Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde: A Literary Analysis

448 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Character analysis of the book Harry Potter

“We’ve all got both light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on – that’s who we really are.” In Harry Potter, the theme of light and dark plays a large part in the plot; so does the book The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Would the main character of the latter book agree with this? It would be half and half.
“I regarded and hid them with an almost morbid sense of shame” (Stevenson). In the timeless novel, Jekyll creates an alter ego that takes over whenever he wants to do something harmful – a way to do immoral things without the guilt afterwards. He created Hyde, whom was the exact opposite of Jekyll. In the sense of saying we all have a light and a dark side, Jekyll would agree with this quote – his …show more content…

“It had seemed to me of late as though the body of Edward Hyde had grown in stature, as though (when I wore that form) I were conscious of a more generous tide of blood; and I began to spy a danger” (Stevenson). Throughout life, we all have moments that we do not think clearly – such as taking revenge out of anger, or losing our temper. In the book, he even says he didn’t mean to make Hyde a symbol of evil; Jekyll thought that he would produce a virtuous being if he wouldn’t have done the experiment out of pride and ambitions. Jekyll’s goal was to create a completely virtuous being, and then a completely harmful being. The evil side of Jekyll slowly took over the body, and he had no say in any of it; “and the character of Edward Hyde become irrevocably mine” (Stevenson). For his specific situation, Jekyll would heavily disagree with that portion of the quote. “Here then, as I lay down the pen and proceed to seal up my confession, I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end” (Stevenson). Henry Jekyll couldn’t contain his dark side, and that’s why I believe that he couldn’t believe in half of the quote – he couldn’t control his dark side, therefore he had no real choice in if he wanted to be on the light or the dark

Show More
Related

  • The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

    530 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Robert Louis Stevenson’s, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dual nature of man is a recurring theme. Jekyll constantly struggles with good and evil, the expectations of Victorian society, and the differences between Lanyon and Jekyll.

    Read More

  • Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

    2677 Words  | 6 Pages

    To conclude the way that Stevenson has described Hyde and what Jekyll has done in most parts he has related it to the devil which in Victorian times was considered very dangerous, even though today he’s not considered that powerful it would still make a big impact. Stevenson has been successful in using many elements of a shocker/thriller to write a novella with a much deeper moral significance because every aspect of the story relates back to the Victorian morals of 1837 till 1901 and for a 21st century reader some parts of the novella will make them think what is really happening around them now and whether it is right or not!

    Read More

  • Does Stevenson Create Suspense In Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

    1987 Words  | 4 Pages

    From reading the last chapter, we can all see that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are easily viewed as a symbol about the good and evil that exists in all men, and about the struggle these two sides in the human personality. Hyde has a short temper and is made to look evil. “I observed that when I wore the semblance of Edward Hyde, none could come near me at first with a visible misgiving of the flesh”. Jekyll is arguing that Hyde is the perfect physical embodiment of the evil inside him, implying that Hyde looks evil. Stevenson has also explored which aspect of human personality is superior, good or evil. Since at the start of the book Hyde seems to be taking over, you might argue that evil is stronger than good. However, Hyde does end up dead at the end of the story, suggesting a failure of the weakness of evil. Since Hyde represents the evil in Jekyll he is therefore symbolically represented being much smaller than Jekyll as “Jekyll’s clothes are far too large for him”. But as the plot progresses Mr. Hyde began to grow and becomes more powerful than Jekyll, and the reason for Hyde to become more powerful is due to the fact that Jekyll enjoys what Hyde does, which allow Hyde to gradually destroy the good in

    Read More

  • Dr Jekyll And Hyde Character Analysis

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ve duality of man;… if I could rightly be said to be either, it was only because I was radically both” Thus, Stevenson creates in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, two coexistent, and eternally opposed components that make up a “normal” individual. However, here, good and evil are not related but are two independent entities, individuals even, different in mental and physical attributes and constantly at war with each other. Evil now does not require the existence of good to justify itself but it exists simply as itself, and is depicted as being the more powerful, the more enjoyable of the two, and in the end ultimately it is the one that leads to Dr. Jekyll's downfall and death. Stevenson creates the perfect metaphor for the never-ending battle between good and evil by using Jekyll and Hyde. However, this novella is perhaps one of the few that truly show the power of Evil.

    Read More

  • Dr Jekyll's Monologue

    1479 Words  | 3 Pages

    For this reason I’ll be explaining Jekyll’s mental health. Jekyll has as what we now call Multiple Personality Disorder; “I learned to recognize the thorough and primitive duality of man; I saw that, of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness, even if I could be rightly said to be either, it was only because I was radically both,” Stevenson 57.) The disease was first discovered by Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot. He would ask patients symptoms that he found common in MPD. Many patients know about their alternate personality but refuse to acknowledge it’s existence. In some cases they may even refer to it as a separate person entirely. In this case Jekyll is very much aware of his alternate personality, going as to so far as to willingly change into him. However despite this he also categorizes Hyde into a separate being. For example when Hyde does something unappealing or distasteful he blames it on a separate person. Consciously though he is aware that he is Hyde and Hyde is him. (MD, Arnold Lieber. "Multiple Personality Disorder / Dissociative Identity Disorder." PsyCom.net - Mental Health Treatment Resource Since 1986. Vertical Health LLC, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2016).

    Read More

  • Jekyll and Hyde: Duality of Human Nature

    685 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a riveting tale of how one man uncovers, through scientific experiments, the dual nature within himself. Robert Louis Stevenson uses the story to suggest that this human duality is housed inside everyone. The story reveals “that man is not truly one, but two” (Robert Louis Stevenson 125). He uses the characters of Henry Jekyll, Edward Hyde, Dr. Lanyon, and Mr. Utterson to portray this concept. He also utilizes important events, such as the death of Dr. Jekyll and the death of Mr. Lanyon in his exploration of the topic.

    Read More

  • The Nature Of Evil In Dr Jekyll And Hyde

    641 Words  | 2 Pages

    Audiences can relate to both Jekyll and Hyde because they see themselves in both of the characters. They may not see themselves in Hyde’s more unrestrained behaviors, but an honest audience can relate to Jekyll’s desire to become Hyde and pursue human instinct without guilt. They may understandably see Jekyll as a victim. By just pursuing to feed these primal instincts, he fell victim to the immense power that can come with supreme evil and in extremes in general. Striving to be either entirely good or entirely evil is an interesting thought, but one that arguably can never happen given this duality that Stevenson is trying to convey. Even Hyde was not as evil as Jekyll makes him out to be, as we see him agreeably pay for any damages that he might have caused, even going as far as to offer to wait until the bank opens and deposit the check with the injured party to ensure the check goes through (Stevenson, 3-4). One cannot be entirely good or evil and must, instead, strike a balance between the two. Jekyll is not necessarily at fault for attempting to realize this, although he was just a tad naive in doing so. These instincts will always be a part of humanity at some level, so there will always be some aspect of the self for the audience to relate to. Though Stevenson wrote for an audience from 1889, these instincts are still very much a part of us, however the culture we are immersed in differs

    Read More

  • The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde

    1463 Words  | 3 Pages

    The final chapter of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is unique in the story as it is the only chapter from Henry Jekyll's point of view. Written as a letter addressed to Mr. Utterson the chapter is titled 'Henry Jekyll's Full Statement of the Case' and is written over the week of Jekyll's self-imposed isolation. The important note of this chapter is that not only is it in first person point of view, but that Jekyll has written it himself and the language of the text suggests his recount is unreliable. Furthermore, Jekyll has the motivation to be an unreliable narrator, that is, to appear innocent of the crimes committed

    Read More

  • The Dual Nature of Man: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

    607 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, the dual nature of man is a main theme. Jekyll says: "Man is not /truly one, but truly two"(125), meaning all people have both a good and a bad side. Dr. Jekyll creates a potion to fully separate good and evil, but instead it awakens a dormant character, Mr. Hyde. Throughout the novel, Stevenson uses society, control, and symbolism to tell the reader about human nature.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Good And Evil In Dr. Jekyll And Mr Hyde

    1426 Words  | 3 Pages

    “All human beings are commingled out of good and evil” Robert Louis Stevenson once said. In this one of a kind novel entitled The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, written by the wonderful Robert Louis Stevenson. Throughout this literary work, the idea of good vs evil as well as your dark side being tough to handle is greatly expressed. Which is why the theme of this novel is good versus evil and having trouble controlling your dark side. Now some people may believe that your good side almost always triumphs over your bad side mnly becasue thats what wither see or hear about, the yin and yang sign for good and evil is perfectly balanced, and some others may believe that a person cannot have two completely opposite personalities.

    Read More

  • Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Essay

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jekyll himself. Dr. Jekyll is a symbol of both the good and the bad in mankind, while Mr. Hyde represents pure evil. For instance, when Dr. Jekyll is himself, he is seen as a respectable man who is adored by his colleagues: “he became once more their familiar quest and entertainer; and whilst he had always been known for his charities, he was now no less distinguished for religion” (Stevenson 29). However, when Dr. Jekyll transforms to Mr. Hyde his morals are quickly disregarded. An example of this occurs when Mr. Hyde murders Sir Danvers, shortly after Dr. Jekyll submits to the temptation of changing to Mr. Hyde: “instantly the spirit of hell awoke in me…with a transport of glee, I mauled the unresisting body, tasting delight from every blow” (Stevenson 56). Even though the carnal side of Dr. Jekyll enjoys the incident, this event also illustrates the conscience side of Dr. Jekyll because in the mist of this brutal murder, he begins to feel guilty for committing the crime. This guilt drives him to have “clasped hands to God…tears and prayers to smother down the crowd of hideous images and sounds that his memory swarmed against him” (Stevenson 57). As a whole, the text demonstrates that Dr. Jekyll’s alter ego, Mr. Hyde, is the mastermind of pure malevolence who participates in activities that Dr. Jekyll cannot

    Read More

  • Henry Jekyll And Hyde Case Study

    1940 Words  | 4 Pages

    The book is well worth reading if, for no other reason, this chapter alone—“Henry Jekyll’s Full Statement of the Case”. Jekyll begins his letter by explaining how, ever since he was a young man, he detected a certain duality in his nature—a longing to do good, and an appetite to do evil. He was conflicted; his good side hated his bad side, and vice versa. He said, “Though so profound a double-dealer, I was in no sense a hypocrite; both sides of me were in dead earnest; I was no more myself when I laid aside restraint and plunged in shame, than when I laboured, in the eye of day, at the furtherance of knowledge or the relief of sorrow and suffering.” Reminds one of how Paul described himself in Romans

    Read More

  • Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Character Analysis

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the author Robert Louis Stevenson uses Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to show the human duality. Everyone has a split personality, good and evil. Stevenson presents Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as two separate characters, instead of just one. Dr. Jekyll symbolizes the human composite of a person while Mr. Hyde symbolizes the absolute evil. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, who are indeed the same person, present good and evil throughout the novel.

    Read More

  • Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Critical Analysis

    1819 Words  | 4 Pages

    Henry Jekyll’s innermost vices, but since he held himself to an extremely high standard of moral excellence, he needed to find another way of releasing. He creates Hyde as his way of getting these primal urges out. During this time period, the focus on reputation and credibility was huge, and this is how men were judged. He had many urges that he was internally repressing, as a result of existing in the Victorian era, which was well known for how incredibly stuffy and repressed it was. Jekyll was widely respected in the community as a doctor and he had many friends, so it is understandable that he didn’t want to lose his reputation, which came first for men of his social standing in this time period. He went to great lengths to create and cover for Hyde, including renting a place for Hyde to live, and making a bank account for his alter ego. The creation of Hyde turns out to be way more sinister than Jekyll initially imagined. Hyde’s own name is a pun, as he is the part of Jekyll that he must keep hidden away for fear of

    Read More

  • Sirius Black Analysis

    651 Words  | 2 Pages

    “We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.” This quote is from Sirius Black, in the movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. A story that also discusses the inner conflict of man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, expresses the main ideas of Sirius Black’s words in a different way. After reading Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I have to believe that Dr. Jekyll would agree with the words of Sirius Black to a certain degree, but I also believe that he would disagree with the quote due to his own circumstances later in the story.

    Read More

More about Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde: A Literary Analysis

Open Document