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Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Human Nature Essay

1006 Words5 Pages

During the Victorian era, societal rules were very stern and austere. There was one way for people to act, speak, and look which contributed to certain actions caused by people and relationships with people's true selves. Because of this, it is hard for people to uncover their true human nature and separate themselves from the rest of civilization. In the duration of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, many characters have a dark human nature that is hidden from the entirety of society because of the strict rules set for everyone in the community to follow. Characters like Dr. Jekyll and his lawyer Mr. Utterson undermine the cruelty that can be human nature. The Strange Tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson is about the brutality of …show more content…

At the near beginning of the novella, Utterson is introduced as Dr. Jekylls lawyer and good friend. While with his cousin Mr. Enfeild, they stumbled across Mr. Hyde trampling a young girl. On Mr. Uttersons behalf, a thought was captured that "[Utterson] was austere with himself; drank gin when he was alone, to mortify a taste for vintages; and though he enjoyed the theatre, had not crossed the doors of one for twenty years. But he had an approved tolerance for others; sometimes wondering, almost with envy, at the high pressure of spirits involved in their misdeeds; and in any extremity inclined to help rather than to reprove." Besides Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, every individual in the Victorian time has human nature that lies underneath society. The passage highlights the reserved and controlled nature that Utterson has. Utterson is constantly restraining himself to entertainment. The restraint he has for himself reveals the darker portions of his human nature that he is drawn to. The mention of Utterson’s abstinence from showing up at the theater further demonstrates his severe nature: “Though he enjoyed the theatre, had not crossed the doors of one for twenty years.” Implying that he chooses to restrain himself from an indulgent lifestyle and his decisions to deny himself from cultural experiences with the rest of society contributes to his closed-off

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How Does Stevenson Present Mr Hyde As An Outsider

1155 Words | 5 Pages

Many men of the period, as shown through Mr Utterson, were very concerned about the way that they appear to society, Mr Utterson for example ‘drinks gin’ ‘to mortify a taste for vintages’. However, Mr Hyde is primarily described by his actions rather than his physical appearance, the first encounter with Mr Hyde is when he ‘trample[s]’ a young girl, and it is only later that the reader discovers that he is ‘deformed’, by focusing on the actions Stevenson is forcing the reader to not judge a book by its cover, but rather by its deeds and morals -which is a key theme throughout the book. Mr Hyde clearly does not care about what other people think of him, and this really makes him an outsider to a society focused on facades and decorum. One could argue that by doing this Stevenson is saying that people shouldn’t care so much about keeping up appearances and this is what prevents us from being our true selves, but there is a problem in this conclusion, Hyde’s true self is evil and uncaring for the feelings of others which surely isn’t beneficial to anyone. However, Stevenson isn’t saying that we should all mince our words so as not to hurt anyone, he is offering the two extremes to the reader and showing that it is not possible to be one or the other, a Jekyll or a Hyde, we have to be ourselves and still try to have empathy for others because that is what makes us human.

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641 Words | 3 Pages

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a mystery novella, is told through the eyes of Mr. Utterson, who, in appearance, is described as a “lawyer of a rugged countenance” (Stevenson 1). He is inexpressive and looks as if time has worn him thin. While he is loved by his close friends, he comes across as someone who is reserved. As the story progresses, Mr. Utterson struggles to allow himself to venture away from his traditional rational thinking and begin exploring his curious thoughts. Mr. Utterson holds the values of a Victorian gentleman.

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897 Words | 4 Pages

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621 Words | 3 Pages

In Jane Rago’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: A 'Men's Narrative' of Hysteria and Containment, Rago attempts to show that the guiding meaning behind Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is to demonstrate the reality of male deviance despite the Victorian Era’s attempt to suppress such a reality. Jane Rago starts off by stating that Hyde is much more similar to the average male than Utterson or an upper class male would like to admit. Rago attempts to prove this by critiquing the way in which upper class characters, characterize Hyde. This is demonstrated when Enfield encounters Hyde for the first time, stating that he immediately, “had taken a loathing to my gentleman at first sight”. Rago believes that this way in which Enfield attempts to characterize Hype as evil is similar to how Victorian society ostracized any ill-mannered behavior or belief, attempting to uphold only the most pristine manners and values.

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525 Words | 3 Pages

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151 Words | 1 Pages

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855 Words | 4 Pages

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460 Words | 2 Pages

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1065 Words | 5 Pages

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