Jane Klodell Gonda AP English 8 March 2024 In Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the duality of human nature is depicted through various symbols such as evolution throughout identity, physical appearance, and the symbolism behind doors, both open and closed. Stevenson’s story is depicted with much symbolism embedded throughout the novel, evolution throughout identity is a key symbol of that. The physical transformation of Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde allows the reader to separate two very distinctively different lives. One man has a strong intellectual curiosity while the other remains behind closed doors more often than not. This transformation is due to a potion curated by Dr. Jekyll that allows him to physically attain to be Mr. Hyde. “With every day, …show more content…
At first, the social constraints of the world are lifted from Jeckyll, or so it seems. When Hyde’s influence grows stronger, Jeckyll has less control over his darkest thoughts and even darker impulses. Therefore, this evolution of a symbol creates a bridge to moral wrongdoings and serves as a poetic warning of unchecked desires. Jekyll’s anger and pure unhappiness is depicted through other perspectives, such as the maid said, “but he never answered a word, and seemed to listen with an ill-contained impatience. And then all of a sudden he broke out in a great flame of anger, stamping with his foot, brandishing the cane, and carrying on (as the maid described it) like a madman” (Stevenson). The empathic relationship between the symbol of transformation and the characters in the story serves as a deeper understanding of human complexity. For example, when Dr. Jekyll first encounters his own brutal murder of Sir Danver’s Carew, the reader is instantly reminded of how destructive potential can fall victim to the deeper, darker, and more dangerous aspects of others. Oddly enough, doors are a key element of symbolic meaning throughout the