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Essays on the strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde
The strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde eassy
Essays on the strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde
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Towards the end of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, readers discover more about Henry Jekyll's battle of reason versus emotion. The novella revealed how Jekyll, most of his life, battle between upholding his family’s and his reputation, and being able to do activities he found enjoyable, but were improper for his status. Jekyll was ashamed by his behavior and even admitted "the worst of my faults was a certain impatient gaiety of disposition . . . ." He knew the things that brought him pleasure were undignified, but he could not resist the strong emotion. So, Jekyll tries to solve this internal struggle by creating the potion that turns him into Mr. Hyde. Jekyll believed at first that he fixed the issue because as Hyde he could
Robert Louis Stevenson in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is telling people that they fear the knowledge of their duality so they keep silent. That everyday people are silent they fight a "war" within their bodies and minds. People are afraid of the truth, about themselves, so they stay quiet. Everybody has a part of himself or herself that they don't reveal to anyone. People are afraid to show it, but when it comes out they would rather not talk about it. People cannot do this, it is essential that one be capable of good and evil to be in existence.
The story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a confusing and perplexing one. R.L. Stevenson uses the devices of foreshadow and irony to subtly cast hints to the reader as to who Mr. Hyde is and where the plot will move. Stevenson foreshadows the events of the book through his delicate hints with objects and words. Irony is demonstrated through the names of characters, the names display to the reader how the character will fit into the novel. These two literary devices engage the readers; they employ a sense of mystery while leading the readers to the answer without them realizing the depth of each indirect detail.
Jekyll unveils his story, it becomes evident that Dr. Jekyll’s efforts to keep Mr. Hyde, his immoral outlet, reticent are in vain. Dr. Jekyll succumbs to Mr. Hyde once and eventually the pull of his worse self overpowers Dr. Jekyll completely. His futile attempts to contain Mr. Hyde were more damaging than auspicious, as Mr. Hyde would only gain a stronger grip on Dr. Jekyll. Dr. Jekyll writes, “I began to be tortured with throes and longings, as of Hyde struggling after freedom; and at last, in an hour of moral weakness, I once again compounded and swallowed the transforming draught… My devil had been long caged, he came out roaring” (115). Dr. Jekyll’s inevitable passion for debauchery is only further invigorated by his repression of Mr. Hyde. By restraining a desire that is so deeply rooted within Dr. Jekyll, he destroys himself, even after his desires are appeased. Like a drug, when Dr. Jekyll first allowed himself to concede to Mr. Hyde, he is no longer able to abstain, as his initial submission to depravity resulted in the loss of Dr. Jekyll and the reign of Mr.
It is captivating, the thought of being able to have something no one else could. This read explores the possibilities of how those events might play out. In the award winning novel The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, Mr. Hyde’s ominous, mysterious nature intrigues the curious Dr. Jekyll as Hyde allows Jekyll to lead a double life void of consequences, live the gift of youth once again, and indulge in vile pleasures.
Mr. Hyde and Dorian Gray are characters that nearly match each other in their symbolism and manner. However, it is the key differences that make them remarkably interesting as a pair. They symbolize the battles between good and evil, though they have differing interpretations of morality.
Throughout the story of “The Strange Case Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”, the author, Robert Louis Stevenson, presents his idea of the duality of man- where Dr Jekyll and Hyde have a dark, wicked side within them, where evil is held in waiting to surface, but they hide it away, they pretend it does not exist, and they keep it tame. He presents this idea by using two protagonists, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, who are actually the same person. One of these characters signifies the normal side of a person represented by Dr Jekyll, who is a typical upper class person, and the other, Mr Hyde, a deformed man, signifies the purest of evil.
Jekyll is given as a respected man raised in a wealthy family. During the era, people are meant to be well-mannered and polite without any sign or thinking of violence and crime; however, Dr. Jekyll secretly has a desire to perform evil. Conflicted with the ideal of society, he has repressed his emotion through many years and eventually he decided to conceal his pressure as he said, “And indeed the worst of my faults was a certain impatient gaiety of disposition, such as has made the happiness of many, but such as I found it hard to reconcile with my imperious desire to carry my head high, and wear a more than commonly grave countenance before the public. Hence it came about that I concealed my pleasures; and that when I reached years of reflection, and began to look round me and take stock of my progress and position in the world, I stood already committed to a profound duplicity of life.” (48) From this quote, Dr. Jekyll discloses that he’s not desired to be cheerful, as many do, and decides to fake his pressure in front of the public eyes. After many years, he then realizes he was only hiding his true emotion. Eventually, to resolve his situation, he is inspired to create a potion that could transform himself to Mr. Hyde that could free him from the struggle between protecting his reputation and following his emotion and
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.
In the form of Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll was able to gain relief from the cultural pressures to act and behave in a certain way. He could finally escape the demands that he faced on an everyday basis.... ... middle of paper ... ... Jekyll’s need for an evil counterpart was fueled by the morals and principles that surrounded him in the hypocrisy of Victorian life.
veneer of my real self." This is true due mostly to the fact that no
sides to him just like Dr Jekyll has. On one hand it says he is boring
To start off with, although most of the social codes in the Victorian era that surround Dr. Jekyll are supportive, he had to find a way to hide his malevolent desires. Dr. Jekyll is a chemist who discovered a way to transform himself to a new person who is known as Hyde. He experiences freedom when he transforms into Mr. Hyde and can still maintain his reputation as a good guy while on the other hand indulge into his pleasures as wicked murderer, “I would still
Authors at times take personal experiences from their lives to help them craft their book or story. Likewise, Robert Louis Stevenson connected his personal issues with his bestselling novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The contrast between Mr. Hyde’s evil mischief and Dr. Jekyll’s naivety underscores the subtle narrative that the author is more than familiar with the situation described in the novel than meets the eye. Influenced by his own experiences with abuse, multiple personality disorders, and frightening dreams, Stevenson was able to formulate Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
All through the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson's depiction of Hyde as monstrous, deadly and capable makes him such a disdainful character.
Jekyll developed a formula that separated the two, turning him into a violent hoodlum, Mr. Hyde. He was aware from day one that he himself was “tenfold more wicked [and] evil.” It is unknown what horror Hyde has committed and what depravities he stoop to, but after a year of his turpitude, Jekyll had had enough of it. He vowed to give up the “liberty, the comparative youth, the light step, leaping impulses, and secret pleasures I had enjoyed in the disguise of Hyde,” the utmost satisfaction he received as Hyde is basically why Jekyll cannot put Hyde to rest. Although Jekyll did attempt for several months to lead a “life of such severity,” the bad in Jekyll was continually fighting for dispensation. Inhibited for so long, when Hyde finally surfaced, he “came out roaring.” Jekyll now has to vie with his “lust of evil,” with the “ugly face of iniquity” which peered into his ego. Hyde’s violent tendencies demonstrated throughout the novel offers a dichotomy with Dr. Jekyll’s reserved actions. While Jekyll is reasonable, Hyde is impetuous; while Jekyll is humble, Hyde is arrogant; throughout the time Jekyll was once an open socialite, Hyde was a standoffish hermit. Ultimately, Hyde is an intense portrayal of Jekyll’s restrained side and darker penchant. This is what, in the end, makes Henry Jekyll a morally ambiguous