The novel written by Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is an intriguing and fundamentally disturbing piece of literature written in 1886. The novel showcases issues,; such as the façade everyday people can wear without anyone detecting the secrets under the surface. To this day, most keep secrets and dark desires behind the façade they wear each and every day for the rest of society. Throughout the novel, readers are shown how there is a hidden evilness to every being through the character Dr. Jekyll, whom constantly represses his dual personality, Mr. Hyde, a grotesque man who repels society with his dark personality. In addition the novel also shows readers how society represses itstheir own immoral characteristics, although they always linger beneath the surface. Through Dr. Jekyll’s narrative there illustrates an average man who is haunted by his fear and in the middle of repressing his dark desires he loses himself. Through, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, readers are permitted to see how members of society can put on a convincing façade, to hide their deepest fears and darkest secrets. Dr. Jekyll is to his friends a nice quiet man;, they couldn’t ever possibly imagine from him could come an evil, mean-spirited man named Mr. Hyde. Behind even the friendliest characters lie repressed characteristics. Dr. Jekyll’s close friend, and lawyer, Mr. Utterson, at first is oblivious to the fact that Hyde is Dr. Jekyll’s alter ego.
Stevenson writes ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ with the intention of showing the reader the duality of man and explores this through the juxtaposition of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In this novella, Stevenson also uses the environment and setting of the story to represent the contrast between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a novel written by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson and published in 1886. It concerns a lawyer, Gabriel Utterson, who investigates the strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and the reclusive Mr. Edward Hyde. This novel represents an ideology in Western culture; the perpetual conflict between humanity’s virtuosity and immorality. It is interpreted as an accurate guidebook to the Victorian era’s belief of the duality of human nature. This essay will explore Mr. Edward Hyde and whether Stevenson intended for him to be a mere character in the novel or something of wider significance.
Dr. Jekyll is benevolent and pleasant in his social interactions. He attempts to cover up his darker self by creating a courteous public persona. Everyone has a different persona when they are outside in the eyes of the public and when they are inside. Through Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll reveals his destructive side. Transforming into Mr. Hyde gives Dr. Jekyll a freedom to act and behave without caring about the public’s opinion or about the consequences of his actions. Dr. Jekyll is captured and locked up deep inside, he appears reasonably appropriate on the exterior but his inner reflections drives him towards immorality. As Dr. Jekyll privately turns into Mr. Hyde, not only is his appearance transformed, but also his behavior. This can be a similar caparison on people in today’s society. People with high status or popularity are always being watched with every move they make. If they make one small mistake, then that will look bad on
Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a complex and tricky novel to fully grasp, but the reader can come to understand many parallels to their own lives. Stevenson’s creation has stood the test of time because of its power to astonish; even if one previously new the outcome. This power has made Jekyll and Hyde, a pair that will continue to provoke thought in many readers in generations to
Jekyll confesses to Mr. Utterson that he and Mr. Hyde hate each other. For instance, Dr. Jekyll starts to hate Mr. Hyde when he says “goodbye for ever Mr. Hyde” (64). Dr. Jekyll says goodbye to his evil side. He loathes his evil side because Hyde has shown Jekyll and Hyde’s capability to murder. Furthermore, Mr. Hyde detests Dr. Jekyll because he’s a prisoner inside Dr. Jekyll’s body. In addition, the narrator states that, “Hyde and Jekyll now hate each other with equal passion” (69). Mr. Hyde’s imprisonment within Dr. Jekyll’s body makes Mr. Hyde dislike him, so he tears Dr. Jekyll’s books (69). Mr. Hyde’s disgust of Dr. Jekyll causes Mr. Hyde to ruin Dr. Jekyll’s most important personal belongings. Clearly, after the murder of Sir Danvers Carew, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde hate each other
“A man is not truly one, but truly two” this is ideology from the character Dr. Jekyll in the famous Victorian Gothic novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde published by Robert Louis Stevenson. Stevenson’s novel touched upon the dual nature of humankind, and helped the Victorian era understand the evolution in scientific inquiry and technological advances of a resistant audience. Stevenson’s novel reflects his view on the theory of evolution engaged by scientist of Victorian Era, and the themes and his characters indulge in the progression of man and his view of the human mind. His diction interests the audience bringing life to the story and creates the longevity through all aspect that continue to influence the minds of modern
“Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” is a gothic novel written by Robert Louis Stevenson that was first published in 1886. It’s about a lawyer from London named G.J. Utterson who explores strange events that involves his old friend Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde. The novel’s influence on language is extraordinary, with the phrase “Jekyll and Hyde” coming to the meaning of a person of diversity in moral character from one situation to the next (French literature).
“All human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil: and Edward Hyde, alone, in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil.” (Stevenson 45)
“All human beings are commingled out of good and evil.” Robert Louis Stevenson was no fool when it came to understanding the duality of human nature evident within mankind. In his novella, the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson is able to explore his interests concerning the dark, hidden desires that all human beings are guilty of possessing. In his story, a well-respected professional by the name of Dr. Jekyll experiments with the idea of contrasting personalities and successfully undergoes a physical separation of such identities—one which would soon wreak havoc upon his very existence. As a result of his success, Edward Hyde is born. Hyde, characterized as a miniscule and terrifying, apelike figure from the start,
The sophisticatedly-constructed novel ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ was devised in 1886, during the revolutionary Victorian era, by the author, Robert Louis Stevenson. Stevenson developed a desire to write in his early life and ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ cemented his reputation. The novel is widely known for its shocking principles that terrified and alarmed the Victorian readers. ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ plays with the idea of the dual nature of man, his two identities. On the surface, Dr Jekyll is a conventional, Victorian gentleman, but below the surface lurks the primitive, satanic-like creature of Mr Edward Hyde. One of the elements that play a significant part in the novel is setting. Stevenson subtly uses the setting to
Robert Louis Stevenson, author of his novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Christopher Nolan, director of The Prestige, through their respective mediums, explore the idea that leading a double life is destructive for both oneself and others. Using a variety of linguistic and conceptual techniques such as obsession, simile, pathetic fallacy, and pronouns, both respective authors are able to convey the detrimental physical and emotional effects of leading a double life. Stevenson showcases this with Jekyll’s obsession that leads to the creation of Hyde, a vicious manifestation of humanity’s evil side, who goes on to murder an innocent man, which ultimately leads to Jekyll’s demise. Nolan, on the other hand, shows the
In the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde it is regarded that these identities are two different persons but this is not the case, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are one in the same. There is much confusion when reading this literary work by Robert Louis Stevenson; this piece is regarded as horrific and disturbing in many ways. But the biggest twist is when it is reveled to the reader that these two people are the same and that below the surface of Dr.Jekyll is an evil man who enjoys committing evil acts. Mainly that Dr. Jekyll believes he has no choice but to commit these horrid acts because he has no control over is evil side. I don’t believe this is the case, Hyde isn’t a real person and doesn’t exist, nor is he someone who commits
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a gothic novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, published in 1886, is a glimpse back in time to the Victorian era. The novella highlights Victorian morality and the Victorian model of life. The key features of Victorian morality include a set of moral values based on sexual restraint, a low-tolerance policy on crime, and a strict social code of conduct. Dr. Jekyll is a respected member of Victorian society who abides by all the rules and regulations. Mr. Hyde is his own repressed and animalistic personality awakened through Dr. Jekyll’s wild science experiment, dissociating the good and evil sides of his personality with the help of a potion.
The novel “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson, is told from Mr. Utterson’s point of view. This point of view contributes to the suspense in the novel. If the reader knew what was happening to Jekyll, then there would have been no unexpected ending. Also, it gives the reader a little insight of what and who Hyde is, which makes each encounter with him more interesting. Finally, the reader gets to enjoy a perspective of someone who is seeing each of these changes with Jekyll, and not being aware of why, making it more suspenseful.
There are two film interpretations of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, one of which was more original and advanced for having been made in 1931. This interpretation violates Victorian morality, using the theme of the story all about sexual repression. Another version that was created in 1941 stole pieces of the screenplay from the 1931 film. Both of these films could not be more different, yet they do have some similarities that can be noticed on screen.