“Man is not truly one, but truly two”. Stevenson’s novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, addresses late Victorian anxieties and theories regarding psychology. Gall’s theories of lateralization, as well as the inklings of psychoanalysis, were beginning to emerge, bringing their influence into literature. The intrapsychic processes of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde illustrate an evident duality of persona throughout the novella, which was an evolving thought in the study of psychology at the time. The binate facets of the self are portrayed through recount of action and character description, and exist in the novella to exemplify the marred and non-equipotent nature of humanity as a whole. Dr. Jekyll embodies a caricature of a well respected
The localizationist theory, a forerunner of psychological theories at the time, focused on “how mental activities (or cognitive processes) are organized in the brain” (Zola-Morgan 360). It was suggested that “each brain hemisphere might house a separate personality, … a separate soul” (Stiles 882). From the standpoint of late Victorian psychology, it was frequently proposed that the two brain hemispheres presented “contrasting desires and moral inclinations” (Stiles 882) in addition to contrasting abilities. Henry Jekyll is a well respected doctor with a “large handsome face” with “every mark of capacity and kindness” (Stevenson 46, 45). On the other hand, Edward Hyde is described by multiple characters as “displeasing, something downright detestable, . . . [giving] a strong feeling of deformity” (Stevenson 37). Following trends in Victorian psychology at the time, such as the emergence of evolutionary psychology, Hyde can be interpreted as a less developed, premature, and primitive form of Jekyll. His “dusky pallor and … swart growth of hair” (Stevenson 82) are reminiscent of cliché Neanderthal figure. As Stiles proposes, Jekyll embodies the “pinnacle of evolution, … [but] Hyde approaches its nadir” (884). Hyde’s appearance, as well as his actions, are nowhere near as refined or learned as those of Jekyll’s, representing an immature version of the altruistic
Stevenson suggests Hyde’s left-handedness in the “odd, upright hand” of his letter, only differing from Jekyll’s handwriting in its “differently sloped” style (52, 54). Their writing is regarded as remarkably similar despite the difference in slope and angles. It is here that Stevenson is depicting the “singular resemblance” (54) between Jekyll and Hyde, suggesting that they may not be as separate as may seem. The two facets of Jekyll ultimately have their differences in appearance and impulsivities, but they are much more tied together at their core than one might think. Both figures are aware of each other when in their respective states. When in his final moments, although he is essentially Hyde at the time, Jekyll can still realize that these are the final moments when he can “think his own thoughts or see his own face” (Stevenson 89). This awareness of the other character within himself emphasizes that the two are indeed merely divergent facets of one entity. Stevenson has constructed each persona in such a polarized manner that it is difficult to view them as stemming from the same seed. Stevenson addresses the internal struggle that humankind faces in respect to their desires and gratification of said desires: “All human beings are commingled out of good and evil, and Edward Hyde alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure
Within every being exists temptations, whether it be quiescent or dynamic, which fluctuates from one individual to another. Commonly negative, temptations ascend from lesser qualities of man and expose an individual to develop even more reprehensible ambitions. The story of a one man’s dark wishes is explored in Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella, “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”. Properly termed, Stevenson perused the unnerving case of a respectable, proletariat-class doctor, who becomes associated and obsessed with Mr Hyde. It is this presence of the “duality of human nature that is created consistently throughout the Gothic Literature”.
In the reference book Victorian Britain: An Encyclopedia Stevenson is noted for saying that "fiction should render the truths that make life significant" (760). We see this most closely in his Jekyll/Hyde experiment when Jekyll explains why he invented his infamous potion. Jekyll says: "I concealed my pleasures; and when I reached years of reflection...I stood already committed to a profound duplicity of life" (Stevenson, 42). Because of this feeling of being one thing in the public's eye, well respected and controlled, and another on his own, Hyde invents an outlet. This outlet becomes, at least symbolically, a representation of male hysteria, a psychological disorder stereotypically associated with women. Jekyll says "my two natures had memory in common" (48). Thus, Hyde is free to express his base and immoral self without conscience while Jekyll is voyeuristically allowed to watch without regret since the actions are not his own, but a different entities altogether. Jekyll is described crying like a woman behind closed doors because Hyde has become the dominant personality (Showalter, 114).
...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.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde takes place during a time in London when people flocked to the city for jobs which resulted in great competition and deceit. As the city grew in size with powerful men there became issues of appearance and reputation where men of high status began to dance with the devil allowing their evil nature to show itself. The social scene at the time required people to hide this evil nature so men and women began to create two sides of themselves so that they could maintain and uphold their reputation hypocritically. The text of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde reveals human nature to have two sides; one represented by what a man claims and the other represented by how he/she acts.
Within the text of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson portrays a complex power struggle between Dr. Jekyll, a respected individual within Victorian London society, and Mr. Hyde a villainous man tempted with criminal urges, fighting to take total control of their shared body. While Dr. Jekyll is shown to be well-liked by his colleagues, Mr. Hyde is openly disliked by the grand majority of those who encounter him, terrified of his frightful nature and cruel actions. Throughout Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson portrays the wealthy side of London, including Mr. Utterson and Dr. Jekyll, as respected and well-liked, while showing the impoverish side as either non-existent or cruel.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is a Victorian novel that explores the psychological implications of the nature of duality. This novel explores the idea of doubleness, duality with the separation of moral obligation and human nature in Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde. Stevenson uses the character Mr. Utterson to narrate the novel and give a logic perspective to Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde’s duality, however Utterson has his own duality that echoes Dr. Jeykll’s. In the novel, Mr. Utterson has a dream that Stevenson uses to explore Utterson’s duality in terms of light and dark symbolism, a separation of his logical mental state, a physical separation between his actions
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.
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.
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 this essay on the story of Jekyll and Hyde written by Robert Louis Stevenson I will try to unravel the true meaning of the book and get inside the characters in the story created by Stevenson. A story of a man battling with his double personality.
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 Louis Stevenson’s Gothic 1886 novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde can be read in a number of ways through any number of different lenses, which makes for a versatile novella, and an interesting read for just about anyone. It also makes for a great novel with which to learn literary analysis. Using The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde one can see how Freudian psychoanalysis, though it had not been so developed at the time of the novel, can intersect with homosexual undertones, and how the manifestations of the repressed can come to light when the subject of homosexuality is not properly addressed. The novella was published in 1886, placing it in terms of history toward the end of the Victorian era. The Victorian era was well known for its repressive attitudes and high moral standards, and one was expected to live in such a certain way in the middle and upper classes.
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.
This essay will focus on how Robert Louis Stevenson presents the nature of evil through his novel ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. Using ideas such as duality, the technique used to highlight the two different sides of a character or scene, allegories, an extended metaphor which has an underlying moral significance, and hypocrisy; in this book the Victorians being against all things evil but regularly taking part in frown able deeds that would not be approved of in a ‘respectable’ society. This links in with the idea of secrecy among people and also that evil is present in everyone. The novel also has strong ties and is heavily influenced by religion. Stevenson, being brought up following strong Calvinist beliefs, portrays his thoughts and opinion throughout the story in his characters; good and evil.
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.