshine.” (Stevenson 22). Thus, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a story where the line blurs. As Hyde and Jekyll are one and the same person, the reader realises that they together are both moral and immoral and both good and