Diction In Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson uses weak diction, juxtaposition, and characterization to argue that man’s evil psyche will often overpower the good in a fight for control. Stevenson uses weak diction to illustrate the increase of Evil’s power and the decrease of Good’s control overtime. The first hint of Jekyll’s loss of control is shown when he “broke out in a great flame of anger, stamping with his foot, brandishing [his] cane, and carrying on… like a madman” at his meeting with Carew (Stevenson 17). Before Hyde’s bout of anger, he and Carew were speaking “in a manner of politeness”; just a few moments later, Carew was dead on the ground. The maid witnessing the murder described Hyde as a “madman”, implying that

However, Jekyll’s good psyche was quick to act and regain control of their mind. Months later, when Utterson is reading the full statement of the case, he discovered that “[t]he power of Hyde seemed to have grown with the sickliness of Jekyll” (Stevenson 62). Jekyll has become sick literally and metaphorically from Hyde. The actions of Hyde in the murder caused Jekyll to become mentally ill from the constant fear of Hyde’s power. Jekyll is also “sick” with himself for creating the monster Hyde has become. While Jekyll’s psyche is antagonizing over Hyde, Hyde’s dormant psyche has the opportunity to grow, planning and staging a coup of Jekyll’s mind. In Anne Stiles “Studies in English Literature”, Victorian-era science is explained. Stiles notes that, “personality disorders...along with criminality...resulted from an over-enlarged right brain overpowering the rational activities of the left” (886). The right brain, in the Victorian Era, was associated with savagery and criminality. Over-enlarged implies that the savage, evil side of