The Wise Men of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and SHE
I have heard it said that a smart person learns from his own mistakes but a wise person learns from the mistakes of others. In the two books, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and SHE, we have two characters that emerge as wise men. In Jekyll, it is the character of Utterson, the stoic but curious lawyer, and in SHE it is the character of Holly, the stoic but curious academic. It is interesting to note that neither character chooses this fate of wise man, but rather has it thrust upon him through fate and curious circumstances. It is because of their high moral character that they are selected to bear witness to extraordinary events. The question is, how far are we willing to go to push the bounds of knowledge; when do we stop being smart and start being wise?
Curiosity begets the quest for knowledge and curiosity is essential to these characters, "If he be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr. Seek"(Jekyll, pg 8), Utterson thinks to himself as he begins his journey. In order to become wise though, it is important to avoid being consumed by that which you seek. Instead, it is crucial to bear witness to that which either limits us or somehow gives us a greater understanding of ourselves. Holly at first is skeptical. "Anyway, I believe the whole thing is the most unmitigated rubbish. I know that there are curious things and forces in nature which we rarely meet with, and, when we do meet them, cannot understand. But until I see it with my own eyes, which I am not likely to, I never will believe that there is any means of avoiding death"(SHE, pg 46-47). I wonder if Utterson would not have responded similarly had he known what depths he was about to plumb. Nevertheless, Holly takes up the quest in the name of duty and adventure or maybe it is just plain curiosity.
These two characters share a common purpose in that they have both been entrusted with something valuable yet perplexing. For Utterson, it is Jekyll's will and for Holly it is the chest given to him by Vincey as well as the responsibility for his only son Leo. This idea of trust is important because the wise must be of a certain moral character as well as educational background to accept knowledge that will extend the bounds of reason without corrupting that which they learn.
In both The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and the 1941 movie adaptation, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a strong representation of evil is present. Both the film and the novel are surrounded with sense of immorality and sin. The text and the film have economical and historical characteristics that help define evil. While the film alone has a strong representation of evil surrounding gender and relationships.
In Robert Louis Stevenson’s, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll’s struggle between two personalities is the cause of tragedy and violence. Dr. Jekyll takes his friends loyalty and unknowingly abuses it. In this novella, Stevenson shows attributes of loyalty, how friendship contributes to loyalty, and how his own life affected his writing on loyalty.
Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States, once accurately summed up the notion of war by stating: “Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die.” In these words he conveyed what many Americans, particularly soldiers, feel during wartime. The novel Johnny Got His Gun, by Dalton Trumbo, shares the life and experiences of a gravely wounded WW1 soldier that is only able to think. In this stream of conscience narrative, Joe Bonham is in a constant battle with his mind as he discovers the extent of his injuries sustained from war, his inability to communicate with the outside world, and his struggles as he copes with loss. In the film Shenandoah, directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, Charlie Anderson experiences non
The author Robert Louis Stevenson shows knowledge as a very important thing. "Now I shall know you again," said Mr. Utterson. "It may be useful." This quote is said when Mr. Utterson meets Mr. Hyde for the first time. Another quote that proves this is "I wish to see or hear no more of Dr. Jekyll." Lanyon said this after he had saw Mr. Hyde turn into Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Utterson was asking him questions about Dr. Jekyll. "Lanyon, you remember your vows: what follows is under the seal of our profession..." Lanyon is about to find out about Dr. Jekyll's secret.
Baldwin begins his essay with a recount of his childhood, growing up black in a nation which considered itself white. Baldwin explains the uphill battle fought by every American Negro, how many “were clearly headed for the Avenue” (Baldwin 296) of whores, pimps, and racketeers. Baldwin argues that the American Negro was doomed to remain in the same state in which he or she was brought into the world, just as “girls were destined to gain as much weight as their mothers, the boys … would rise no higher than their fathers” (Baldwin 298). Even an education would not rescue one from “the man’s” oppression. The man, of course, is the white man who “would never, by the operation of any generous human feel...
my true hour of death, and then as I lay down my en, and proceed to
There are limits about how far one should pursue knowledge. Although some may have more serious consequences than others, it is always ill-advised to cross those boundaries in the first place. In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein seeks to create a species superior to humans. But, when he finishes he realizes how terrifying his creation is and flees (Shelly 49). His mistake leads to the deaths of himself as well as his entire family. Upon deciding to create his monster Frankenstein has no thought about the consequences of his actions. He rushes into
Within the text of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson portrays a complex power struggle between Dr. Jekyll, a respected individual within Victorian London society, and Mr. Hyde a villainous man tempted with criminal urges, fighting to take total control of their shared body. While Dr. Jekyll is shown to be well-liked by his colleagues, Mr. Hyde is openly disliked by the grand majority of those who encounter him, terrified of his frightful nature and cruel actions. Throughout Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson portrays the wealthy side of London, including Mr. Utterson and Dr. Jekyll, as respected and well-liked, while showing the impoverish side as either non-existent or cruel.
Harlem Renaissance was not only about politics but was also a way through which the artists expressed their views. These artists included: Marian Anderson, James Welden Johnson, Romare Bearden, jazz artists such as Louis Armstrong and writers such as Nora Zeale Hurston. On the other hand, it offered an opportunity where the black actors performed among the white audience. Harlem Renaissance came to an end at a time when the Great Depression had started. This was because the Afric...
Jung insisted pleasure seeking, and conflict resolution is a part of human nature: Plus, religion and mystical archetypal combined influence one’s personality and behavior. Some conflicts arise due to repressed ancestral memories and past experiences that can impact the individual’s future aspirations (Alho, 2009). Likewise, Carlisle (1993) recalled, dissociative behaviors appear as pathological manifestations necessary for the conscious to operate unhampered by life’s demands. In this respect, dissociation applies to the natural hierarchy of the human psyche, with underlying attitudes for normal functioning. Adding the “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde functionality of the human mind” (p. 25). Carlisle (1993) concluded, each bare reason for the structural interplay between the adult, parent, and Gerald’s child-self.
Many mysterious events occur throughout this novel. Stevenson foreshadows the imminent end of Dr. Jekyll in the very beginning. As Utterson reads the will of Dr. Jekyll, he is perplexed by the statement that “in the case of Dr. Jekyll’s disappearance” (6), all of his money will go to Mr. Hyde. This questionable intent of Dr. Jekyll leads the reader to assume that there is something for complex connecting Mr. Hyde with Dr. Jekyll. Utterson not only tries to protect Dr. Jekyll from Mr. Hyde, but Utterson wishes to solve Jekyll’s entire problem. In the first description of Mr. Utterson, the reader learns that he is “inclined to help rather than to reprove” (1). This simple description implies that Utterson will be helping to solve a problem in this novel, though it is not identified whose problem he will try to solve. This also foreshadows a problem in the book; Utterson leads the reader to believe that a horrid situation will arise between Jekyll and Hyde. Mr. Hyde is driven purely by the temptations of evil; the urges that Dr. Jekyll is unable to act on. This temptation causes Mr. Hyde to murder Sir Carew with the wal...
wrong, a lot like the way Mr Hyde was thought of. So to Mr Utterson,
The Harlem Renaissance was a huge transition for people of African American descent. It started in the early 1920’s and ended during the late 1920’s as well. People had moved from the southern states where Jim Crow laws were enforced, where discrimination was at its highest. Many people who were writers, entertainers and actors took this as an opportunity to grow as artists. During this time, culture was one of the only things they had left. Those who lived within Harlem needed the positivity to look up to during these hard times.
The pursuit of knowledge can lead to a humans destruction and awareness. The pursuit of
'Man is not truly one but truly two' – this is the central theme depicted in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Stevenson had great skills and was able to captivate his readers with his storytelling skills. His way of coming up with unusual themes and use of language makes his story very interesting and engaging. He has a wonderful way at portraying the duality of man through Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Stevenson also uses the environment and setting of the story to represent the contrast between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. We don’t discover Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll’s relationship until towards the last chapters of the book. We learn that to every person there is a demonic and angelic side.