Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Moral Analysis

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.

The world as we know it is constantly moving and changing; events occur that can affect people’s lives even if they are thousands of miles away. Whether or not these happenings are good or evil can shape one’s mindset and outlook on the actions they take themselves. Both have distinct strengths and weaknesses; however, the real question one must ask is which side of the spectrum is more capable of influencing humanity. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde written by Robert Louis Stevenson, a wealthy and well-respected doctor by the name of Henry Jekyll, who believes that man is not one but two separate people, constructs a potion which unearths his inner evil (Mr. Edward Hyde), and in the end is engulfed by the strength of his malevolent persona.

Frequently overlooked in favor of discourse on the duality of man or the dubiousness surrounding the characters’ interactions with Hyde, Jekyll’s portrayal of his transformations into Hyde in Robert Lewis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde has an indubitable parallel to symptoms of drug addiction. This allegory fits seamlessly into the narrative once the reader becomes aware of its presence. Not only does Henry Jekyll present symptoms paralleling drug addiction, his transformations into Hyde and how the other characters in the novel react to them are also typical of situation involving an addicted person. Finally, the ease with which a respectable member of the bourgeoisie lapses into such a degenerative state serves the

In the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, readers are shown the contrast between one’s personal desires and public desires or one’s good side and evil side. These are the things that help stimulate the psychological development of a person and are what keeps us humans balanced, personality wise. However, when one denies the significance of this by repressing them, things can definitely go wrong. Readers can apply this knowledge into one of the major characters, Dr. Henry Jekyll, who finds the need to repress his darker side due to fear of crossing social expectations. Upon doing so, Jekyll slowly becomes selfish, and full of pride. Also, the purpose of the potion he creates to help him transform into his evil doppelganger , Mr. Hyde, ultimately fails when he finds himself having to repress Hyde as well. Lastly, Jekyll’s repression also leads to the unfortunate end of the book, the disappearance both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Therefore, through Dr. Jekyll’s character, Stevenson proves that repressing emotions or desires does not make them fade away; they will eventually come up again stronger than before and can dominate a person completely.

Being a purveyor of the law, he is in the position to oversee many "downgoing men" (Stevenson 1) and functions as an inspirational example of the refinement attributed to the upper class of which he is a member.  However, Mr. Utterson is troubled when Dr. Jekyll, also a member of the upper class, wills his property to a then-unknown Mr. Hyde.  He is "offended ...both as a lawyer and as a lover of the sane and customary sides of life, to whom the fanciful is immodest" (6).  Utterson does not, however, pry into the affair until the inheritor is described as monstrous.  This further demonstrates his sense of social obligation.  Before hearing the story that Mr. Hyde trampled a young girl, Utterson is able to restrain his first impression of Dr. Jekyll's decree; but upon hearing the reputable account, he can no longer ignore his sense of social and moral obligation to make things right.  Utterson suspects that blackmail is the reason for the atypical will, and whether for the purpose of legitimizing the monstrous story or having a primary account of Mr. Hyde, he seeks out this character before confronting his client, Dr. Jekyll.

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

While both Utterson and Jekyll are honorable and respectable gentlemen belonging to the sophisticated upper class, Hyde, in contrast, is associated with the working class and the poor as is attributed with an uncivilized disposition. A character who is “not easy to describe,” Hyde is characterized as having “something wrong with his appearance,” noting several malformations such as his “pale and dwarfish” stature (Stevenson, 37). As a figure who is “hardly human,” Hyde represents the degenerated form of Jekyll and his lower-class status emphasizes his supposed susceptibility to inhumane behaviors (Stevenson, 43). As the working class was seen as more primitive, the concern of the vulnerability of this class caused many to fear the poor were more prone to violent impulses. Hyde’s place in the working class replicates these fears because as Jekyll becomes Hyde, he not only degrades in physical appearance and moral standards, but he degrades in social class. Through this, Stevenson directly connects fears of degeneration to the lower class and calls into consideration the role of class relationships beyond the context of the story. By raising these concerns, Stevenson arguably criticizes the role of class in devolutionary theory as being influenced by perceptions of class. In other words, through connecting these physical

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the play Trifles are similar and different in their acts of violent behavior. In both genres the man and woman took a life, killed a person and had no regret. However, in the late nineteenth century in London, England Dr. Henry Jekyll dark side is kept under control. The dark half of him has a vicious appetite to do evil. There is no love lost between Jekyll and Hyde. Edward Hyde enjoys the tasteful lust of violence. His barbaric cold expression is noted by Mr. Utterson. The first impression Mr. Utterson got from Hyde, Hyde’s a friend to Satan. In spite of Dr. Jekyll honorable personality, fear grips Mr. Utterson mind. Mr. Hyde dwarfish appearance and bold displeasing smile is cause enough for Mr. Utterson to fear for Jekyll safety and involvement with such an evil man.

Utterson and although he did not undergo much of an alteration in traits and qualities, he still played a noticeable role in the story so he is worth to be analyzed a bit. In the first paragraph of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Mr. Utterson was described as an introvert and very unsocial character, quite ironic considering the fact that he is a lawyer. The only time his attorney-like qualities showed through was when he was amazed by the peculiarity of the case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. (This may have just been a mandatory case he had to take, though, because Dr. Jekyll was his client.) Nonetheless, there were a multitude of occurrences of when Mr. Utterson just would not let go of the subject, even when told repeatedly by his one, and only, friend Mr. Enfield to get rid of the subject matter. He kept this detective-like investigation and trait throughout the novel, though, so it is worth being noted. Overall, Mr. Utterson kept a consistent and clear approach to the plot and helped, in a sense, guide the reader through the turn of events that took

Throughout the novel, it is important to examine what Utterson suspects of Jekyll. While Jekyll clearly is acting strange, Mr. Utterson is blind to the fact that this is truly Dr. Jekyll¹s problem and instead blames Mr. Hyde for blackmail. The question remains, blackmail for what?

head of this, when he is really saying that he goes his own way and

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde “explores the sinister side of Victorian masculinity, in particular the idea that the criminal tendencies and depraved behaviour normally attributed to the lower classes could also infect the middle and upper classes.” Maxwell continues expressing how the lower classes are associated with felonies but in this novella it “infects” Mr. Jekyll, a member of the upper class. Utterson avoids telling the cops that Dr. Jekyll is a close friend of Hyde after the murder of Sir Danvers Carew. Instead of maintaining his friend’s reputation and protecting his public image, Utterson talks to Jekyll directly. As a result of this, the relationship of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is kept a secret. There is great importance on outside appearances; so in order to protect themselves and Mr. Jekyll, they must keep themselves quiet. Not only can they ruin their reputations, for they can also ruin how they think and how they act.

In the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde it is regarded that these identities are two different persons but this is not the case, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are one in the same. There is much confusion when reading this literary work by Robert Louis Stevenson; this piece is regarded as horrific and disturbing in many ways. But the biggest twist is when it is reveled to the reader that these two people are the same and that below the surface of Dr.Jekyll is an evil man who enjoys committing evil acts. Mainly that Dr. Jekyll believes he has no choice but to commit these horrid acts because he has no control over is evil side. I don’t believe this is the case, Hyde isn’t a real person and doesn’t exist, nor is he someone who commits

Being a respected doctor, Jekyll is tied of chains by his social status in the society, for instance if a child is restricted to do something, by his parents. He will eventually find a secretive way to fulfill his needs. In the same manner Jekyll finds Hyde as a solution to satisfy his simple need like drinking. “His every act and thought centered on self; drinking pleasure with bestial avidity from any degree of torture to another” ().As the quote demonstrates Hyde enjoys drinking, which he cannot do as Dr. Jekyll, living in an oppressed Victorian society. The small and harmful temptation like drinking leads to more serious offences. As this boosts, Jekyll’s confidence, he ends up indulging into violent acts, “With ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot, and hailing down a storm of blows” (). The simile in this quote delineates Jekyll’s unexpressed desire that erupts through Hyde. His small desires manifests into bigger crimes. Stevenson uses this theory to showcase temptation the evil cause of problems in mankind.

One of the most vital concepts incorporated into The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is the representation and depiction of the duality of mankind. Jekyll works to find a solution which will separate him into his reckless, immoral persona and his respectable, Victorian self. After consumption, this potion causes him to completely transform into a man who is known as Hyde. As Hyde, he can express himself in immoral, evil ways. This not only includes moral and immoral wants but rational and irrational wants. Not only does this transformation enable him to keep his good reputation even while he does horrid, unacceptable things, but it allows him to do things which he most likely would not even