Remember someone telling you “Do as I say, not as I do” a proverb that has been heard by many yet few have follow. Notably, this line can be felt throughout Stevenson's STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE a novel depicting how freedom of self carries a weight of responsibility on can't forsake. A respected doctor, Dr. Jekyll who has a dark secret he kept from everyone in fear of ridicule. Following this, was a report of murder committed by a name of Mr. Hyde, a monster by description. Finally, when Poole, family butler, and Utterson, a lawyer and a friend to Jekyll, found the dead body of Hyde laying on the floor. Anger can be explain, yet we forsake the reasons much more than the act itself. As We dig deeper of the story of how the analysis …show more content…
Since, the incident with the girl hitherto the murder of Carew, Hyde was slowly showing fear and Jekyll remorse but no sooner before the Carew's incident Hyde was kept locked by Jekyll in hopes to control the beast from doing any further harm. In addition, the built up fear is present thought out since, the first incident hitherto causing a both Jekyll and Hyde in constant turmoil of Jekyll suppressing Hyde, now seeking freedom in fear of the gallows like a serial killer on death row. Trying his last resort to escape. This act of suppression and escape last until the Jekyll can no longer suppress Hyde more so, the drug that is responsible for the transformation is no longer effective and time is ticking for the scythe of death is within their nape but, alas as Jekyll pis aller took upon his life with cyanide as a cry of false redemption in fear of facing responsibilities. Similar, to the reasons of the potion that give Hyde life to carry out his desires without being held responsible ironically, the birth and death of Hyde is caused by a potion. Another, explanation for why would Jekyll put himself in seclusion was a realization that Hyde is the very personified guilt Jekyll suppress. Consequently, Jekyll tired and can't fathom to contain the pain and control of Hyde constantly gnawing at the very existence of Jekyll as a last resort for redemption and freedom a decision that plays on a constant loop while the potion necessary needed now rendered ineffective Jekyll cant write anything at his state of constant transformation caused by the turmoil of who will dominate the body, a loose cannon by the name of Hyde or the two faced gent
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
Eventually due to the inaccuracy of his ‘unscientific balderdash’ (as spoken by Lanyon) something goes wrong and his changes from Jekyll to Hyde become more irrepressible, ‘My blood was changed into something exquisitely thin and icy. Yes I had gone to bed Henry Jekyll, I had awakened Edward Hyde.’ He lacks the power or strength to stop these changes. Hyde seems to perform the metamorphosis without warning or consent. I believe this to be significant to the fact that Hyde is becoming stronger and less willing to do as dictated, and because he, the inner demon, has been exercised at such a severe extent he had become a bigger part of Jekyll and so containing the inner beast becomes harder. Stevenson writes ‘the powers of Hyde seemed to grow with the sickliness of Jekyll.’ I do not think he wrote this meaning a literal sickness but was instead talking about the mental deterioration of Jekyll. The distinction of the unplanned and unwelcome changes between Jekyll and Hyde is symbolic to the fact that as the lines forming the distinction of the personality of Hyde and Jekyll began to merge thus so did the transition.
As Jekyll thinks he’s in control of Hyde, his addiction to his darker side spirals out of control and he transforms into Hyde without taking the potion. Hyde’s character is gaining strength and Jekyll is getting weaker. Jekyll gets weaker because he is getting weaker at controlling Hyde. By becoming Hyde and letting his evil side out, he has made live harder for himself because now he wont be able to get rid of Hyde as he once said he could. Hyde has now overpowered Jekyll and is in control.
Through Dr. Jekyll’s experience, he depends almost wholly on the loyalty of his friends. Many people look at Dr. Jekyll and see a good and honest man, and they appreciated that. So, in other words, Dr. Jekyll had set a good reputation for himself, and he had an obligation to uphold it. However, his good reputation could easily be destroyed in a matter of seconds, if anyone found out his secret. Dr. Jekyll’s alter ego, or other personality is the complete opposite of himself. Mr. Hyde shows a side of Dr. Jekyll that many people would not think possible. Only a few people had met Mr. Hyde, and those who did noticed something was off, but could not quite place it. “He was small, as I have said; I was struck besides with the shocking expression of his face, with his remarkable combination of great muscular activity and great apparent debility of constitution, and—last but not least—with the odd, subjective disturbance caused by his neighbourhood” (Stevenson 64). With this description of Mr. Hyde, it’s obvious why Dr. Jekyll feared that if his secret got out, it could ruin his reputation. Through looking at the novella closely, loyalty both helped prevent and expedite violence and tragedy. Dr. Jekyll’s friends loyalty prevented them from getting hurt for only a little amount of time, for they would soon find out the truth. Loyalty also played a big part in expediting violence and tragedy in so many ways. Mr. Utterson and Dr. Lanyon would do anything for their dear
Jekyll confesses to Mr. Utterson that he and Mr. Hyde hate each other. For instance, Dr. Jekyll starts to hate Mr. Hyde when he says “goodbye for ever Mr. Hyde” (64). Dr. Jekyll says goodbye to his evil side. He loathes his evil side because Hyde has shown Jekyll and Hyde’s capability to murder. Furthermore, Mr. Hyde detests Dr. Jekyll because he’s a prisoner inside Dr. Jekyll’s body. In addition, the narrator states that, “Hyde and Jekyll now hate each other with equal passion” (69). Mr. Hyde’s imprisonment within Dr. Jekyll’s body makes Mr. Hyde dislike him, so he tears Dr. Jekyll’s books (69). Mr. Hyde’s disgust of Dr. Jekyll causes Mr. Hyde to ruin Dr. Jekyll’s most important personal belongings. Clearly, after the murder of Sir Danvers Carew, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde hate each other
Jekyll talks about the years before the creation of the potion that transforms him into Hyde. He summarises his finding of the dual nature, human beings are half good and half evil. Jekyll’s goal in his experiments is to separate two opposite elements, creating a person with only good characteristics and a being of only evil. He does this because he wants to free his good side from dark urges. He fails this experiment, in fact he only manages to create a whole evil person ‘Mr Hyde’. In the letter, Jekyll says ‘I learned to recognise the thorough and primitive duality of man . . . if I could rightly be said to be either, it was only because I was radically both.’ The events of the novel inform the reader that the dark side (Hyde) is much stronger than the rest of Jekyll, this is why Hyde is able to take over Jekyll. This letter is really important for the reader so that the whole novel is understood. A lot of horror is created and it is all quiet in the reader's mind. The reader feels horrified by the way in which Jekyll seems to love and care for Hyde. Jekyll’s words make the reader angry that a man who was so good could enjoy becoming so
“Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” is a gothic novel written by Robert Louis Stevenson that was first published in 1886. It’s about a lawyer from London named G.J. Utterson who explores strange events that involves his old friend Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde. The novel’s influence on language is extraordinary, with the phrase “Jekyll and Hyde” coming to the meaning of a person of diversity in moral character from one situation to the next (French literature).
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.
In the novella Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson emphasizes how secrecy is used to protect one’s self-image and ensure no destructive secrets of one’s past become public knowledge. In the book, the plot is constantly driven forward by deceit; Mr. Utterson does not know the relationship between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and he wants to find out. Secrecy is one of the main themes in the book as it constantly surrounds the character of Dr. Jekyll. Jekyll's personality is serious and never unusual or abnormal, however his true repressed personality is revealed in the form of Mr. Hyde. This suggests that Stevenson is trying to show man’s repressed, inner nature, and how all men have aspects of their being of which they are ashamed and
Although Jekyll was initially in control and had all the means to stop turning into Hyde, Jekyll portrays himself as Hyde’s victim. By victimizing
Throughout the novella there is a constant power struggle between Jekyll and Hyde, which Hyde eventually wins but Jekyll finishes by taking his and his counterpart's life. In the beginning Jekyll is in full control, all he has to do is drink the potion and "Edward Hyde would pass away like a stain of breath upon a mirror". Also another important discovery to know was that in the beginning there was only pain turning into Hyde but as committed more atrocities, Jekyll became more consumed by evil, finding it hard to become himself again. Jekyll soon comes upon the theory that Hyde is smaller in person because Jekyll's evil side has been "less exercised", but as Hyde commits more wrongs his stature becomes stronger. Two weeks before the murder of Sir Danvers, Jekyll is in bed in Sohowhen he falls back to
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
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde not only conflicting forces but also affected by each other and dual natures. The book is written in only Dr. Jekyll’s perspective, so this paragraph will going to explain about Dr. Jekyll. Existence of Hyde provokes to know him more or to have a hard time (Suffered, wanted to destroy Mr. Hyde). In the story, Mr. Hyde couldn’t control himself and committed a crime. “Well, sir, the two ran into one another naturally enough at the corner; and then came the horrible part of things; for the man trampled calmly over the child’s body.” (Stevenson 3). Through this, Dr. Jekyll was suspected to blackmailed by Mr. Hyde, which decreases his social status and it could bring him big influence during Victorian era. Not only negative effect, but also positive effect exists. For instance, in beginning of the story, Dr. Jekyll has a lot of inner conflict, and due to that conflict, he seems always unorganized. “The thoughts of his mind, besides, were of the gloomiest dye; and when he glanced at the companion of his drive he was conscious of some touch of that terror of the law and the law’s officers which may at times assail the most honest.” (Stevenson 22). The narrator reveals this in chapter ‘The Carew murder
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.
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