It is said that the eyes are the window to the soul. Similarly, the way in which one sees the world around them provides insight into what the individual’s values are, what they are thinking, and what their emotions are. In the novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, the motif of eyes and sight is extremely important in providing a full understanding to the reader. In this book, the reputable Dr. Jekyll invents a potion that allows him to turn into the evil version of himself, Mr. Hyde. Throughout the book, the main characters do not know that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are the same person, or, in the case of Jekyll, do not know how wrong this ability of transformation is. In this book, the motif of …show more content…
sight allows the reader to better comprehend the journey to knowledge of the truth that the main characters go through, because of the phases of oblivion, denial, and understanding shown through how characters perceive the world around them.
The repetition of sight allows the reader to understand the characters’ journey to the truth, because of the phase of oblivion shown through how they process the environment around them. When Utterson hears the story of how the rude Hyde trampled a child, he is curious about the nature of the man, and even wishes to view these somehow wrong facial features for himself. The idea of Hyde intrigues and troubles Utterson so much that it is all he can think about. Utterson explains that despite this constant thought, “the figure had no face by which he might know it; even in his dreams, it had no face, or one that baffled him and melted before his eyes” (8). Utterson is completely innocent and oblivious as to how evil this person he is interested in really is. If he only knew what was really going on, the thought of Hyde would not make Utterson curious, but instead repulsed. The way that Utterson sees Hyde’s face as morphing reflects his complete lack of understanding; he does not have any clue as to what Hyde looks like or who he really is. Utterson’s unclear vision shows his innocence before he embarks on the journey to understanding. Similarly to Utterson, Dr. …show more content…
Lanyon also begins his journey as innocent. In his narrative, Dr. Lanyon recalls how Hyde comes to his house to pick up a drawer for Jekyll. Lanyon, like Utterson, is curious about Hyde. When he finally does see Hyde, Lanyon remarks, “Here, at last, I had a chance of clearly seeing him. I had never set eyes on him before, so much was certain” (38). In this moment, though cautious, Lanyon is intrigued about what Hyde looks like, and is looking forward to solving the mystery. He has no idea of how much he will soon wish he was not familiar with the face of Hyde. Additionally, Lanyon has never seen Hyde before. He has not been touched by the influence of Hyde’s evil. At this stage, he is oblivious to the truth. Dr. Jekyll also begins in a stage of oblivion. In his written confession, Jekyll explains his experiment to split himself into two different people. When he finally succeeds and gazes upon the unnatural face of Hyde in the mirror, it does not disgust him; instead, he welcomes it. Jekyll writes, “In my eyes it bore a livelier image of the spirit, it seemed more express and single, than the imperfect and divided countenance I had been hitherto accustomed to call mine” (45). Jekyll is freed by the feeling of being Hyde. He feels that he has escaped the structures of society and everything he has to worry about as his other self. Rather than seeing the abnormality in the features of Hyde, he instead sees perfection. Jekyll feels that the creation of this creature will solve his problems, and is unaware of the fatal dilemma that Hyde will actually cause. The motif of sight provides insight into how the main characters view different situations, showing the stages they go through as they journey to find the truth. At the beginning, however, they all start in a stage of oblivion. The characters’ journey to the truth is further developed through the motif of sight, because of the phase of denial shown by how each of them perceive different situations. When Lanyon dies, he leaves Utterson a sealed envelope that reads, “not to be opened till the death or disappearance of Dr. Henry Jekyll.” This familiar phrase greatly concerns Jekyll, and he “could not trust his eyes” He observes that “Yes, it was disappearance; here again, as in the mad will which he had long ago restored to its author, here again were the idea of a disappearance and the name of Henry Jekyll bracketed” (24). Though Utterson knows that something is not right, he does not allow his brain to piece together all of the parts of what is really happening. He does not even fully believe and trust the evidence that is right before him. He is not oblivious, and knows that something strange is happening. However, he denies and ignores what the mention of Jekyll’s future disappearance could really mean. Similarly to Utterson, Lanyon is also exposed to the truth, but intentionally ignores it. When Lanyon witnesses Jekyll’s transformation to Hyde, he is appalled. He writes, “I saw what I saw, I heard what I heard, and my soul sickened at it; and yet now when that sight has faded from my eyes, I ask myself if I believe it, and I cannot answer” (41). When Lanyon witnesses Jekyll’s transformation, he has come a long way from when he knew nothing of the truth. However, though he clearly sees it happening, and reacts in horror, he still does not fully believe what he is seeing. Lanyon is in a stage of denial, and though he knows the actuality of the situation, he refuses to accept it. This rejection is shown by Lanyon’s sight, and how he does not trust it. Similarly to the other main characters, Jekyll also becomes exposed to the truth. Jekyll explains in his confession that when he first starts taking the powder to transform into Hyde, everything goes perfectly. However, things soon go awry when he wakes up not as Jekyll, but rather as Hyde. He writes, “At the sight that met my eyes, my blood was changed into something exquisitely thin and icy. Yes, I had gone to bed Henry Jekyll, I had awakened Edward Hyde. How was this to be explained?” (47). Jekyll’s overnight transformation is when he first begins to realize the truth of Hyde, and how the situation is not as perfect as he originally thought. However, even when he clearly sees that he is not who he should be, Jekyll does not accept or understand how something could be going wrong. Though he has evidence of how wrong what he is doing is, he still chooses to not take action to stop it. He rejects the knowledge of the reality of what is happening, even though he knows it. Through showing how the main characters grasp the world around them, the motif of sight shows the journey to understanding that the characters go through. In the stage of oblivion, the characters have an idea of the truth but choose to ignore it. The motif of sight allows an understanding of the characters’ final step to knowledge, shown by the new way in which they see the world around them.
Utterson goes on a walk one night with his friend Enfield. They go to Dr. Jekyll’s window, and before he slams it shut, Utterson sees something that completely changes his understanding of what is happening. Once they leave Jekyll’s window, Utterson “at last turned and looked at his companion. They were both pale; and there was an answering horror in their eyes” (26). Utterson has finally witnessed the truth, and now has no way in which he can ignore it; he has solid evidence. The horror in which Utterson reacts to what is implied as Jekyll’s transformation shows that he fully believes and accepts what he has witnessed. Though later Utterson is somewhat confused as to what is going on at Jekyll’s house, and the author never shows a real moment where Utterson admits to knowing what is happening, this event is still the moment where everything makes sense for Utterson. It is implied that in this moment, Utterson can no longer deny the truth. Lanyon comes to realize the truth as well. After he witnesses Jekyll’s transformation, he is changed and shaken to a point to which there is no coming back from. Utterson notes Lanyon’s changed appearance, observing, “it was not so much, these tokens of a swift physical decay that arrested the lawyer’s notice, as a look in the eye and quality of manner that seemed to testify to some
deep-seated terror of the mind” (23). Though when he first witnessed the transformation of Jekyll Lanyon was in a state of denial, it is clear that over time he has come to accept the truth. Lanyon understands the horrible thing that his friend has done; this knowledge shown by the toll it has taken on his physical health. One aspect of this deteriorated health is the look in Lanyon’s eyes. The new fearful and sickened way in which Lanyon sees the full situation is reflected through his eyes and sight. Like the other main characters, Jekyll finally comes to a knowledge of the truth. At the end of his confession, Jekyll has accepted his fate. He remarks that, “This, then, is the last time, short of a miracle, that Henry Jekyll can think his own thoughts or see his own face (now how sadly altered!) in the glass” (54). Throughout his confession, Jekyll continued to grasp to the idea that something could be done to fix the situation he was in. However, in this moment, Jekyll fully accepts what is really happening. He has given up hope, and now can clearly see how even his face as Jekyll has changed. This new sight shows that Jekyll finally knows the deformity of the changes he brought to himself, and is no longer oblivious enough to think that there is beauty in his other self as he did when he first witnessed Hyde. The motif of sight allows the reader to understand the stages that the main characters go through on their journey to knowing the truth. The sudden new way in which they see the same fact that has existed all along allows the reader to notice that the characters have a full comprehension of the truth. In this book, the reader is able to understand the journey to the truth that all the characters go through, from the stage of oblivion, to denial, and finally to recognition. This journey is shown through the different ways in which the characters see things throughout the story. Overall, it is this motif of sight that allows the journey to knowledge to be obvious to the reader. The journey is obvious only because of the thoughts and beliefs that the characters’ sight reflect. The way in which one sees the world has a huge impact on their perception of the truth. Many may look at the same situation, but all see a different reality. Where Jekyll saw beauty in Hyde, others saw deformity and ugliness. It is imperative for one to be able to see things from contrasting points of views in order to fully grasp the reality of a situation. This book teaches that to understand the truth, one must look at a situation in new and different ways; one must attempt to see the entire light of of the situation, not merely a narrow scope.
Stevenson uses many methods to achieve and sustain an atmosphere of mystery and suspense in the novel of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He does this by using a clever sense of setting, vocabulary, surroundings and the manner of his characters which are used to describe and slowly reveal the appearance of Hyde . Some of these are highlighted in the depiction of the Dr Jekyll’s house, such as Mr. Enfield's story, Henry Jekyll’s will and the meeting with Hyde.
Stevenson focuses on two different characters Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but in reality these are not separate men, they are two different aspects of one man’s reality. In the story, Dr. Je...
Throughout the thriller-mystery story of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Mr. Utterson, the friendly lawyer, tries to figure out the reason behind why Dr. Jekyll, his friend and client, gives all his money to a strange man and murderer named Mr. Hyde in his will. Readers learn from the ominous third person point of view the worries of Mr. Utterson and ride along in his search for Mr. Hyde. In R. L. Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, he employs characterization, imagery, and weather motifs to construct complex characters and create eerie settings, which parallel the mood of the characters. Throughout the story, Stevenson characterizes Mr. Hyde as a strange man with odd features who nobody seems to like.
Stevenson’s most prominent character in the story is the mysterious Mr Hyde. Edward Hyde is introduced from the very first chapter when he tramples a young girl in the street, which brings the reader’s attention straight to his character. The reader will instantly know that this person is a very important part of this book and that he plays a key role in the story. This role is the one of a respectable old man named Dr Jekyll’s evil side or a ‘doppelganger’. This links in with the idea of duality. Dr Jekyll is described as being ‘handsome’, ‘well-made’ and ‘smooth-faced’. On the other hand, Mr Hyde is described as being ‘hardly human’, ‘pale and dwarfish’, giving of an impression of deformity and ‘so ugly that it brought out the sweat on (Mr Enfield) like running’! These words all go together to conjure up an image in the mind of an animal, beast or monster. During the novel...
“The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde” is a novella written in the Victorian era, more specifically in 1886 by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. When the novella was first published it had caused a lot of public outrage as it clashed with many of the views regarding the duality of the soul and science itself. The audience can relate many of the themes of the story with Stevenson’s personal life. Due to the fact that Stevenson started out as a sick child, moving from hospital to hospital, and continued on that track as an adult, a lot of the medical influence of the story and the fact that Jekyll’s situation was described as an “fateful illness” is most likely due to Stevenson’s unfortunate and diseased-riddled life. Furthermore the author had been known to dabble in various drugs, this again can be linked to Jekyll’s desperate need and desire to give in to his darker side by changing into Mr Hyde.
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.
wrong, a lot like the way Mr Hyde was thought of. So to Mr Utterson,
Mr. Utterson then stakes out and paces around the area that Mr. Hyde was supposedly in from the gossip he heard. “ Mr Utterson began to haunt the door in the by street of shops.” The ‘haunt’ is as if he’s like a ghost hovering around them. The dark things have been happening during the night like Mr. Utterson meeting Mr. Hyde. This happens during the night....
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.
When Jekyll first turns into Hyde, he feels delighted at his newfound freedom. He states: "... And yet when I looked upon /that ugly idol in the glass, I was conscious of no repugnance, /rather of a leap of welcome..."(131). Now he could be respected as a scientist and explore his darker passions. Stevenson shows duality of human nature through society.
“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. According
In Robert Louis Stevenson’s the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde a scientist, Dr. Jekyll, creates an alter ego using a draught in order to escape the harsh views of society. As Mr. Hyde, he commits heinous crimes against citizens and becomes addicted to the perception of freedom from Victorian laws. Best stated by Norman Kerr about addiction, “there is an inebriety derangement of the mental faculties, so that the consciousness, perception, reasoning, power, and conscience are impaired” (Kerr 138). The character Dr. Jekyll illustrates the condition of addiction in the Victorian era through the motifs of the obsession with appearance and duality. Dr. Jekyll’s obsession with appearance causes him to become addicted to the character Mr. Jekyll himself.
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.
The power of curiosity can change your involvement in a situation. Everyone’s curiosity gets the best of them, and they tend to involve themselves in situations more than they would please. Throughout the book, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” by Robert Louis Stevenson, the theme of curiosity is demonstrated. Some folks suggest, that there are better themes than curiosity to demonstrate the book, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” by Robert Louis Stevenson. However, throughout the beginning, middle, and end of this book, the theme of curiosity is demonstrated.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is novel written by Robert Louis Stevenson primarily to portray the ‘dual’ nature of man and presented in numerous perspectives and point of views. These various methods of presenting a story all have particular uses and benefits which Stevenson exploits to the full in presenting a story that seeks to establish the fact of the duality of man and argues how if not properly harnessed and controlled, one of the ‘parts’ would ultimately subdue the other and collect more authority on the life and actions of the person whom they interplay. However there are 3 major types of narrations that are clearly indicated in the story of Dr.jekyll and Mr. Hyde. These are the third person narrative, framed narrative, and the personal narrative.