Similarities Between Jekyll And Hyde

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While working for personal gain, it is critical for a character to recognize the potential effects their desires and determine when actions becomes too selfish. Even though Jekyll intended to use Hyde to eliminate the negative aspects of his personality, his selfish interests ultimately caused the experiment to backfire, leading to his downfall. By creating Hyde, Jekyll “…began to profit by the strange immunities of my position. Men have before hired bravos to transact their crimes, while their own person and reputation sat under shelter...I was the first that could plod in the public eye with a load of genial respectability, and in a moment, like a schoolboy, strip off these lendings and spring headlong into the sea of liberty...they soon …show more content…

Jekyll used Hyde to his benefit, pushing all responsibility and problems onto his character. Jekyll’s refusal to accept the burden displays his selfish nature, for he took advantage of his creation for personal gain. His devotion to his experiment caused him to test the waters with Hyde. Due to his ambition, he was able take advantage of his alter ego in any way. In William Berry’s “You’re so Selfish”, he determines that “selfishness negatively impacts our interpersonal relations, and can be focal points for personal growth…Scientific studies have amassed a number of unconscious biases, many of which are predispositions that fulfill ones’ egos” (Berry). One of seven primary biases contributing towards selfishness is known as the social desirability bias- “the tendency to want to present…as better than one actually is. This can either be conscious, or unconscious, when a result of ego-defenses” (Berry). Dr. Jekyll’s nature suggests a predisposition to the social desirability bias, inclining him to selfish behavior. Obstacles in Dr. Jekyll’s mental health ultimately prohibited him from attaining his desired …show more content…

No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs” (Shelley 40). Victor’s selfish ambition is exemplified as he wishes for people to praise and honor him. Victor’s entitled nature causes him to forget to love and nurture his creation, justifying the monster’s eventual retaliation. Literary critics compare Frankenstein to Prometheus in “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”. Prometheus … molded mankind out of clay and water. …Zeus considered these acts to be a form of blasphemy, and so he had Prometheus chained to a mountain peak in the Caucasu…Frankenstein [is] especially Promethean. [He is a scientist] who [defies] the natural laws of God and the universe in an effort to create life...there is little scientific detail; the focus instead is on the consequences of "playing God."” (Thomason 201). Victor’s selfish behavior connects to that of Prometheus. Zeus’s decision to punish Prometheus for his actions suggests that goals rooted in a quest for power are unacceptable. Therefore, disturbing the supernatural for personal benefit will ultimately lead to negative consequences. In her article “Frankenstein”, Virginia Brackett suggests that “Victor’s ambition causes him to seldom think of the

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