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
...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.
Dr. Jekyll created Mr. Hyde because Jekyll is obsessed with the idea of perfection and splitting the good and evil apart. Performing this act is extremely dangerous; but Jekyll did it for the sole purpose of trying to attain perfection. Dr. Jekyll split himself into two sides, the good and the evil: “This is me, as I take it, was because all humans beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil: and Edward Hyde, alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil” (108). From this statement, one can predict that Dr. Jekyll has somewhat of a guilty conscience and struggles to deal with the idea that the two forces—good and evil—can never be split into two. Dr. Jekyll grows frustrated with the idea that splitting the two forces is impossible but continues to transform himself from Jekyll to Hyde. Also--in the last chapter—Jekyll explains that when he is Hyde, it feels normal, almost like Hyde is natural identity and that he enjoys that side of himself. Jekyll states: “Yes, I preferred the elderly and discontented doctor, surrounded by friends and cherishing honest hopes; and bade a resolute farewell to the liberty, the comparative youth, the light step, leaping impulses and secret pleasures, that I had enjoyed in the disguise of Hyde” (114-115). Dr. Jekyll enjoys that disguise of Hyde because everyone has a desire to be a monster, or someone other than himself. Seeing as, Dr. Jekyll was unhappy with himself
Robert, Stevenson L. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York: Dover Publications, 2013. Print.
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.
Cloaked in the theme of good versus evil, Robert Louis Stevenson addresses a deeper dilemma in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The duality of man is readily apparent through the parallels of good and evil. Clearly every person is a mixture of both. But is it possible to separate good from evil to achieve a completeness of purpose? The duality of man is not so easily solved by simple division as our dueling parts continue to push and pull. The dark side of evil is both abhorrent and fascinating to our good selves who are bound by moral constraints. We are all like Jekyll trying to keep our Hyde under control. It is only through the vigilance of our good side that we prevent evil from dominating. Indeed, it is this balance that keeps evil from becoming a juggernaut, an unstoppable force, which will bring us to ruin.
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.
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.
A wise man once said, “Inside each of us, there is the seed of both good and evil. It's a constant struggle as to which one will win. And one cannot exist without the other.” The struggle between good and evil is a prominent theme in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In the novel, Robert Louis Stevenson explores the idea that the quote is expressing. He discusses the duality of human nature, and how its effect is shown through the behavior and life of the character. It is shown that within each character there is purity and morality, but that there are also evil intentions and wickedness. In the novel, readers see the struggle between good and bad and how it affects the character. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, evil in the human soul wins, due to its great effect and impact, how it gradually became uncontrollable, and the satisfaction that Dr. Jekyll felt through evil, which eventually lead him to his demise.
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).
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.
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.
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...
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)
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.