How does Robert Louis Stevenson explore the duality of human nature in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde? Essay

Robert Louis St n unriv whollyedthelessson incorporated the ideology of the wave- embark onicle triplexity of earthly concern story into his straightlaced thriller storyette The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. This does not emerge amply until the stretch out chapter. The text not however de-familiarizes the sopranoity of servicemane temperament as its central story further forces us to wonder the properties of this three-foldity and to con officer each of the novellas chapters as we weigh up the various theories. Jekyll asserts that man is not truly angiotensin-converting enzyme, but truly 2, implying that eachone has deuce parts to their soulality, Good and Bad instead of just yourself and he imagines the gentlemans gentleman soul as the battleground for an angel and a fi overthrow, deuce contend forces each struggling for mastery. The novella tackles numerous distinguishable theories that circulated at the beat.When the novella was published, there was uproar that it suggested we bear two parts to our personalities. This theory went against m whatever important Victorian apparitional beliefs. Robert Louis St regular(a)sons opined that the great unwashed had a dual personality and this is echoed in the novella. The inspiration for the novella could carry come from many contrastive mountain and events, around notably a dream that Stevenson had repeatedly as a child relevant event ab off deacon Brody who was a cabinet maker by day and murderer by night. Also during his time in the Samoan Island a man named Dr Hyde greatly insulted his adorers, from that could hire and most probably did give birth to the Jekyll and Hyde vulcanized fibers.Robert Louis Stevenson, the author, was born in 1850 in Edinburgh, and you tummy see the divisions between scientific and spiritual views reflected in the story from his childhood. His mformer(a), existence genuinely religious, had him baptised whereas his father did not ado re of his writing and scene he should get a frequently scientific past-time. This is reflected into the novella, with the much experimental Dr Jekyll, which eventu completelyy top offs to his appargonnt death. In contrast, you have Dr Hastie Lanyon, a more(prenominal) stringent and senile-style scientist who at one blame dismisses Jekylls experiments as, scientific balderdash, this clearly shows the straight to the point view that would have been divided up with Victorian partnership towards experimental science. It had huge implications namely that God was not the higher authority and Science had influence with the creation of everything which at the time many lot were scared of gods wrath and the consequences if they were make playing with science whereas today we are more scared of what we acquire than the consequences of religion.This proposal was re-enforced when Darwin published his book Theory of Evolution, to the customary frequent in which a large amount of people saw it as an attack on religion, only if by stating that God did not gain the world in seven days and that all animals, including valet de chambre beingnesss, were all descended from something more primitive that its current form this would have ca functiond precaution as people were scared that we could evolve to a point wed turn into characters such as Dracula, Frankenstein or even characters such as the ape- worry Hyde. Many alike believed that science had come out of its comfort regulate and was meddling in things that only God had tone down over. This is what Stevenson does in the novella using the Jekyll and Hyde characters.This would have given the story, when it was published, the edge as many people saw the apparitional and science as quite an intimidating publication and it was widely feared, and suggesting that people had two faces. Subsequently, during the time of the publication in 1888, in capital of the United Kingdom there were numerous murders of pr ostitutes by the notorious serial killer, mariner the Ripper. Several people had thought that the story of Jekyll and Hyde had inspired goof the Ripper to give the killings. Nevertheless, while this was never proven it had been implanted in the minds of many Victorians, to envisage most Jekyll and Hyde and the duality of human character. there was, discussion about Jack the Ripper being highly educated, that of a doctor like Jekyll, or professor or even royalty.Victorian orderliness at the time of the novellas publication had a very large class divide, with the fastness class honourable gentry and the little, poverty ridden lower classes. Robert Louis Stevenson juxtaposes these extremes in his novella, emphasising the wide difference between the classes using the honourable Dr Jekyll and his repressed smugglight-emitting diodeer face that is Mr Hyde, which ensures the ref sees the contrast between Jekylls rich, total and kindness against Hydes roughshod, patently p oor and deplorable doings. The novella is notice in the vice-ridden city of capital of the United Kingdom aptly set forth within the novella as being, dingy, distained and blistered, these adjectives keys dance step a picture of an area in dis-repute and set a tone which is echoed with the character Hyde throughout the novella which was a very various place to the prosperous modern, Edinburgh, where Robert Louis Stevenson was brought up. There was a very real gumption of a north, south divide.The south was riddled with crime, a true dark ages setting portray through Mr Hydes abode in Londons infamous Soho, whereas the swiftness class, goodish side of Dr. Jekyll lives in an influential square depict as having florid charms, and thoroughfare with an air of invitation, these adjectives not only imply that the street in itself are good but also personify the street by implying it invites customers to shop there with its decor or charms. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde delve into the Victorians fascinated fear of the super innate, highlight the vast differences between religion, science and philosophy at the time.Most notably is this shown by the disagreements between Dr Jekyll and Dr Lanyon, at one Lanyon protests Jekylls experimenting would have move out Damon and Pythias, who were mythological Greek followers of Pythagoras. This shows Dr Lanyon, like so many at the time, as scared and completely against mixing science and religion, whereas Dr Jekyll shows himself to be more experimental, like philosophers at the time such as Darwin and Sir John Herschel who believed in evolutionism the idea that everything has descended from something, most notably humans from apes. At the time massive Britain was a world leader, a pioneer for all things scientific even still very religious and like any great demesne it had secret vices and habits that were hidden off to the rest of the world, like how Hyde is hidden aside in Jekyll.Jekyll displays a dual characterd per sonality even before he starts to meddle with Hyde, but his potion he creates, which he hoped would order and purify each element, succeeds only in saving the dark side into being-Hyde emerges, but he has no angelic counterpart. If man is fractional angel and half fiend, then it makes you wonder what happens to the angel at the end of the novella. Jekyll succeeds in liberating his darker side, freeing it from the bonds of conscience, yet as Jekyll he never liberates himself from this darkness. Jekyll cannot participate in unrepeatable pleasures due to his high standing in society, therefore, concocts a potion which allows him to mentally and personally split his good and evil personalities on command allowing Jekyll, to re master(prenominal) a well-thought-of lovingite, however, in addition enjoying the Soho pleasures such as visiting popular brothels which were abundant during the Victorian period however it wouldve been social suicide to visit as Jekyll due to his upper cla ss and swell up educated veneer.However, this soon spirals out of date and the cost of Jekylls distinctiveness turned out to be a deadly reversal of dominance. When Jekyll finds Hyde, he says he feels younger, lighter and happier in body, which implies that condescension Jekyll tapped into this more evil side of his human nature, he is enjoying the new free-base freedom, this allows him to do what he wants. However, especially when Hyde has been ignored and do a secluded within the shadow of Jekyll, we can see this physically emphasized when Hydes described as being small and chunky, lashes out, and murders Sir Danvers Carew. Jekyll believes that his potion gives him complete stamp down over the transformations between his good and evil side.Throughout the novella Hyde is described as being disgusting and the minute you meet him, people unconsciously take an instant dislike to him. When Mr Enfield collared Hyde, Enfield apparently, turned sick and white with the go for to kill him demo how hypocritical Victorians were as they were rejecting and repressive their own evil side. This is the side of Jekyll which he himself wants to be rid of. However, he ends up being a slave and underdog to his evil side, which is Hyde. Additionally, we are led to believe that Jekyll kills himself to be rid of Hyde forever.Jekylls potion is made solely to rid Jekyll of his evil side. However, it is increasingly noticeable that the more quantify that Jekyll utilisations the potion, his hold over Hyde weakens to a point where I fell sleepy Jekyll, but awoke Hyde, This shows that Jekyll has lost all control, and it gives a view to what is to come. The loss of control over Hyde implies that Jekyll has never been pure, and has always had his evil side, Hyde within him which is echoed by two well-k forthwithn philosophers. The social contract theorists, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, came from fundamentally different viewpoints. Hobbes believed that all man is born evil, whereas Locke said man are born flawed but good deep down, which is portrayed throughout the novella.This is shown clearly when the physical traits of Hyde are described as, nobble and stumpy, however as Hyde gains control over Jekyll, Hyde becomes as tall and as well built as Jekyll, implying that the powers of good and evil are now not as thrown in one direction. Another more recent psychologist named Sigmund Freud believed that we were made up of three parts the id, ego and the super-ego. The id is the set of uncoordinated instinctual trends the ego is the organised, realistic part and the super-ego plays the critical and deterrent exampleising role. He too believed that it is the rules of society and laws that stop everyone from going around killing each other. It seems that Hyde consists of only the id this emphasizes the ideology that Hyde simply represents the primitive and animal-like qualities of Jekyll and that Jekyll remains the critical organised part of his makeup.Th e bulk of the crime was committed by and amongst the lower classes, leaving the upper classes seemingly innocent, however we know from Jekylls feelings that he desperately precious to be able to enjoy the pleasures of the lower classes much like Stevenson himself, and this is what leads him to create the potion, and turn into Hyde. There is also an air of cynicism about Jekyll as he valued to, in effect, use Hyde for his squashy deeds, Edward Hyde would pass away like the stain of a breathe upon a mirror, clearly showing that Jekyll has planned for this and has the full intentions of using Hyde not as was originally thought or desired for medical and theological experiments but for more sinister. As a result of Hydes imprisonment in Jekyll, at every possible chance Hyde seizes control over Jekyll in order to exhaust some of the anger that has been kept in for years.At one point, the powers of Hyde seemed to have grown in the sickliness of Jekyll, which shows that the conformable changing between Jekyll and Hyde made Jekyll, concede to illness. This made Jekyll weak, allowing Hyde a clearer passage when he took over Jekyll this uses dramatic or even tragic irony to convey its message. This leads us to believe that people reach the point where you either chose your good or rotten side. Throughout the novella there are many crimes that Hyde commits, most notably the murder of Sir Danvers Carew and the assault, of the young girl walking on the side path in the evening, which when coupled with the idea that they were committed by Jekylls evil or rotten side, they simply bolster Hobbes theory that all men are born evil.However, it also ironically agrees with Lockes theory that all men are born good but with flaws, as for Jekyll to allow Hyde control, he must drink a potion to separate the good and the bad which shows that Jekyll clearly isnt bad but has flaws, as Locke says. Both crimes involve violence directed against innocents in particular. The fact that Hyde ruthlessly murders these harmless beings, who have seemingly done nothing to provoke him and even less to deserve death, emphasizes the extreme immorality of Jekylls dark side unleashed. Hydes brand of evil constitutes not just a reach from good but an outright attack on it.Throughout the novella the language used to describe the main characters, especially Jekyll and Hyde are consistent with what theyre meant to symbolise. For example, Hyde, is referred as being, ape-like, a simile and hideous, an adjective both echo the idea that Hyde is Jekylls animal like, and primitive side, by comparing Hyde to an ape this also emphasizes the Victorian idea of duality of human nature where the evil part has the more disgusting and unattractive traits, whereas the good part of you has the more respectable and like-able features. According to the remarks made by observers, Hyde appears atrociously ugly and deformed, small, shrunken, and hairy these adjectives symbolize his moral hideousne ss and warped ethics. The connection between such ugliness and Hydes sine might have been seen as more than symbolic. Many people believed in the science of physiognomy, which was, that someone could identify a criminal by physical appearance.His hairiness may indicate that he is not so much an evil side of Jekyll as the embodiment of Jekylls instincts, the animalistic midpoint beneath Jekylls polished exterior, some other point is where Stevenson gives the entry Hyde enters, human qualities such as calling it, sinister, which is an example of personification. The threshold is also mentioned later on in the novella where its referred to, two doors from one corner, seemingly an oxymoron where the door can be interpreted as two physical entrances to the Jekyll house which Hyde uses, but also the mental entrance to Jekylls good side and Hydes bad side placed next to each other to symbolize the two halves of Jekylls human nature.The simple name Hyde which consists of a single syll able is a good way to name the character, and theyre many ways where this is evident, one of those is Jekyll, consists of two syllables so Hyde, implying that Hyde, is hidden or hides within Jekyll however it could also symbolize half of what Jekyll is, Jekylls bad side. You can also liaison the idea of Hyde being half of Jekyll by the first sighting of Hyde in the novella, where hes described as being small, even half of Jekylls size, symbolizing the evil side which has been out-weighed by the goodness of Jekyll. Stevenson meant for Jekylls name to be pronounced as if it were French-Je KILL. Je in French delegacy I I kill subtly emphasizing Jekylls evil side. Unlike how Hyde is described within the novella, Jekyll is given more providence and a much more of a pleasant character consistently described as being an honourable man and good doctor by his friends. During the Victorian multiplication if you were a doctor, like Jekyll then you would need to go on yourself in an honourab le way and be a role feigning to the lower classes and fellow peers.From the beginning of the novella Jekyll is mentioned as having a touch sensation very well known and often printed, indicating that Jekyll had a large companionship presence. During Victorian times, doctors were highly respected and considered to be among the most intelligent people of their time, with a great deal of responsibility, you could also unite this to why Jekyll wanted to move medicine forward by means of a personality splitting potion. At certain points in the novella, pathetic fallacy is used- most notably when Sir Danvers Carew is murdered, where the sky is peaceful at the time, this reflects the maid at the windows pure serenity and relaxed mood, however this changes rapidly when Poole fetches Utterson, and the weather changes to level-headed rain, this implies that the weather is used to reflect the moods of the different characters.Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde both represent two very different ends of the social spectrum and Dr Jekyll are definitely the accepted end of it and throughout the novella the social classes that were prominent in Victorian times and at the time of the novellas publication are echoed through Jekyll and Hyde. Jekyll whos always seen to be a respectable man, and always dolled up in clothes which fit unlike Hydes, representing Hydes physical features as much smaller than Jekylls. Whereas the Hyde character consistently inhabits clothes that are too small for him, emphasizing the idea that Hyde represented Jekylls poor side that relies on Jekylls clothing.Clothing to the lower classes wouldve been expensive and therefore would have been handed down after it had stopped fitting, and rarely wouldve been thrown away due to its value, an idiom which best describes the situation between Jekyll and Hydes, rich and poor balance would be the mans treasure is other mans rubbish, clearly highlighting the necessity for the lower classes to hairgrip at any whole m aterial they could whereas the higher, more richer classes would have the luxury, of throwing things away quite like when Jekyll simply gives up his clothes for Hyde.There are numerous other characters in the novella which all have their small roles to play and all add to the mystery of the Jekyll and Hyde connection. However, unlike Jekyll and Hyde theyre not split into two distinct characters to show it. One of those characters would be, Poole who is Jekylls loyal butler, who at one point fears for Jekylls intent so much he runs to Uttersons for help. This could show good human nature as he is willing to go, against his orders to leave him in his cabinet despite what he hears or sees, to essentially save Jekylls life. However this could be miss-construed as he fears that if Jekyll dies then his pay, and stable residence with Jekyll will cease. Another character who displays hints of a more twisted human nature is the police sergeant who investigates the murder of Sir Danvers Car ew. We are told that when he hears of the murder, his look lighted up with professional ambition, the irony that the sergeant has more feelings for his own future and that he could get a promotion whereas he doesnt care as much that a Member of parliament was brutally bludgeoned, to death by Hyde. In the sergeant and Pooles cases, you can see two very different sides to human nature, similar to the Hyde and Jekylls differences.Another character which shows a more sinister side but still relative to todays human nature is Hydes housekeeper who when hearing of the news that he killed someone presses the police for information, most possible for gossip. Hydes housekeeper answered the door to the police and She had an evil face, smoothed by prevarication, which implies that she was more than happy to implicate her employer suggesting that even during Victorian times people were as we are today gossip motivated. Yet another character in the novella is Mr Utterson, who in his own narr ative reveals himself to be lean, long, dusty, dreary, and yet somehow lovable. Despite this Utterson shows himself to be a very nosey person, consistently intercommunicate Jekyll for details about his will, even by-passing Jekyll and asking Lanyon.This could be taken in two ways either Utterson simply wants to know why Jekyll has such a strange will, or as we are lead to believe Utterson genuinely cares for Jekyll and wants to help in any way he can. These two views of his character both showing good and seemingly bad human nature. However you can also intimacy Dr Lanyon with Mr Utterson as they both have an unfounded hatred and un-scientific eye for the supernatural which is shown clearly in the novella as it progresses Both are otiose to notice and link the disappearances and re-appearance of Jekyll and Hyde, until Lanyon witnesses the process and dies soon after, His death represents the more general victory of supernaturalism over materialism in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.Then you have Utterson who doesnt see the truth right up until the end when he receives the letter from Jekyll explaining the serial publication of events. Throughout the novella, Mr Utterson is a frequent character who helps to lead the plat, displaying the behaviour and attitude, towards the truth much like Victorian people at the time despite the fact he though Jekyll was hiding Hyde and being blackmailed, hed rather not admit it. Even when he suspects Jekyll of criminal activities such as blackmail or the sheltering of the murderer Hyde, he prefers to ignore what he has learned, or what he thinks he has learned, rather than leave ruin upon his good friend.Robert Louis Stevenson, the author, raised in a very religious way could be one of the reasons that he chose to write this novella, as a way of rebelling like many at the time when it came to the super natural and religion. However, we can link his religious upbringing to one of the characters Gabriel Utterson, Gabriel is one of the main angels in the religion and often referred to in the bible with God, so despite the rebelling against his religion, Stevenson still insert snippets from his past into the plot line. Lastly the link between Utterson and Lanyon, they both embody the lack of knowledge and unwillingness to think up anything to do with the supernatural much like the Victorians who preferred what they knew, which was religion and not what this would have been during publication, a horror story.Another very prominent theme displayed in the novella is the presence of silence like the Victorians at the time of publication two kinds of silence in the novel indicate two different notions about the interaction of the rational and the irrational. The characters refusals to discuss the sordid situations indicate an attribute of the Victorian society in which they live. This society prizes decorum and reputation above all and prefers to repress or even deny the truth, certainly if that truth threatens to upset the conventionally ordered society in place. Faced with the irrational, Victorian society and its population prefer neither to acknowledge its presence nor to grant it the legitimacy of a name. Involuntary silences, on the other hand, imply something about language itself Language is by nature rational and logical and many characters display this silence throughout the novella for example Enfield and Utterson cut off their discussion of Hyde in the first chapter out of distaste for gossip Utterson refuses to share his suspicions about Jekyll throughout his investigation of his friends predicament.Moreover, neither Jekyll in his final confession nor the third-person narrator in the rest of the novella ever provides any details of Hydes behaviour or secret vices. Maybe the silence is kept out of the usual respect for each others respect however it is more likely that during Victorian times, everyone knew what everyone else was doing although never revealed their knowledge due to the age old idiom Knowledge is power, allowing a crime such as black mail to thrive, which it did during Victorian times and why would a reputable man want to be seen in such circumstances, it could destroy their reputation quite like when Utterson suspects Jekyll of being black mailed.Quite like the Victorians at the time we are really gossip crazy, and we all love to have information about other people to use at our advantage, much like the Victorians we dont like our family secrets and self-pride to be damaged no matter what social class we die to, both the Victorians and ourselves didnt like to air their dirty laundry, implying that if something could damage the honour, pride or reputation of the family or person then it simply would be kept secret seemingly to nurture themselves like Jekyll does with Hyde.Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is medium length and that is why it is categorised as being a novella, because it isnt long enough to be called a novel, nor short enough to be calle d a short story. All but the last two chapters are written in third person the penultimate chapter, Dr Lanyons narrative is written in first person, from Dr Lanyons point of view, in a package to Mr Utterson. Again, in the last chapter, with Dr Jekyll explains the long serial publication of events in a mixture of third, and first person, when public lecture about himself, Dr Jekyll, (third when talk about Mr Hydes actions). The novella has two endings emphasizing the idea of dual natured personalities, and two different sides too our personalities firstly when Utterson and Poole, the butler, find Hyde in Jekylls cabinet, and secondly, when Utterson finally reads Jekylls letter at the end of the novella which explains the series of events.At points in the last chapter, even Dr Jekyll becomes confused as to who he is, which emphasizes the idea that Hyde could be taking over. The book, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, starts with a long narrative from Mr Enfield a key char acter in the plot line. The narrative concerns Mr Utterson and Mr Enfield who informs him of the night were he witnessed a stumbling damned Juggernaut, character who was as emotional as a bagpipe, a metaphor insinuating Hyde, whom they were talking about was careless and oblivious to the pain he caused. Also they mention, door which becomes more important as the story goes on proving to be of use to Hyde and Jekyll as a physical and theological escape to each others acts. It is at this point that due to both of the mens disapproval of gossiping, that they stop the conversation, and continue their walk. The novella consists of a long anecdote started at the beginning and ends with a summary of Dr Jekylls point of view. Jekyll principally explains their story and that he will transform into Hyde again, soon and will not be able to stop it.The idea of Jekyll and Hyde is for the reader to think about the two different sides to human nature, and how things can possibly go disparage wh en you lose all control over the evil side of your personality, as inevitably happens in the novella. I think that Stevenson, who was plagued throughout his life by illness, wrote this story to share his own experiences, and views in a controversial religious and scientific situation at the time of publication. Throughout Stevensons life he battled with respiratory problems, consistently moving from city to city, and even to different countries most notably the Samoan islands and I believe that this is just one of the demons in his life, or part of his own evil human nature that led him to write this story.No one philosopher can be cogitate directly to the story since the text grapples at parts of Lockes and Hobbes theories. A possible moral of this interesting story is that which many Christians recite daily, (yet another religious link to the story) Lead us not into temptation, but retire us from evil, and that one needs to be in control of their darker side of human nature, and to stop this evil from growing larger as happens in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde or perhaps, the moral is that we cannot control evil once unleashed.