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The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde

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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, written by Robert Stevenson, is a novel that tells a tale of how one man was able to fulfill his dream of creating a dual personality. Henry Jekyll, the protagonist in this selection, is a respected doctor who seems harmless at first sight. However, as the novel progresses, Jekyll’s ulterior motives begin to be discovered and Jekyll must choose between his reputation and his own desires. Throughout Stevenson’s novel, Jekyll’s outward appearance and reputation, fight against good and evil, and controversial science experiments determine the true character of Henry Jekyll.
Henry Jekyll’s appearance is described to be a tall, well built, handsome man who was very respectable. Stevenson describes Jekyll saying, “Dr. Jekyll was no exception; and as he now sat on the opposite side of the fire — a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty, with something of a stylish cast perhaps, but every mark of capacity and kindness-”(23). Jekyll’s appearance is a solid statured fifty year old man who has a good taste in style and is kind. Jekyll’s features are important in this story because his opposite personality, Mr. Hyde, is a short, stubby man who was “so ugly that he made people sweat” (6). Jekyll’s dual personalities contain two completely different appearances that are fitted to the way they act. Jekyll’s good looks and height come from the large amounts of good inside of him, while his second personality, Edward Hyde, is short

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