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Jekyll And Hyde Essay
1. Jekyll And Hyde Essay
The contrast between Jekyll's more modern, sophisticated makeup and Hyde's animalistic appearance is significant in interpreting the meaning behind
the Jekyll and Hyde character. Those who argue that Hyde represents a devolved version of humanity use Hyde's appearance to justify their stance.
Author and professor Anne Stiles points out that Stevenson uses words such as 'ape–like', ''troglodytic', and 'hardly human' to describe Hyde. A
troglodyte, from the Greek word meaning 'cave dweller' is used to describe a person who is reclusive, hermit–like, and ignorant. Stiles goes so far as to
say "from a late–nineteenth–century perspective, Jekyll represents the pinnacle of evolution, while Hyde approaches its nadir...racially, Hyde is an
ape–like...show more content...
If Hyde has been described as Hyde "savage, uncivilized, and given to passion...poorly evolved" (Shubh), then perhaps he represents the true,
original nature of man, repressed by society, norms, and conscience. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde suggests that this restrained,
amoral side of human nature, once given a chance to escape, cannot be controlled. Even in this 'height of western civilization', Victorian England,
this tempting evil can overcome even the most virtuous of men. Jekyll is neither good nor bad, but a man whose deeply repressed urges motivated
him to separate, but not remove, the evil parts of his nature. There is a misinterpretation that Hyde is an unwanted byproduct of trying to create
pure good, that Jekyll is not in control as Hyde, and that Jekyll doesn't enjoy being Hyde. In fact, Jekyll loves being Hyde, he revels in the freedom
that he brings him (Stevenson 54), but the problems with his dual personality starts when he has to face the consequences of his actions. Jekyll has
a difficult time balancing Hyde's debaucheries and Jekyll's rational, refined side. However, Jekyll realizes too late that he has indulged in Hyde too
much and has let him grow out of control. At the beginning of the novel, Hyde was the "smaller, slighter, and younger than Henry Jekyll"
(Stevenson 57). His more youthful appearance represents how young and free Jekyll feels as Hyde, but also symbolizes how little his personality
was seen before Jekyll drank his potion. Early in the novel, Hyde is easily controlled, Jekyll can use his potion to limit how often he transforms into
Hyde (Stevenson 56). However, as he starts to morph back and forth, it starts to take more and more potion to control the switches until
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2. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was published in 1886 as a 'shilling shocker' novella written by the young novelist Robert Louis Stevenson. At that time there
was a surfeit of cheap horror novellas. Stevenson's novella was different because it explored the evil inside human kind. I will look into Victorian
attitudes and how these influenced Victorian life.
The cultural and historical context of the text is typical of the author but not his time because there was a contradiction between
Science and religion and this novella scared people about possibilities of evil. Victorian values at this time were very strict and those people who broke
them were looked down on in the social order. Jekyll was the perfect...show more content...
When he first enters the body of Hyde he feels
'younger and lighter in spirit'. He also feel like his evil side has been 'unleashed'. He says 'My Devil had long been caged and he came out roaring'
This shows that he feels unburdened and unchained in spirit because he is 'tenfold more evil'.
In the final chapter, it talks about the lives of Jekyll as Hyde. It also talks about his views on society. When Jekyll turns into Hyde he commits crimes
and then turns back and practically forgets his sins.
This shows that everyone had an evil side but they didn't have a way to unleash it.
The last chapter also emphasises the Victorian views and their desires. It tells us that although the 'Victorian Dream' was a perfectly balanced society,
the reality was different.
Throughout the book we notice a contrast between Jekyll and Hyde. The tall upright Jekyll is a big contrast to the evil, small, ugly and cold–hearted
Hyde. Hyde is judged religiously by the 'stars looking down on him' this is a metaphor for the whole society looking down on him. At this time the
religious beliefs were still strong and although science was coming through and more people were turning towards science and believing less and less
of the church's teachings, the religious population was still the majority.
Hyde represented the scientific community whereas the
4. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Jekyll does deserve his final miserable fate because he commits several selfish deeds to the point where he brings his miserable fate upon himself.
In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson uses Jekyll to represent how man prioritizes by putting himself over others. Throughout the
book, Jekyll's two different sides are used to show that man is consistently selfish and will usually think of himself before others. Even though Jekyll
has a good side and an evil side, both sides of him are selfish. Jekyll originally takes the potion for selfish reasons, Jekyll uses Hyde to conquer his own
evil temptations, and in the end Jekyll gives into Hyde and completely gives up....show more content...
He took the potion in the first place to become famous rather than to help others, making it a selfish act.
Jekyll is tempted to do bad things and he uses Hyde to overcome his temptations. Jekyll gets his satisfaction of doing bad deeds by becoming Hyde.
Jekyll says "If each, I told myself, could be housed in separate identities, life would be relieved of all that was unbearable; the unjust might go his
way" (Page 105). He states that he wants to do bad things but knowing he cant and still live the life he has, he uses Hyde as an escape from his
temptations. Once Jekyll is able to control his temptations but still do bad as Mr. Hyde he says "I felt younger, lighter, happier in the body" (Page 106)
Mr. Hyde is Jekyll's way of escaping his sophisticated lifestyle and entering a totally separate way of life. Jekyll then didn't feel any guilt for Hyde's
actions.
In the end, Jekyll decides to let Hyde take over and he gives up. Hyde is able to take control over Jekyll because Jekyll had originally taken the
potion for selfish reasons. Jekyll knows that there is a good chance Hyde will take over but he continues with his experiment knowing the risks. He
says, "To cast in my lot with Jekyll, was to die those appetites which I had long secretly indulged and had of late begun to pamper. To cast it in with
Hyde, was to die a thousand interests and aspirations, and to become at a blow and forever,
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5. Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde Essay
English Essay (Prompt 3) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, created by famous writer R. L. Stevenson, can be considered one of the most famous 19th
century novella in the whole world. The author used quite a lot of diversified skills to create an ambience of suspense and mystery. The
perspective of narrative used from Mr. Utterson is one of them. First of all, the usage of the perspective of Mr. Utterson draws out the 'suspense'
element because he is not actually omniscient. The readers can only decipher partial information via the narrative given and try to guess what the
truths are. Therefore, this creates a feeling of uncertainty: 'We get the story this way because it draws out the suspense, the mystery, and the
shocking nature that was sort of requisite for shilling shockers back in the day. If we just had the story from Jekyll's point of view, there wouldn't
have been such a dramatic ending, where we, the readers, get to say: "Ohhh." (http://www.shmoop.com 2016)'. That was an explanation from an
online article, but such examples could also be found in the book. For instance, in the chapter 'Carew murder case', when the inspector gives Utterson
the stick Hyde used to drub Carew, it went like: 'Mr. Utterson knew the stick at once. "That's Henry Jekyll's stick!" (Stevenson, 1993, p.18). This
suggests that Mr. Hyde must have a strangely close relationship with Jekyll, which shocks the readers and make the case more whirling. For another, in
the Last Night, after hearing the
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