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The Duality Of Man In Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

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The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde written by Robert Louis Stevenson is a unique book that focuses on the dual personality of mankind. This book questions our human mindset about why certain people can indulge themselves in committing terrible things. It also predict that human beings are dual creatures and have the ability to think irrationally. However, I believe that Vladimir Nabokov introductory essay of the Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was to reveal to readers the duality of man, our adaptation to the things around us and the vices of homosexuality act during the Victorian Age. The dual personality of man is the main theme that is present in the entire novel of Stevenson's book. Dr Jekyll, a respectable gentleman of the Victorian life, honest and hardworking associating himself with Mr Hyde who signifies the violent evil side. Although Dr Jekyll may seem nice and good in his physical appearance, yet still he is a mixture of evil. He says “If I'm the chief of sinners, I'm the chief of sufferers too”. …show more content…

As we already know, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde are the same person but the relationship between them was not made clear or known to us by Stevenson. My question is why would the respectable and successful Dr Jekyll allowed Mr Hyde free access to his house not to talk of including him in his will as a beneficiary in his death or disappearance. Also, through out the entire story, Dr Jekyll is surrounded by the company of unmarried men and at one point Utterson thought Hyde was blackmailing Jekyll. Why did the author not specify their relationship?? I think Robert Stevenson could not make specific references to homosexuality because of the era in which he lived

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