Examples Of Superego In Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

Id, Ego, and Superego in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Robert Louis Stevenson writes a short novella detailing the mysterious life of one Dr. Robert Jekyll and his struggle concerning his dual nature. Although the Freudian concepts of Id, Ego, and Superego emerged after the original Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, it is evident that Robert Louis Stevenson knew a great deal about the human conscious and internal struggle that occurs inside every individual. In the essay, “Psychoanalytic Criticism and Heart of Darkness”, the Id is defined as “the predominantly passional, irrational, unknown, and unconscious part of the psyche” (Psychoanalytic 114). It is represented by Mr. Hyde as he acts on his instincts and ignores

the restrictions of society. Dr. Jekyll in his state of full control is the Superego, he makes an effort to be an upstanding citizen and operates through conscious decisions. His actions agree with the definition of Superego from the same essay: “[The] part which makes moral judgments, which tells us to make sacrifices for good causes even though self-sacrifice may not be quite logical or rational” (Psychoanalytic 114). The Ego is defined as the “rational, logical, orderly, conscious part” (Psychoanalytic 114), it is often responsible for choosing between the Superego and Id and in a way is the moral scale of the human psyche. Dr. Jekyll also functions in the Ego when he has to decide between Superego and his Id. Through this extreme duality between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson unknowingly demonstrates that the freudian concepts of Id, Ego, and Superego constitute the human personality.
Mr. Hyde is the physical manifestation of the section of the human psyche called the Id. He operates solely on his instincts and seeks to only satisfy his inherent needs. The Id is also associated with a negative context and is known for being chaotic, both of which are true for Hyde. Almost one year after Jekyll attends the dinner party, Hyde’s instincts result in the murder of an innocent old man: “All of a sudden he broke out in a great flame of anger, stamping with his foot, brandishing the cane, and carrying on (as the maid described it) like a madman. The old gentleman took a step back, with the air of one very much surprised and a trifle hurt; and at that Mr. Hyde broke out of all bounds and clubbed him to the earth” (Stevenson 69). The old gentleman only greeted Hyde and it sent him into a storm of anger and rage. Hyde doesn’t follow the laws of society and is free from all of its restrictions. There is no justification for the murder of the old gentleman because Hyde doesn’t need any; he simply murdered him because he wished to. Jekyll recognizes the freedom from restraint that Mr. Hyde is granted. He discovers that Hyde is a distinct part of his consciousness composed of the darkest parts of his soul: “Enough then, that I not only recognised my natural body from the mere aura and effulgence of certain of the powers that made up my spirit, but managed to compound a drug by which these powers should be dethroned from their supremacy, and a second form and countenance substituted, none the less natural to me because they were the expression, and bore the stamp of lower elements in my soul” (112). Jekyll understands that Hyde is a separate part of him, one who is free from the bonds of society. There is a part of Jekyll that needs to be free and allowed break any laws that restrict him; however, the Superego part of his psyche prevents him from giving in to his barbaric side. The potion that he drinks allows him to isolate his Id from the rest of his brain and finally satisfy his instinctual needs without the guilt and remorse that would normally accompany them.
Dr.

Robert Jekyll is the opposite of Mr.Hyde, he consciously wishes to be morally right and is able to resist any barbaric instincts that society outlaws or looks down upon, in effect, representing the Superego. Jekyll himself notices this quality after he transforms back into himself: “Jekyll was no worse; he woke again to his good qualities seemingly unimpaired; he would even make haste, where it was possible, to undo the evil done by Hyde. And thus his conscience slumbered” (117). Each time Jekyll awakens after being Hyde, his good nature and moral stature return to him. He makes a conscious effort to reverse the damage that Hyde has caused and feels the guilt from whatever dishonorable actions have taken place. “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” (110). The Superego part of Jekyll comes back into play once Hyde is gone and it is the active force filling him with guilt. When Jekyll drinks the potion he sheds the Superego and nothing prevents the Id from acting on its own. The external pressure from society and the unspeakable social rules form the foundation for the Superego. Dr. Jekyll is seen as morally upright because he demonstrates the Superego by adhering to these rules and

restrictions.
The combined entity of both Jekyll and Hyde create the Ego, as their respective parts of the human psyche, Superego and Id, physically and metaphorically battle over the control of their human host. Initially, Jekyll’s goal was to separate them, allowing himself to satisfy his instinctual needs whenever convenient, while still maintaining a respectable life regularly. As he took more and more of the potion, he felt as if he had to choose one over the other:
“To cast in my lot with Jekyll, was to die to those appetites which I had long secretly indulged and had of late begun to pamper. To cast it in with Hyde, was to die to a thousand interests and aspirations, and to become, at a blow and forever, despised and friendless. The bargain might appear unequal; but there was still another consideration in the scales; for while Jekyll would suffer smartingly in the fires of abstinence, Hyde would be not even conscious of all that he had lost. Strange as my circumstances were, the terms of this debate are as old and commonplace as man; much the same inducements and alarms cast the die for any tempted and trembling sinner; and it fell out with me, as it falls with so vast a majority of my fellows, that I chose the better part and was found wanting in the strength to keep to it” (120).
Jekyll starts to debate to himself whether one side was better than the other. His Id pulling him towards moral freedom while the Superego struggled to bring him towards order and progress. Jekyll struggles with his Ego as he fears he will have to choose a side as both parts of his psyche battle for control. Eventually, the Id wins the battle and Jekyll realizes this before he finally turns into Mr. Hyde forever: “There comes an end to all things; the most capacious measure is filled at last; and this brief condescension to my evil finally destroyed the balance of my soul. And yet I was not alarmed; the fall seemed natural, like a return to the old days before I had made my discovery” (124). When Jekyll first starts to experiment with the potion, his ego successfully balances his Id and Superego, but as time passes, the Id wins out over the Superego and he effectively become Hyde.
Although Freudian thinking came to be after The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde was published, the idea of Id, Ego, and Superego is very present in the characters Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Mr. Hyde is the physical embodiment of Id, living only to satisfy his basic needs and nothing more. Dr. Jekyll is the Superego, constantly feeling the guilt for Hyde’s actions and making an effort to be morally upright. The two together represent the Ego as they battle each other for control of Jekyll’s body. Dr. Jekyll attempts to separate these areas of his psyche and is successful until his Id corrupts the rest of him and takes over, ultimately transforming him into Mr. Hyde.