Monster Culture In Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde

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Mr. Hyde and Dr Jekyll majorly relates on the tale adapted from Robert Stevenson’s novella about a man who develops and takes a specific type of drug, which releases his evil side and turns him from a mild-mannered science man into a murderous maniac. As the plot goes on, his appearance changes along with the behavior. This paper analyzes this characters using Jeffrey Jerome’s concept as outlined in the “monster culture”. Discussion From this novel, it is apparent that Stevenson has demonstrated, through his characters, the concept of “Monster Culture” outlined by Cohen. For instance, Dr Jekyll a principle character in this novel is a man with two distinct personalities, …show more content…

In other words, they can easily be transformed from one form to another. This is exactly what is happening in Dr. Hyde who in one part is typified as a good person while in another scene is seen as an evil character. Specifically, Dr. Hyde is portrayed as possessing unconscious desires which he had to let out. After doing so however, he did regret it and sought to quickly get rid of the hidden part out of him. Nonetheless, Mr. Hyde finds that he cannot possibly go on with his dark desires while at the same time maintain his reputation. In Cohen’s \ perspective, the respectable Dr Jekyll could entertain thoughts as a man living a forbidden life and full of vices. However, he is held in check by his superego’s moral restraints. Consequently, we see Jekyll gradually transforming his moral and physical self into another being, Hyde, a diabolical man that comes to recognize his …show more content…

Through the character of Dr Jekyll character, we can see an unwillingness of entering the social order, which is made evident by Mr. Hyde, his direct opposite. At first he drinks the drug in order to enter into a realm that has no social mores, no laws from the father to follow. He assumes a Mr. Hyde, the new identity so as to test those boundaries. Through the “monster culture” we can establish that Dr Jekylls unconscious desire is personified in Mr. Hyde, and this will enable us to see Dr Jekyll as the illusion of reality and he was not whosever he claimed to be. He possessed unconscious desires which he had to let out. After doing so however, he did regret it and sought to quickly get rid of the hidden part of him. Moving on, we can then say that when we are born with corrupt and unconscious desires, then eventually in some way we will manifest them. To some degree, everyone is at the sympathy of fate in whatever hidden carnal desires that we are born

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