There are many moral behaviors that have happened over time between now and back in the Victorian era. There were a different set of morals over time based on religion and other perceptions of good and evil in literature and different forms media going back from the Victorian era till now. The books The Strange Cases of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Hunger Games, Dracula, and Beowulf are some of the literature that support the morals changing through time, how good and evil was perceived, and how actions were justified as good or evil. The thesis for this paper is that morals and perception of good and evil in society and the media try to justify actions and how society at that time perceived it as good or evil, set to be morally right or wrong …show more content…
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde show the two sides of a man. The character in the book shows a man with a good side and an evil side. The good side is Dr. Jekyll who is shown as the person that they wanted in the Victorian society. Because he is the person that is doing good and doing everything by the book, he represents good. Every time he drinks the potion, the good and evil in the person separates. This means that the caring side of a person and remorseful side are separated from the evil side of him which is all the things that there society perceives as evil. The evils is shown when, “the man trampled calmly over the body and left her on the ground” (Robert Louis Stevenson 3). This shows that when Hyde was walking he trampled over this girl who was just a child in order to run around and he didn’t care. The nature of Hyde is evil because he was made out evil. They show him as evil in every action that he does. The evil shown in the text is evil like in the trampling part. There was no remorse for trampling of this girl that shows how his nature is to do evil and how he does not know any better but to do evil. The good in the book is the good in Jekyll because he meet up to their society’s expectations. Dr. Jekyll was consider an upstanding person with a good reputation. He was considered a good friend and man in everybody’s mind and this was represented in the way he was acting and how he has friends. The book states, “Henry Jekyll shoes without further delay, and free from any burthen or obligation, beyond the payment of a of a few small sums to the member of the doctors household” (Robert Louis Stevenson 6). This explains how as a person he shows values that hold up to the values they had and they thought were good. He went to all the meetings and was respected. Mr. Hyde did not have this respect. Because he was not respected in the same way, they would not have him at the meeting. This shows that if you are good it leads to a man being
Essentially, the two men are complete opposites. Reputable and successful, Dr Jekyll was outlined “… [possessed] every mark of capacity and kindness” (Stevenson, 1978 pg. 14) . Paradoxically, Stevenson gave a man that hides from people the name Mr. Hyde. A couple examples of crimes which reflect his evil disposition include an incidence where he “trampled calmly over [a] child’s body and left her screaming on the ground,” (Stevenson, 1978 pg. 5) and his attack on Sir Danvers where “…with ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot and hailing down a storm of blows, under which the bones were audibly shattered and the body jumped upon the roadway.” I did not, however, outline the severity of criminal events in which Mr Hyde (or in case Dr Jekyll) had triggered, as it would be too unbefitting to include in the
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. In the book the character Dr. Jekyll has a hard time coping with who he has become and doesn’t feel like he belongs in society and he tries to hide it, but this is a difficult task for him. “Enfield, describing Hyde to Utterson, "There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable." (15) When the author first introduced him in the novel, Dr. Jekyll represents an ideal person; naturally gracious, good hearted and respectful. He was also highly known for being a doctor. On the other hand the author introduces the readers Edward Hyde, the opposite pole of Dr. Jekyll, an uncouth and devilish person who has unacceptably bad behaviors. Surprisingly these two short different personalities are belonged to one man. The contrast amongst these two characters, focuses on the effect of society on an individual actions. In the novel, the author privations to show that Dr. Jekyll develops more than one identity in order to be recognized by society. Furthermore, he suppresses his evil feelings and tendencies unconsciously and goes against his own nature. Ultimately, Mr. Hyde, the horrific side, grows in power. In the novel Jekyll, highlighting his lack of control over Mr. Hyde, "I was slowly losing hold of my original and better self, and becoming slowly incorporated with
During this puritan time in the 1600s. Nathaniel Hawthorne who is an anti-transcendentalist speaks about sin. But not just any sin, secret sin in this novel “The Scarlet Letter.” Hawthorne expresses many themes and symbols in many strange and mysterious ways. Hawthorne is a very dark and devious man. The scarlet letter A that is embroidered on Hester’s bosom symbolizes adultery. Adultery is the sin that she has committed. Hester had a whole husband and made a baby with a man that wasn’t the husband. In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the symbolism of Hester’s Cabin, Leeches, and Dimmesdale to contribute to the overall theme of Good Vs. Evil.
To conclude the way that Stevenson has described Hyde and what Jekyll has done in most parts he has related it to the devil which in Victorian times was considered very dangerous, even though today he’s not considered that powerful it would still make a big impact. Stevenson has been successful in using many elements of a shocker/thriller to write a novella with a much deeper moral significance because every aspect of the story relates back to the Victorian morals of 1837 till 1901 and for a 21st century reader some parts of the novella will make them think what is really happening around them now and whether it is right or not!
Everything in this story has a Dual side, including the setting in London, London had streets that were respectable and others that were made of squalor and crime. In the story of Dr.Jekyll and Hyde characters hid their side and showed only one certain side, as a matter of fact a quote from the book that says “an ivory-faced and silvery-haired old woman opened the door. She had an evil face, smoothed by hypocrisy: but her manners were excellent..” (Stevenson Chapter 4 P 54). This quote is trying to convey a message of Mr.Hyde's keeper being oh so well mannered, but don't let her fool you she was an evil person. That quote was also trying to demonstrate good versus evil and how it is conveyed through the book. Hyde was taking control completely over Dr.Jekyll , Dr.Jekyll was sure that there was no way for him to regain his identity, and his only option was to flee. “I lingered but a moment at the mirror; the second and conclusive experiment had yet to be attempted; it yet remained to be seen if I lost my identity beyond redemption and must flee before daylight from a house.” (Stevenson Chapter 10 P 112) Dr.Jekyll’s
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.
Jekyll is respectable man with a very good career. He is a doctor that is highly regarded in his community for what he does as far as charity and his manners. As young man growing up, he was secretly involved in weird behaviors that made him a bit questionable. Dr. Jekyll finds his other side to be quite bothersome and he decides to experiment so he could try a separate the good from the evil. He creates potions and other things that really do not help. After so many attempts of trying to restrain his evil side, he brings forth Hyde through his failed experimentation. Therefore, he only accentuates his evil self to come forth. Hyde is an extremely ugly creature that no one could stand the sight of. He is deformed, violent, and very evil. Throughout the story, he fights against Jekyll to take over his life eventually causing Jekyll to murder one of his good friends, Mr.
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.
First of all, the main theme in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde is good vs. evil. In the novel, Mr.Utterson compares the inhabitants to crooks and thieves by saying the sales women are more unholy by inviting people to their shops (Stevenson 10). Then Mrs.Moss states how Dr. Jekyll describes how one part to the duality of his personality,
From reading the last chapter, we can all see that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are easily viewed as a symbol about the good and evil that exists in all men, and about the struggle these two sides in the human personality. Hyde has a short temper and is made to look evil. “I observed that when I wore the semblance of Edward Hyde, none could come near me at first with a visible misgiving of the flesh”. Jekyll is arguing that Hyde is the perfect physical embodiment of the evil inside him, implying that Hyde looks evil. Stevenson has also explored which aspect of human personality is superior, good or evil. Since at the start of the book Hyde seems to be taking over, you might argue that evil is stronger than good. However, Hyde does end up dead at the end of the story, suggesting a failure of the weakness of evil. Since Hyde represents the evil in Jekyll he is therefore symbolically represented being much smaller than Jekyll as “Jekyll’s clothes are far too large for him”. But as the plot progresses Mr. Hyde began to grow and becomes more powerful than Jekyll, and the reason for Hyde to become more powerful is due to the fact that Jekyll enjoys what Hyde does, which allow Hyde to gradually destroy the good in
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).
Jekyll plays man as a whole, good and bad, he was “wild” and also “smooth-faced” at the same time. Both characters lack vital emotional outputs that make humans socially, even though the psychopath is more cunning than the sociopath. “…lack of conscience, remorse or guilt for hurtful actions to others….There may be an intellectual understanding of appropriate social behavior but no emotional response to the actions of others” (“Psychopath vs. Sociopath” -- http://www.diffen.com/difference/Psychopath_vs_Sociopath). Both are social defaces, and cannot be helped; however to the naked eye, these two characters are savage. Both victims of anti-social disorder are lacking factors that make humans acceptably sociable, one lacking empathy while the other lacks sensibility. Diffen, a website, tells us, “Psychopaths…lack of empathy; no conscience…sociopaths…high impulsivity” (“Sociopathy versus Psychopathy” -- http://www.diffen.com/difference/Sociopathy_versus_Psychopathy). Dr. Jekyll shows no empathy by using and manipulating people close to him, and Mr. Hyde, as intended, has no sensibility to act with caution resulting himself in trouble for barbaric actions. This, in turn shows the comparison and contrast of the psychopathic creator and his sociopathic creation which in reality are two halves to a whole.
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
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are both different is morality. Both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde have highly different morals. For example Dr. Jekyll’s morals are to contain the evil inside him and to keep his good side away from his bad side. Eventually Dr. Jekyll’s for trying to isolate his evil side it took over him. Dr. Jekyll’s mind was too weak that is how Mr. Hyde took over. Which now lead to Mr. Hyde’s evil mind, Mr. Hyde is the evil side to Dr. Jekyll and now he has full control. Mr. Hyde is the moral downfall of Dr. Jekyll.