Double Identity In Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

“We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.” This quote by J.K Rowling captures the idea that one man is truly two, through the light and dark of it, but who they truly are depends on which side of the spectrum they act upon. Dr. Jekyll in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Stevenson, cannot decide which concept to be, so he constantly goes between the two, displaying lies and deceit throughout the story by being the two beings at once. Lies and deceit is the main theme of the novel, because it consistently displays how everyone is affected by the lies that one displays. On one side of the debate, many people think the main theme of the novel is good

Hyde the embodiment of Jekyll’s repressed homosexuality, he also represents all of the negative aspects of being a homosexual in the 19th century. The most visible homosexual men in the 1800’s were middle to low class men and outsiders (Evans and Onorato). Hyde lives in the “dismal quarter of Soho” (Stevenson 22) which is described as a “dingy street [with] many ragged children huddled in the doorways, and many women […] passing out, key in hand, to have a morning glass” (Stevenson 23). This shows the reader that Hyde is indeed a man of low standings, which fits the stereotype of the 19th century gay man. Another key point is that Hyde is accused of blackmailing Jekyll by Enfield as he calls Hyde’s house the “Black Mail House” (Stevenson 5). It was not uncommon knowledge in the 19th century that homosexuals were blackmailed by both straight men and other homosexuals (Norton). Stevenson’s portrayal of Mr. Hyde illustrates to the audience on the dark side of being a homosexual in the

‘The strange case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ is a novella by the scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in 1886. Stevenson, born November 13, 1850, is also the author of the well known book; ‘Treasure Island’. Robert L. Stevenson, who died December 3, 1894,, was said to be influenced by authors such as Charles Dickens and Edgar Allen Poe. This book is part of the gothic genre, a genre of literature that combines fiction, and horror, death and at times romance. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or simply Jekyll and Hyde is about a London lawyer named Mr, Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend Dr. Jekyll and the evil Mr. Hyde.

One of the reasons I personally believe Jekyll creates Hyde is to not face the consequences of murdering someone. As most know, Jekyll is a well-respected man and has a good reputation. The man he creates "Hyde" is almost the opposite. Hyde murders a man named Sir Danvers Carew in the novella. Hyde then has an awful reputation after trampling a girl, and murdering

In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson uses weak diction, juxtaposition, and characterization to argue that man’s evil psyche will often overpower the good in a fight for control.

In the novel, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson explores the complexity of human nature. He uses characters and events in the novel to present his stance on the major theme: “man is not truly one, but truly two” (125). Branching from this major theme are many more specific views on the idea that human nature is divided into good and evil. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are two very different people who occupy the same body. Human beings struggle with good and evil and Stevenson goes to the extreme to to show this relationship.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde consists of reputation, good vs evil and damage control. In other words, Utterson tirelessly works to prevent his best friend Dr. Jekyll from being dragged into the horrid affairs of Mr. Hyde, and Dr. Jekyll goes through the greatest of lengths to prevent his Hyde identity from being discovered, in order to avoid anyone knowing of his somewhat questionable scientific work and morally despicable behavior. Much of the novel is based on the characters ' reputations, how they have to maintain a good public image, as they are upper class people.

In the gothic novel “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, Robert Louis Stevenson depicts an idea of the supernatural realm. It is a tale of a man that is well-known among the townspeople as Dr. Henry Jekyll. The doctor transforms into a being completely opposite of himself. Being a man of science, he feels a compulsion to create a potion that will release his alter ego, Mr. Hyde, while protecting his true identity. Throughout the story, many examples of symbolism are presented to the reader. These symbols present an idea of duality, compelling the reader to decide if it is a tale of two men or of a mad man. The similarities that occur throughout the novel assist the reader in concluding that both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are in fact

He uses a very creative mind to tell the story of Jekyll and Hyde. The dual personalities were labeled as a mental disorder during the Victorian era. Although, social morality was very important during these times. Society still had to deal with issues of good versus evil. There were also issues with child labor, prostitution, homosexuality, and criminal psychology. The “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” paints a picture of how many battles daily to fight the good and evil within. Stevenson furthermore illustrates the rational and the irrational mindset by contrasting reality with the supernatural. This is one of Stevenson’s finest literary

“The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson is a book that intrigues one’s mind, because it makes us question ourselves about the balance between the two opposing forces. The story starts out with Mr. Utterson, a lawyer and a great friend of Dr. Jekyll, hearing about Hyde for the first time, who is very shady and somewhat misconfigured. Mr. Utterson hears about Hyde’s bad reputation, and his usage of Dr. Jekyll’s laboratory; therefore, Mr. Utterson suspects some kind of relationship between Hyde and Dr. Jekyll. Mr. Utterson’s friend Lanyon, who is a doctor, dies after Dr. Jekyll goes into seclusion; Mr. Utterson goes to Dr. Jekyll’s house to seek the truth behind Lanyon’s death, but he instead sees Hyde dead. Mr. Utterson

It can be quite easy to make assumptions about one’s character upon first glance or first encounter, but often these first assumptions are not a direct representation of a person’s true disposition. In the short story, “The Diary of a Madman” by Guy de Maupassant, an esteemed magistrate is being remembered for the model citizen he was, having lived a life that no one could subject to criticism. However, a notary uncovered his diary in a drawer in his home, in which he entailed his tendencies and cravings for murder that no one had expected of him. Within this text, the author uses the character of the magistrate to convey the theme that one’s true character cannot be decided from external appearance or actions.

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a short novel written by Robert Stevenson, shocking the audience with its sudden twist. Told mostly from the view of Mr. Utterson, Jekyll’s lawyer, he goes through the mysterious connection between Jekyll and a horrible man named Mr. Hyde. In the end of the novel, it is discovered that Jekyll is Hyde, taking a potion to transform into the hideous man. After several transformations into Hyde, Jekyll finally glances into a mirror, seeing a short, hideous and hairy man, much different from the tall and clean Jekyll. In the novel, Stevenson uses mirrors to represent Hyde’s physical manifestation, an object that reflects within the person, and he uses the mirrors to show the unstable duality of the individual's psyche.

Dr. Jekyll is described as a good looking middle age man with a “smooth face”. His friends are comfortable socializing with him at his home. Mr. Hyde is described at the shorter one and that he has some type of deformity that no one can explain. Dr. Jekyll‘s friend states “something is wrong with his appearance, something displeasing, something detestable”. All that encounter Mr. Hyde feel uncomfortable in his presence.

In the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, the predominant archetypal theme is “good and evil exist in all humans, and we live our lives struggling with these two forces.” This theme describes the duality of good and evil in Dr. Jekyll—the good being Jekyll and bad being Hyde— and the struggle he has with both sides fighting for dominance within himself. The emotional mindset and the physical attributes of Jekyll and Hyde show the good and evil within themselves.

This in itself is answered and directly bought up by Jekyll in the book, with the quote: I believe that this quote explains that Dr. Jekyll feels that although Hyde is pure evil, he knows that there is also an evil side to Jekyll – he allowed Hyde to exist, fully well knowing that Hyde would be dangerous.