Robert Louis Stevenson tackles a few topics in his brilliant novella: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde. One of them being duality, the inner contrast of good and evil. Another theme that
branches from this is anger and the unfortunate repercussions of anger. The book takes place in
Victorian England in the 19th century, and focuses on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. These two are of course
the same person, we find out that Dr. Jekyll takes a potion that transforms him into Mr. Hyde. Hyde is
his evil side, and eventually he loses sight of Jekyll completely. The battle of good and evil within
oneself glares in the book. An inescapable truth is magnified,that is that uncontrollable anger can lead
to serious problems. Three
…show more content…
As was shown in the book, anger that spirals out of control leads to severe consequences. Dr. Jekyll
gives in to his rage and allows Hyde to take over. In the process he loses his friends, begins to act
violently, and even kills a man. James 1:19 reads, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person
be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger...” Anger is a very dangerous road to go down, self
control is a key virtue to be practiced. Asking oneself if the situation is worth getting upset about is
important, to pick your battles wisely. Anger so often leads to violence and violence is never the
answer. When dealing with others anger it is crucial to put yourself in their shoes. Unless you truly
know and understand their situation, you shouldn 't be quick to condemn. Anger is found in everyone,
but those who can control it are considered wise. Proverbs 29:11 reads, “A fool gives full vent to his
spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” Holding the scriptures close to us is the best way to
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was written by Robert Louis Stevenson during the Late Victorian era. Although "this horror story owes its allegiance to Gothicism rather than realism, many critics suggest that Robert Louis Stevenson 's tale of a man split between his respectable public identity and an amoral secret self captures key anxieties of the fin de siècle" (Norton 1669). The Late Victorian era was “the state of mind prevailing during the final decades of the nineteenth century” (Norton 1668). In the story of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, there are some reflects of the breakdown of Victorian values that took there undergo of their citizen responsibility as a whole.
Good and Evil in Human Nature in Lord of the Flies and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
In the novel “The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” a number of
In the last chapter, Henry Jekyll’s full statement of the case, Dr.Jekyll states that he now believes that there is truly more than two sides of man. One way that this is true in the story is how Mr. Hyde becomes jealous of Dr. Jekyll and wants to overpower him showing the jealous side of man.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is good versus evil as well as our bad side triumphing over your good side. Even if some critics may think that your bad side almost always triumphs because of movies or any other place that has happened, the yin and yang symbol is of perfect balance, and someone cannot possibly have a double-sided appearance where the two sides are opposite. It is clear to see that in Robert Louis Stevenson’s writing, a person can have two opposite personalities, the yin and yang symbol is not evenly balanced, and your bad side can triumph your good side. As Robert states, “All human beings are commingled out of good and evil” Hopefully those critics may now understand not to believe what they see or may hear about when dealing with good versus evil and evil triumphing over
This demonstrates how a person can only take so much abuse before the irritability is too much and they need to lose their temper. To avoid theses outbursts, the people of the community find outlets to cope with irritations and by acting rebelliously.
If anger were a disease, there would be an epidemic in this country. Road Rage, spousal and child abuse, and a lack of civility are just a few examples. Emotionally mature people know how to control their thoughts and behaviors how to resolve conflict. Conflict is an inevitable art of school and work, but it can be resolved in a positive way.
Stevenson explains to the reader that humans have lots of different sides to each other and not just one. The final chapter of the novel, ‘Henry Jekyll’s Full Statement Of The Case’ explores the ways in which the author presents Victorian attitudes to the nature of humans. He also explains how duplicitous humans are, which means how people often have two separate approaches to their life. The duality of man means the two sides of the person’s mind and is most apparent in, as the title suggests, the characters ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’. The separation of Jekyll into two beings, Jekyll and Hyde, is an analogy for humankind’s conflicting forces of good and evil. These characters bring to life the inner struggle between the two powers of the soul. Dr. Jekyll asserts that ‘man is not truly one, but truly two,’ within the book to illustrate the theme of the novel and to help describe Mr. Hyde to more rational people such as Mr. Utterson.
Anger can help or hurt out relationships whether it be with coworkers, friends, boyfriends or family members. When we have a conflict
The reader is drawn to the plot of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde through the literary devices Stevenson employs. Foreshadowing displays the sense of mystery throughout the novel, the foreshadowing of the actions of Mr. Hyde leaves the reader wondering what will happen next. The ironic nature of Dr. Jekyll relates to the reader as a person, no person is completely perfect and Dr. Jekyll exhibits the natural wants and desires of humans. The irony behind Mr. Hyde adds an enigmatic side to the plot. These two devices expose the readers to the complexity of the novel and reveal the inner meaning of the hidden details.
The story takes place during the Victorian age, a time when there were only two categories of people: good people and bad people. There was no way that one man could be considered acceptable without suppressing his evil side almost entirely. The reason that Jekyll restrained his evil side for so long was because of this dichotomous Victorian society. Most people, including Jekyll’s friends, Lanyon and Utterson, are content to stay molded in this ideal. However, Dr. Jekyll soon became tired of this hypocritical mindset and stated that he “it was rather the exacting nature of my aspirations.
Jekyll experiences. For instance, Dr. Jekyll’s physical appearance begins to decline as he stops taking the draught. The text describes Dr. Jekyll’s physical characteristics as “looking deadly sick” when his is usually a “large well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty, with something of a slyish cast perhaps, but every mark of capacity and kindness” (Stevenson 19-25). Not only does Dr. Jekyll’s health begin to decline, but also his behavior changes as well. Normally, when Dr. Jekyll would have a visitor he would greet his guest with a warm welcome, but as the text illustrates in Chapter 4, Dr. Jekyll did not have the strength to greet Mr. Utterson: “He did not rise to meet his visitor but held out a cold hand and bade him welcome in a changed voice”( Stevenson 25). Another example of Dr. Jekyll’s behavioral change is seen when he physically separates himself from his colleagues for days on end locked in his laboratory resulting in his friends to repeatedly check on him. This act of withdrawal connects to the reality an addict faces during rehabilitation. The said addict has to seclude himself from temptation in order to be successful in the recovery stage. The final behavioral change for Dr. Jekyll is shown through his reiteration of him cutting off all ties to Mr. Hyde and his outburst of violence. During a conversation Dr. Jekyll has with Mr. Utterson shortly after the murder of Sir
In this classic tale, various aspects of psychopathology, morality and sociology are represented through the use of direct and indirect symbolism and dramatic metaphor. Through these symbols, the author portrays the duality of man that hides behind moral standard to expose the social conduct hypocrisy of the Victorian era and the psychological effects of suppressing evil desires. The story highlights how Henry Jekyll, highly respected man and practiced medical doctor, secretly holds desires of murder and chaos within the depths of his inner conscious represented in the form of Mr. Hyde.
Tafrate , R. C., Kassinove , H., & Dundin , L. (2002). Anger Episodes in High- and Low-Trait-Abger Community Adults. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(12), 1573-1590.
This can either be a positive or negative thing and how you act on it, or do not act, can show how in control and effective you are with your feelings. According to the text, “just because you feel a certain way does not mean you have to act on it” and that “people who act out angry feelings actually feel worse than those who experience anger without lashing out” (Adler, Rosenfeld, Proctor II, year?). Even though acting on your feelings may seem uncontrollable, it is important to deal with them in a different and more productive way. Recognizing how you feel and using the right approach during a constructive conversation is always better than quickly lashing out without completely understanding the situation or how you feel besides angry. Furthermore, “recognizing the difference between feeling and acting can liberate you from the fear that getting in touch with certain emotions will commit you to a course of action” (Adler, Rosenfeld, Proctor II, year?). Understanding your emotions is important so that you will be able to experience feelings that may upset you and still be able to deal with them from a positive standpoint. Once you can separate your feelings from actions you will be able to make more rational