Lanyon Is More Evil Than Good In the gothic novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr. Lanyon is more evil than good. Mr. Utterson, a lawyer in nineteenth-century London, becomes invested in a strange individual, Mr. Hyde. With his bewildering behaviors and unsettling appearance, Mr. Utterson does not understand why Hyde would share a connection with the respected Dr. Jekyll. Therefore, he approaches their childhood friend, Dr. Lanyon, to learn more information about Mr. Hyde. However, Dr. Lanyon and Dr. Jekyll have not interacted in ten years due to a dispute in their scientific field. “‘Such unscientific balderdash,’ added the doctor, flushing suddenly purple, ‘would have estranged Damon and Pythias’” …show more content…
Just like everyone else in Victorian society, Lanyon lacks tolerance for new ideas, concepts, and information that may not be familiar to him. People in the Victorian Era were expected to follow a very strict moral code. Folks, such as Lanyon, influenced individuals like Jekyll to suppress their pleasures and fulfillment of life. Later, Dr. Jekyll invites Lanyon and Utterson over for dinner. For the first time in ten years, the trio can go back to their old, friendly ways. Soon after, Lanyon receives an urgent letter from Jekyll asking for a favor. While the instructions are questionable, Lanyon goes through with the task. Hyde arrives at his home during the night to pick up the drawer that Lanyon retrieved from Jekyll’s home. After consuming a potion, Mr. Hyde transforms back into Dr. Jekyll. “As for the moral turpitude that man unveiled to me, even with tears of penitence, I cannot, even in memory, dwell on it without a start of horror” (Stevenson, 41). This quote shows that Lanyon was naive to believe in the possibilities of science and the human mind. Just like Jekyll, he was raised in a society that held very strict expectations. Until Jekyll exposed himself, Lanyon could not believe anything outside of the uncompromising moral code that was