With new discoveries come new technologies and procedures that have the ability to extend or improve human life. The belief of humanity being affected by science is called Transhumanism. They also believe that any discovery can have an affect on humans as a whole. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll also does some human experimentation. He even goes as far as to make a potion to create a whole new entity to house his evil, devious side in to et out all of his desires, but still remain a proper Victorian gentleman. Not all human experimentation is beneficial, though. The advancement of new technologies such as life-extension strategies, the experimenting of human genetics, and the refusal to believe that not all change is progress pose consistent threats to humanity. Both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the Transhumanist organization believe in the idea of life-extension activities. Dr. Jekyll used it to be able to still do the activities he did when he was young by making Hyde young. He was an old man, and he could not do a lot of the things Hyde was doing, not only because they were socially unacceptable, but also because they were too exerting and strenuous on his old body. He was younger and had less strain on his joints, so he was able to do more. And this way, he could be the old Victorian man he was and be polite, but also be a younger rebel that did crimes when he was stressed, or just felt like it. This all led to Jekyll being able to create the perfect creation to do his dirty work and get his desires out, while still keeping his reputation, and himself, alive. If he got caught doing these crimes, the public would surely have him tried and most likely killed for what Hyde did. So Jekyll created Hyde to keep himself alive. ... ... middle of paper ... ...change is progress. Although human generic engineering can have positive effects, and it truly does work, it can have negative side affects and could greatly affect humanity. Using life-extension strategies can be helpful, but only if they are used correctly and not in a way that will endanger the human species. One can use them to try to keep loved ones alive as well as make sure people appreciate the good moments in life, as well as keep ones reputation alive, as was in Dr. Jekyll’s case. With the developments of new technology, it is important to understand the side effects it can have on humanity and our future. Works Cited Stevenson, Robert Louis. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York, New York: Bantam Dell, 1981. Print. "Transhumanist FAQ." Humanity+ Transhumanist FAQ Comments. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. "Transhumanist Values." Transhumanist Values. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.
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...
Stevenson's Use of Literary Techniques in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. First Vintage Classics Edition. New York: Vintage Books, 1991.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York: Dover Publishing, Inc., 1991.
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.
As an introduction, Jekyll and Hyde,published in 1886 by Robert Louis Stevenson, introduces the idea of the composite hero through the the mysterious Dr. Jekyll. Interestingly, in Dr. Jekyll’s confession letter, readers discover the villainous character Hyde is indeed Jekyll. Knowingly, Jekyll discovered his time as Dr. Jekyll was running out.
people's lives. The only time when science borders on going too far is when it is used to
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a riveting tale of how one man uncovers, through scientific experiments, the dual nature within himself. Robert Louis Stevenson uses the story to suggest that this human duality is housed inside everyone. The story reveals “that man is not truly one, but two” (Robert Louis Stevenson 125). He uses the characters of Henry Jekyll, Edward Hyde, Dr. Lanyon, and Mr. Utterson to portray this concept. He also utilizes important events, such as the death of Dr. Jekyll and the death of Mr. Lanyon in his exploration of the topic.
Veeder, William, & Gordon Hirsch. (1988). Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde After One Hundred Years.
Page, Norman. "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson." Encyclopedia of the Novel. Eds. Paul Schellinger, Christopher Hudson, and Marijke Rijsberman. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1998.
To summarize, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a metaphorical looking glass into the duality of human nature. In the words of Romeo and Juliet’s Friar Lawrence, “Two such opposèd kings encamp them still/ In man as well as herbs—grace and rude will” (II iii 28-29). In everyone, there is good and evil, a Jekyll and Hyde. The decision is who will be allowed to take control. Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel helps the reader to better understand the duality of human nature through Jekyll’s fascinating tale, and the true meaning behind the story that makes the reader sit back and reflect makes the story a timeless piece of literature.
Henry Jekyll’s innermost vices, but since he held himself to an extremely high standard of moral excellence, he needed to find another way of releasing. He creates Hyde as his way of getting these primal urges out. During this time period, the focus on reputation and credibility was huge, and this is how men were judged. He had many urges that he was internally repressing, as a result of existing in the Victorian era, which was well known for how incredibly stuffy and repressed it was. Jekyll was widely respected in the community as a doctor and he had many friends, so it is understandable that he didn’t want to lose his reputation, which came first for men of his social standing in this time period. He went to great lengths to create and cover for Hyde, including renting a place for Hyde to live, and making a bank account for his alter ego. The creation of Hyde turns out to be way more sinister than Jekyll initially imagined. Hyde’s own name is a pun, as he is the part of Jekyll that he must keep hidden away for fear of
Robert, Stevenson L. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York: Dover Publications, 2013. Print.
Stevenson Robert L., Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Tales. (USA: oxford university press, 2008)
Stevenson, Robert L. "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." The Norton Anthology of