Are we destined to do good or evil from the day we are born, or are we clay in the hands of society (determine it on our own.)? A question that has challenged the mind of man from the beginning of time. A man born with nothing to his name couldn’t have been perceived as not evil in Victorian society. A man is judged by how much society has corrupted him. Man is judged on a scale of evil not good, so it is impossible to be “perfect”. In Stevenson’s novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the reader must answer this question to fully understand Stevenson’s main theme. Throughout our lives, many of us have questioned if someone is born good or evil, and in Stevenson’s novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, he shares …show more content…
He states that he had the occasional morning doze as himself and after one of them, found himself awake as Hyde. Having no control meant that he could change at anytime, anywhere which is very bad. Knowing the truth would only hurt the people that were close to him, he made some life changes such as becoming more religious and more like the old Jekyll, but then it started to come again, transforming him into the figure he now despised and hated. Jekyll, being a smart man, knew what he had to do to stop the beast, he had to kill it which meant killing himself. The night when he wrote the full statement for the court, he fulfilled his duty of killing the beast so it would roam no more. Writing these specific actions, Stevenson shows us what you have to do when you create something evil and you have to get rid of it if any means necessary. Being a great author, Stevenson writes this book, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, incorporating the theme is someone born good or evil, and using this theme, he created the character Dr. Jekyll to show what one can go through in a lifetime. The scale of good to evil does not start when you are just born, it starts when you get influenced by your surroundings and start making your life
Considering The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as an Effective Representation of Evil
Thus in conclusion, the concept that texts are a reflection of their context is applicable in Robert Stevenson’s novella: “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”. This is due to the values of the nineteenth century Victorian England such as technological advances, reputation and masculinity being reflected through the main characters of the text through Stevenson’s use of literary devices support.
As Jekyll reached adult hood, he found himself living a dual life. He had become more curious in discovering his other side. Jekyll insists, “Man is not truly one, but truly two” (125). This eventually led Jekyll into the scientific interests of separating his good and evil side, and he finds a chemical concoction that transforms him into a more wicked man, Edward Hyde. At first, Hyde was of pure impulse, but in the end, he became dominate and took control over Jekyll. Jekyll had never intended to hurt anyone, but he was aware that something could potentially go wrong. Jekyll presumes, “I knew well that I risked death, for any drug that so potently shook the very fortress of identity… utterly blot that immaterial tabernacle which I looked to it to change” (127-129). One could say this makes Jekyll equally as menacing as Hyde. Jekyll couldn’t control the imbalance between the two natures. Jekyll foolishly allowed his evil side to flourish and become stronger. This is shown when Jekyll has awoken to find that he has turned into Hyde without taking the solution. Jekyll says, “But the hand in which I now saw, clearly enough in the yellow light of a mid- London morning…It was the hand of Edward Hyde” (139).
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...
Robert, Stevenson L. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York: Dover Publications, 2013. Print.
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.
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.
In conclusion, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, represents many themes of duality in human nature. This is represented by the characters of Henry Jekyll, Edward Hyde, Hastie Lanyon, and John Utterson. Some themes represented are the duality in conforming to societal conventions, curiosity, and temptation. Stevenson utilizes significant events including the deaths of Lanyon and Jekyll, and the transformations of Jekyll into Hyde to prove “that man is not truly one, but two” (125)
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.
How Does Robert Louis Stevenson use literary techniques to illustrate the social, historical and moral points he is trying to make in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde? Throughout the Novella, ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, the author Robert Louis Stevenson uses a wide range of literary techniques in a skilful and sophisticated way to help achieve his effects and put his points across. Stevenson’s unique use of language is vital to the success of the Novella, with the structural and linguistic devices playing a vital part in creating the unusual atmosphere, which makes the Novella so successful. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde centres upon a conception of humanity as dual in nature, although the theme does not emerge fully until the last chapter, when the complete story of Jekyll – Hyde relationship is revealed. Robert Louis Stevenson had a very strict moral upbringing living in the nineteenth century, where class and social standing were very important in such a rigid system. The fact that he had such a religious background perhaps creates a link between the main moral point of good and evil and his disciplined religious upbringing, the bible teaching the importance of good and evil, and the seven deadly sins.
Good and evil is a concept that is shown in everyday life. Even back in the 1800s, the idea of good and evil was there. It is not a new idea in the world. In Robert Louise Stevenson’s mystery novella, Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde, the Victorian Era influences Jekyll and Utterson’s actions. Jekyll’s behavior is influenced by the 18th century time period.
Once Jekyll had became weak enough, he had no choice but to drink the potion once more and transform. He had let evil win him over once again, and the aftermath of Jekyll transforming into Hyde was the murder of Sir Danvers. All the urges and anger that had been pushed down by the fight of Jekyll exploded once he became Hyde again. This time around evil is more dominant than good, which is not a good sign for Jekyll. After this another incident happened, whilst thinking about doing good things Jekyll transforms into Hyde uncontrollably (Stevenson, 58).
Good and evil has been embedded in Human nature since the very beginning. The theme of good and evil has been shown in literature for millenia. In Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson uses physical descriptions to reflect good and evil in Jekyll and Hyde.