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Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Analysis

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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde takes place during a time in London when people flocked to the city for jobs resulting in great competition and deceit. As the city grew in size with powerful men there became issues of appearance and reputation where men of high status began to dance with the devil allowing their evil nature to show itself. The social scene at the time required people to hide this evil nature so men and women began to create two sides of themselves so that they could maintain and uphold their reputation hypocritically. A well maintained reputation was necessary for business transactions, social events, and relationships with other people in the community. The importance of reputation did not stop at the higher class …show more content…

His knowledge of the potential danger is evident in: “let out the beast Hyde” (Stevenson 86). The text here makes it obvious that Jekyll is aware of Hyde’s true nature as he refers to him as a “beast”. For readers, using the word beast to describe Hyde give little reference as a beast is not an animal found in the wild but rather a dark creature that lives within the imagination. Most people separate their imagination from reality due to the unknown behavior of the imagination’s creations. The hypocritical separation of Jekyll’s thoughts and actions is most presented to readers through Jekyll’s scientific division from Hyde because Jekyll had been aware of his actions yet continued to transform into the deadly version of himself. Jekyll articulated his inner conflict of his two sides throughout his final letter stating: “It was on the moral side, and in my own person, that I learned to recognize the thorough and primitive duality of man; I saw that, of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness, even if I was radically both; and from an early date…I have learned to dwell with pleasure, as a beloved daydream, on the thought of the separation of these elements” (Stevenson 67). Jekyll reveals here that the hypocrisy that surrounds human nature is one that is developed young and instilled …show more content…

Utterson becomes very engrossed in duplicitous behavior as his curiosity of Hyde and worry for Jekyll grows. The text then uses Mr. Utterson to demonstrate the most realistic two-sided behaviors as he investigates Hyde even when it may compromise a life-long friendship. Utterson’s words and actions begin to misalign in the beginning of the text as Enfield makes the claim, “No, sir, I make it a rule of mine: the more it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask,” and Utterson agreed, endorsing this statement as if it was his own (Stevenson 7). “Queer Street” refers to an imaginary place where people with who are wrong or have difficulties live. In this use, Enfield is referring to a situation which may seem wrong or out of place looking like this place which he wants to maintain great distance from. Enfield exhibits his hypocrisy in this statement as he is somewhat of the town gossip with the details of any happens, often making himself involved to get more details like the case with the little girl. While Utterson is talking with Enfield about the dramatic scene with Hyde and the little girl, Utterson begins to ask questions he already knows the answers to, “And you never asked about – the place with the door?” which he clearly knew belonged to Dr. Jekyll but still dove deeper into the gossip to remain unsuspicious and disconnected from the truth (Stevenson 6). However, this was not the only time that

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