this could allude to an injury that Stevenson does not write into the novella. In addition, this case of “unilateral brain injury” could simply refer to the repression in which Dr. Jekyll is afflicted. The Victorian Era recognized the left side of the brain as the logical, reasoning, speech giving side. The left hemisphere was often “associated with masculinity, whiteness, and civilization” (Stiles 884). Dr. Jekyll displays all left-hemisphere qualities: masculinity, whiteness, logic, intelligence, and humanness (Stiles 885). Conversely, the right side of the brain controlled the emotions deeming it feminine and “only for women” (Stiles 884-85). This side of the brain had few exceptions to femininity (showing great gender bias, odd during Dr. Jekyll depends on his left-brain so much that when he suddenly begins using the right, the balance is thrown too far off. This “cure” inadvertently creates his mental illness and criminality (Stiles 887). At the time of his confession, Jekyll says, “I was conscious of no repugnance, rather of a leap of welcome. This, too, was myself. It seemed natural and human” (Stevenson 88). This statement is rather heart breaking as Jekyll simply sought a means to end his misery. When Dr. Jekyll cannot reverse his “cure” on cue to the good, law-abiding man, he commits an act of “self-destruction by drinking a poisonous phial to avoid capture and the following legal and social condemnation” (Sanna 35-35). In terms of Jekyll and Hyde’s dissociation, no matter the cause, the theory of dualism comes up numerous times. Essentially, Dualism is “a thought that facts about the world in general or of a particular class cannot be explained except by supposing ultimately the existence of two different, often opposite, and irreducible principles” (Singh). Henry Jekyll, an esteemed doctor possesses a brilliant intelligence is too conscious of “the duplicity of the life that he leads, and of the evil that resides within him” (Singh). Jekyll discusses his thoughts on duplicity in his Jekyll says, “With every day, and from both sides of my intelligence, the moral and the intellectual, I thus drew steadily nearer to that truth, by whose partial discovery I have been doomed to such a dreadful shipwreck: that man is not truly one, but truly two” (Stevenson 83). Jekyll believes he will get pleasure from both alters without any backlash; however, Hyde soon becomes more powerful than his ‘good’ alter and ultimately leads Dr. Jekyll to his doom (Singh). Stevenson creates in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, to coexistent to make up a “normal” individual (Singh). Seeing things as Jekyll did, “Humans are half-good, half-evil” Stevenson separated the two, making one pure good (Jekyll) and one pure evil, as Jekyll says, “Edward Hyde, alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil” (Stevenson 88). After all, good and evil are independent objects, people; they possess distinctive psychological characteristics and consistently fight with each
...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.
He believe that the each side should be expressed individually. His experiment suppose this claim because all though out this story. Jekyll was his good side while Hyde was his bad. When he was Hyde he harmed so many people and turned back into good like nothing ever happened. The duality of human nature is when you have two differences in the way you think, feel and act. Which connects back to Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud: superego and good vs. evil. I would compare Jekyll and Hyde to the makings of chocolate milk. When you start off you have a bright white cup of milk. After, adding the chocolate syrup it turn darks. After becoming chocolate like it could no longer be that bright white cup of milk again. Just like Jekyll and Hyde: once Jekyll drunk his experiment he turned into Hyde. Although he turned back to himself, both sides of him was gone: he was no longer himself (Stevenson, 1986/2004, p.65). This chapter show the true meaning of good vs.
Naturally the body fights the tensions of good and evil by justifying right from wrong. The body is persuaded by one side but ends up conquered by the other. It is a constant battle of pain and pleasure: a constant desire of imperfection from perfection. Dr. Jekyll wanted evil to be completely separated from his goodness. Hyde was not considered a human. He was a creation that possessed life only when Jekyll self medicated himself as a form of release. “Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde are not one person but two, not a single individual compounded like common humanity of both good and evil traits, with the one or the other in the ascendant at any given moment” (Sanderson). As two separate souls inhabited a single body, conflict w...
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.
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.
A tampering rod through the head is how 25-year-old Phineas Gage became the most notable case of Traumatic Brain injury of the 19th century. With more than 1.7 million people each year who sustain an injury, why does this one case become so interesting? The reason behind this is the result of the injury. When Gage had the tampering rod penetrate his skull it completely changed his personality. From a once mild mannered individual to a foul mouth and persistent person, Gage became interesting cases in history. Gage starts us off with our topic of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) because in the US there are around 50,000 deaths, 270,000 hospitalizations, and 1.36 million who are treated and released to go home (Alzheimers Organization, 2014). A TBI is defined when an external mechanical force causes brain dysfunction.
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.
Steven Padnick’s article, “What Everybody Gets Wrong About Jekyll and Hyde” provides a strong and straight forward opinion to the work of Stevenson’s’ novel. I have to agree with Mr. Padnick’s point of view when the idea of the potion that was ingested by Jekyll was discussed. “Jekyll did not create a potion to remove the evil parts of his nature. He made a potion that allowed him express his urges without feeling guilty and without any consequences besmirching his good name. That’s also why he names his alter ego “Hyde,” because Hyde is a disguise, to be worn and discarded like a thick cloak. He might as well have called Edward “Mr. Second Skin,” or “Mr. Mask.”
In the novel, "... Dr. Henry Jekyll was already a dual character before drinking the potion. Duality defines his character... Jekyll himself sees Hyde as a projection of his evil disposition... On the one hand we have the penitent, moral, and remorseful Jekyll; on the other, we have the free, animal-like, and devillike Hyde" (2007).
Despite being published in 1886, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson remains to be recognized and referred to as one of the initial studies of the duality of human nature and mans struggle between two natural forces – good and evil. The story takes place during the Victorian Era in which society is already somewhat constrained and cruel and explores the human struggle between being civilized and facing the more primitive aspects to our being. According to author Irving S Saposnik, “Henry Jekyll’s experiment to free himself from the burden of duality results in failure because of his moral myopia, because he is a victim of society’s standards even while he would be free of them.” Henry Jekyll, an English doctor faces duality when he comes into battle with his darker side. Creating a personification under the name of Edward Hyde in order to fulfill his desires, Dr. Jekyll feels as if he will be able to control the face that he wants seen to public vs. the one in which he wants to keep more private. “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.” (10.1) The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a story about how people are scared to acknowledge personal duality so they keep silent and in this case, create a personification in order to fulfill evil desires without thinking through the consequences of such actions.
middle of paper ... ... As Dr. Jekyll says, “With every day and from both sides of my intelligence, the moral and intellectual, I thus drew steadily to that truth by whose partial discovery I have been doomed to such a dreadful shipwreck: that man is not truly one, but truly two”(Stevenson 78). He further adds,”. that I learned to recognize the thorough and primitive duality of man; if I could rightly be said to be either, it was only because I was radically both” (Stevenson79).
When Mr. Utterson and Dr. Jekyll are first together in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson describes Dr. Jekyll as, "-a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty, with something of a slyish cast, perhaps, but every mark of capacity and kindness-- (12)." We are also told that Dr. Jekyll has a handsome face (13). Through the text, we learn that Dr. Jekyll was a hardworking, likable gentleman with a deep interest in science.
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...
Dr. Jekyll is a symbol of both the good and the bad in mankind, while Mr. Hyde represents pure evil. For instance, when Dr. Jekyll is himself, he is seen as a respectable man who is adored by his colleagues: “he became once more their familiar quest and entertainer; and whilst he had always been known for his charities, he was now no less distinguished for religion” (Stevenson 29). However, when Dr. Jekyll transforms to Mr. Hyde his morals are quickly disregarded. An example of this occurs when Mr. Hyde murders Sir Danvers, shortly after Dr. Jekyll submits to the temptation of changing to Mr. Hyde: “instantly the spirit of hell awoke in me…with a transport of glee, I mauled the unresisting body, tasting delight from every blow” (Stevenson 56). Even though the carnal side of Dr. Jekyll enjoys the incident, this event also illustrates the conscience side of Dr. Jekyll because in the mist of this brutal murder, he begins to feel guilty for committing the crime.
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