To seek refuge while committing a crime at the same breath is possible as long as someone takes the blame. A topic that Stevenson’s tackle when he introduce Dr. Jekyll a secret sadist that concocted a potion turning himself to Mr. Hyde in order to execute his pleasures in a form of a nightly excursion, venturing on the streets and committing heinous activity. Since, Hyde exists upon drinking the potion Jekyll is free commit his dreadful deeds provided that Hyde will take the blame for Jekyll requires to keeping his respected image intact. Moreover, having Hyde take all the blame, Dr. Jekyll can act upon crimes without the worry of consequences. For instance, in the scene of the unfortunate girl whom Hyde mercilessly assaulted, leaving
Stevenson develops the idea that evil can be seen visibly through physical appearance, and is always the ugliest form of a human being. When Dr. Jekyll transforms into the 100% evil Mr. Hyde his mentality and mindset changes, but so does his appearance. Stevenson depicts the change from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde as a change that can be visibly seen. Mr. Hyde is much uglier than Dr. Jekyll, as well as more evil in nature. When Mr. Utterson first sees Mr. Hyde he considers him deformed and repulsive, “Mr. Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation, he had a displeasing smile, he had borne himself to the lawyer with a sort of murderous mixture of timidity and boldness, and he spoke with a husky,
Jekyll seems to be in control of his desires and temptations but as Hyde he can fulfil them and not feel guilty. Stevenson is stating that everybody has evil inside of the, wanting to get out and that everyone gets a thrill of letting it out sometimes.
The story of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde is a prime example of good versus evil as a man struggles with an experience that goes bad. Dr. Henry Jekyll is a man of science and he develops a potions that causes him to have two separate and distinct personalities. As time passes, Dr. Jekyll discovers that he is losing his ability to control the sinister side of his personality, Mr. Hyde. The effects of this scientific experiments will dramatically change his life and the lives of his friends.
When the book The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert L. Stevenson and the play, Trifles by Susan Glaspell were written both literary pieces dealt in depravity. The two main genres engage in violent acts with no remorse. Both genres reveal emotional turmoil, that’s the battle within their mind and soul, taken pleasure in immoral behaviors. Although The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Trifles are genres depicting male and female depravity, they are alike and different in social issues, such as violence, murder and justice for all.
Everyone has to deal with some sort of temptations in their lives. Usually temptations are negative, but they may differ depending on the person. Some people may not like to admit this but everyone has a dark side and sometimes it shows. A person needs to let out some darkness at some points in their lives because nobody should bottle their emotions up. One man’s dark temptations are looked at in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. In this novel, it starts out introducing Mr.Utterson who is a lawyer. He is walking with his cousin Mr. Enfield and they find a door which leads them to a house. Mr. Enfield starts telling a story and that is how Mr.Hyde and Dr.Jekyll are introduced. “ All at once, I saw two figures: one a little man who was stumping along eastward at a good walk, and the other a girl of maybe eight or ten who was running as hard as she was able down a cross street. Well, sir, the two ran into one another naturally enough at a corner; and then came the horrible part of the thing; for the man trampled calmly over the child’s body and left her screaming on the ground” (Stevenson 9). Mr. Utterson becomes curious as to who the person was and after doing some investigating he discovers that Dr.Jekyll is Mr.Hyde. Dr.Jekyll wanted a way to let out the bad that he had inside of him, but he didn 't want anyone to see him differently. He decided to make a potion, and when he drank the potion he would turn into Mr.Hyde.
Jekyll is tempted to do bad things and he uses Hyde to overcome his temptations. Jekyll gets his satisfaction of doing bad deeds by becoming Hyde. Jekyll says “If each, I told myself, could be housed in separate identities, life would be relieved of all that was unbearable; the unjust might go his way” (Page 105). He states that he wants to do bad things but knowing he cant and still live the life he has, he uses Hyde as an escape from his temptations. Once Jekyll is able to control his temptations but still do bad as Mr. Hyde he says “I felt younger, lighter, happier in the body” (Page 106) Mr. Hyde is Jekyll’s way of escaping his sophisticated lifestyle and entering a totally separate way of life. Jekyll then didn’t feel any guilt for Hyde’s actions.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Jekyll’s id is Mr. Hyde. As stated in an outside source, “A study in dualism: The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” “Mr. Hyde would seem easily recognizable as the id, seeking instant gratification, having an aggressive instinct, and having no moral or social mores that need be followed,” (Singh and Chakrabarti 13). Mr. Hyde as seen multiple times throughout the novel, expresses one of the components of the id mentioned in the quotation. One example showing how he lives by no morals or values is when he kill Sir Danvers Carew. Hyde beat him to death out of impulse when he passed him late at night on the street. This murder also represents how Mr. Hyde shows aggression. Instant gratification is seen towards the end of the novel. In chapter 10 Jekyll says “My devil had been long caged, he came out roaring,” (Stevenson 92). Hyde could not withhold being repressed anymore and breaks out without Dr. Jekyll’s potion. He does this because he is looking for pleasure. This relates to Freud’s pleasure principle where it is Hyde’s instinct to transform to be
“All human beings are commingled out of good and evil.” Robert Louis Stevenson was no fool when it came to understanding the duality of human nature evident within mankind. In his novella, the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson is able to explore his interests concerning the dark, hidden desires that all human beings are guilty of possessing. In his story, a well-respected professional by the name of Dr. Jekyll experiments with the idea of contrasting personalities and successfully undergoes a physical separation of such identities—one which would soon wreak havoc upon his very existence. As a result of his success, Edward Hyde is born. Hyde, characterized as a miniscule and terrifying, apelike figure from the start,
During the story Hyde’s actions compounds our first impressions of him. Stevenson never says exactly what Hyde takes pleasure in on his nightly forays but it is thought to be of things that would ruin Jekyll’s reputation if they ever came out. There is thought to be strong ties to drugs, alcohol addiction and other dangerous dealings; ‘he had once visited her (the maid’s) master and for whom she had conceived a dislike’. In the very first chapter, Mr Enfield tells his friend, Mr Utterson, a story where he witnessed a strange looking man walking along a deserted street, who ‘trampled calmly over (a) child’s body and left her screaming on the ground’ when they collided.
Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde consists of reputation, good vs. evil and damage control. In other words, Utterson tirelessly works to prevent his good friend Dr. Jekyll from being dragged into the horrid affairs of Mr. Hyde, and Dr. Jekyll goes to the greatest of lengths to prevent his Hyde identity from being discovered, in order to avoid anyone knowing of his somewhat questionable scientific work and morally despicable behavior. Much of the novel is based on the characters reputations and how they have to maintain a good public image, as they are upper class people. The novel takes place in Victorian England and the main characters are all male members of upper class London. Enfield, Utterson, Lanyon and Jekyll are all aware of social
Despite saying this Jekyll still succumbs to his Id and Hyde is drawn out again. Jekyll knows of the evil that comes out when he transforms into Hyde. Jekyll says “This, as I take it, was because all human beings, as we meet them are commingled out of good and evil: and Edward Hyde alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil”(Stevenson 108). Here Jekyll clearly states that he knows Hyde is evil yet he still cannot overpower his Id and then his Superego is overcome. By turning into Hyde, Jekyll feels free and can do whatever he wants without the slightest hesitation. Following his innate desires Hyde murders Sir Danvers Carew and tramples a young girl. These actions are done through the Id and even though Jekyll is civilized law abiding man once the Id has taken over and he transforms into Hyde, his dark side is unleashed. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are but one; one body but two conflicting characters, the good and evil.
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll desires to relive his past events that are considered unfit of society, creating Mr. Hyde to do so without getting caught and losing his high reputation. Dr. Jekyll allows his evil side develop as “his temptation of a discovery so singular and profound, at last overcame the suggestions of alarm” (44). Dr. Jekyll lets his curiosity take over his moral judgments by creating a potion that allows him to switch bodies from himself to Mr. Hyde. The emphasis on his temptations being his only and most important ambition gives him reason to create another persona to satisfy his desires. Consequently though, Jekyll acknowledges that “a current of disordered sensual images running like a mill-race in my fancy, a solution of the bonds of obligation, an unknown but not an innocent freedom of the soul” will be the cost of breaking the rules of society (44). His decision alludes to chaos through the imagery of disorder when being free from responsibilities, but he sees the disorder as something positive and enjoyable. For him, it may be a way to get out of his
The book of “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” was written nearly over a century ago. The fictional novella was written the year of 1885 in England, by Robert Louis Stevenson. The author wrote a gothic mystery story, told by a narrator that follows Mr. Utterson’s point of view. Mr. Utterson is the attorney of Dr. Jekyll, and his point of view comes from the outside of the home. Stevenson accomplished tremendous success, ensuring his fame as a writer for his previous works and, for “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”. Moreover, decades later, a successful writer known as Valerie Martin wrote the novel “Mary Reilly”. Author Valerie Martin’s ‘Mary Reilly’ is retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘The strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ from the trusted housemaid, living in the home. The books have different insights, but also similarities. These stories portray a good and evil character, who lives a double life. Stevenson and Martin distinguish distinctive perspectives in each book; in addition, the loyalty the narrators acquire to Dr. Jekyll is described through their characterization.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was written during the height of the Victorian era. In this period, there were huge debates concerning pursuing desire versus doing what was socially acceptable. There were also constant scientific discoveries being made. Stevenson 's piece, using a telescopic framework, is a product of romantic and Victorian traditions since it incorporates Victorian gentlemen, dark romantic subjects and duality within both Victorian and Romantic society. Being a gentleman and upholding your reputation in the Victorian era was the most important character trait, and seeing how a perfect gentleman like Dr. Jekyll could have such an evil side was a shock for society. The actions of Mr. Hyde went completely against social norms and expectations. Romantic topics like the subconscious, fears and nightmares/dreams are also depicted in this work. As well, there is something dark beneath the facade Victorian people wore. The contents of the story have an eerie vibe and demonstrate the potential dangers that people keep hidden. And finally, duality within Victorian and Romantic society is evident throughout the piece with self-control against desires and what’s on the surface against the subconscious. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde takes place during a time of large scale social
In the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, analysts declare all fault falls onto the evilness Mr. Hyde professes throughout the novel, but is it possible that a sign from an insignificant character could have lifted the yearning of immoral thoughts happening in Mr. Hyde? The theme in the dark tale of Stevenson’s novella portrays the duality of evil and good of the main character. Although this is true, the supporting characters are as guilty as Mr. Hyde. Those closest to Dr. Jekyll had no hesitation of berating him after learning of his sinful ways. Dr. Jekyll, a man who is established to be well respected and born into a dominant social class, is responsible for some of the worst perpetuate