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Jekyll and hyde message about human nature
Jekyll and hyde message about human nature
Literary analysis
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Jekyll and hyde message about human nature
Jekyll and hyde message about human nature
Literary analysis
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
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.
Dr. Jeckyll chose by himself to create the more “wicked” and “disordered” version of him. This version of himself longs to be free of the facade he puts on when he is seen as the organized and friendly doctor, this covers up ultimately contributes to his overwhelming need for a less obligated life. By extending the exposure of the real reasoning behind Hydes behavior Stevenson is able to create a horrific feeling inside the character's
What should be noted with this change is that much like Viktor’s introduction to science which was heavy with religious influence; this change although scientific is also tied to ideas about faith. The freedom of his soul and the word wicked being used over and over. Wicked is something tied closely to ideas of sin and the church. Jekyll’s change is not only physical and emotional but very much spiritual. His ideas about the world and his standing within change along with his identity.
Jekyll & Hyde: The Duality of Scientific Philosophies The novella “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” has many elements of science compiled inside the story. The main scientific occurrence of the story is the duality between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which is what creates the basic concept of the story. The whole story plays around with this idea of duality and also on different scientists in the novella’s perspective on science.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” because the story takes place in Victorian England we see that the characters have no room for expression of emotions or violence. Everything they do is secret, so the more Dr Jekyll is repressed, the more he wants to be Mr Hyde. The original characteristics of Henry Jekyll are reflected as “...life of effort, virtue, and control” (pg. 172) because, most of his life his vice activities were maintained a secret. According to Jekyll, when evil is separated into one body, one will not know right from wrong because there is no conscious in a being of complete evil which was Hyde for
how does Stevenson use contrast in the novel? As a whole, Stevenson uses the idea of duality to criticise the Victorian respectable society. By portraying every character in the novella to have dual sides, he suggests that his gap between appearance and reality is what makes people and places of Victorian London hypocritical. For instance, Jekyll appears respectable until he puts on a “thick cloak” of Hyde.
“Hyde” is just Jekyll, having transformed his body into something unrecognizable". Jekyll does not make the potion to take away all evil away from himself. He created a potion that would allow himself to express his feelings without feeling guilt and facing any consequences effecting his respectable self. Dr. Jekyll in the novella is a respected professor and well known around the town. While Hyde on the other hand is almost the complete opposite.
Robert Stevenson uses his protagonist’s, Dr. Jekyll, person versus self conflict to illustrate this point. Throughout the text, the reader learns that Dr. Jekyll was born into good fortune and was well-respected in society. However, the reader learns that it was not enough for him. He craves irregularities and he seeks a way to experience both sides of his identity without harming his reputation, which leads him to immoral experiments that bring out Hyde. To be specific, Jekyll states the following, “Many a man would have even blazoned such irregularities as I was guilty of; but from the high views that I had set before me, I regarded and hid them with an almost morbid sense of shame” (Stevenson 55).
As Stevenson was fascinated by Darwin theory of evolution he decided to portray it in his work. Due to the fact that in Victorian times the idea of rationalism was popular and that people weren’t supposed to show their strong emotions their darker sides were repressed and The locked doors and curtained windows of Jekyll’s house form the imagery of a man locking away the truth that lurks inside; Jekyll turning into Hyde is a metaphor of what happens when the unconscious mind is revealed; the murder of Carew symbolizes the repressed mind striking out at the conscious mind. The whole narrative is about unpeeling the layers that hide the repressed desires inside Jekyll Stevenson also uses several narrative points of view to intensify the feeling of a frightening outsider. As Hyde is often narrated in a mysterious way through different characters perspectives which slowly reveals horror a feature used in gothics.
The description Jekyll portrays upon taking the potion is illustrated to the reader as if he is being re-birthed but into a whole new perception of life. Physically, he is in such a pain because his bones are grinding, horrendous spirits are among him, and he is overcome with nausea. When it subsides, he is self-aware of his new mentality of wickedness (Stevenson 1710). Hyde sees himself in a mirror as the smaller, less robust side of Jekyll, and this is probable due to the facts of evolution because Jekyll, as a public figure, practiced more good in the world, as to Hyde, who is now getting to release his evil (Ferrer-Medina). Hyde, having an aggressive instinct, no moral or social standards, takes pleasure in violence ultimately leading to his own destruction (Singh).
In the novel, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson explores the complexity of human nature. He uses characters and events in the novel to present his stance on the major theme: “man is not truly one, but truly two” (125). Branching from this major theme are many more specific views on the idea that human nature is divided into good and evil. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are two very different people who occupy the same body. Human beings struggle with good and evil and Stevenson goes to the extreme to to show this relationship.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde consists of reputation, good vs evil and damage control. In other words, Utterson tirelessly works to prevent his best friend Dr. Jekyll from being dragged into the horrid affairs of Mr. Hyde, and Dr. Jekyll goes through the greatest of lengths to prevent his Hyde identity from being discovered, in order to avoid anyone knowing of his somewhat questionable scientific work and morally despicable behavior. Much of the novel is based on the characters ' reputations, how they have to maintain a good public image, as they are upper class people. The novel takes place in Victorian England and the main characters are all male members of upper class London.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ is clearly an allegory. The people depicted could not be real. There are many interpretations of the meaning. A Church of Scotland minister saw it as a parable on the wages of sin. Graham Balfour, who wrote Stevenson’s first biography (1901), tells us that it was also "made the subject of leading articles in religious newspapers".
Mr. Hyde is the embodiment of Jekyll’s repressed homosexuality. Firstly, Hyde’s victims reflect Jekyll’s repressed feelings. The first victim is “a girl of maybe eight or ten” (Stevenson 3). His act of trampling the young girl shows his resentment toward women. This is because the Victorians try to force their views onto him and that he should be
He writes a letter to confess what evil he does when “he was Hyde.” Moreover, he does not want to talk about more about Hyde’s malignant behavior on the testament, it also explains as Jekyll he does not want to mention Hyde too much. However, actually Hyde is the other type of himself. As Jekyll, he is a nice person, he try to remedy Hyde’s mistake, but as the time goes on, Jekyll finds that he can not control Hyde anymore. It is one aspect to support both good and evil can reflect in one person.