The Duality of Human Nature in Stevensons Dr. Jekyll and...

Stevenson uses the characters of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde to expresses his beliefs about human duality by introducing them as two contrasting characters, instead of just one character. Using two completely different characters with different names and appearances gets his message of human duality across more effectively rather than using just one character that turns a different colour when its angry, for example. We meet Mr Hyde, â€Å"a pale, dwarfish man† â€Å"of no particular age†, and we meet Dr Jekyll, a â€Å"large, well-made man of fifty† with a â€Å"large handsome face†. The way Stevenson describes them as opposites makes us think that they are infact two people, but as Stevenson builds up the clues throughout the book we realise that they are†¦show more content†¦Stevenson is trying to tell us that everybody has evil inside of them and has a curiosity about their darker side. Jekyll seems to be in control of his desires and temptations but as Hyde he can fulfil them and not feel guilty. Stevenson is stating that everybody has evil inside of the, wanting to get out and that everyone gets a thrill of letting it out sometimes. As Jekyll thinks he’s in control of Hyde, his addiction to his darker side spirals out of control and he transforms into Hyde without taking the potion. Hyde’s character is gaining strength and Jekyll is getting weaker. Jekyll gets weaker because he is getting weaker at controlling Hyde. By becoming Hyde and letting his evil side out, he has made live harder for himself because now he wont be able to get rid of Hyde as he once said he could. Hyde has now overpowered Jekyll and is in control. Everybody has good and evil inside them. The good in you should always be in control because if you let your evil side out too much it will take control of you and change you, just like Hyde changed Jekyll. Stevenson’s intention is to express that Hyde represents the dark side inside of everybody and he explains how letting your evil side out can affect your life when he tells us that â€Å" the dark influence of Hyde had been withdrawn, the doctor has returnedShow MoreRelatedJekyll And Hyde Character Analysis968 Words   |  4 PagesRobert Louis Stevenson’s novel, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, explores the duality of human nature. He writes this novel to show us that humans have split personalities, and that there are two sides to human’s personality: good and evil. In the late-Victorian literature, duality appears to be a common theme; serving as a way for modern readers to analyze late-Victorian literature and culture. Stevenson weaves throughout the novel a theme of duality + which appears in the characters ofRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Where Dr. Jekyll 1163 Words   |  5 Pages(Aronson 2) Being from Edinburgh, Stevenson was surrounded with t he well-known tales of the past and a history of duality in his hometown. Deacon Brodie and Dr. Knox were both from Edinburgh and both lived â€Å"double-lives†, this undoubtedly had a major impact upon Stevenson’s imagination and later his writings. (Stefan 5) â€Å"While growing up Stevenson had a friend and the son of Sir James Simpson, the developer of medical anesthesia, the two friends would â€Å"experiment† with chloroform, for the enjoymentRead MoreStevensons Representation of Good and Evil in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde1522 Words   |  7 PagesStevensons Representation of Good and Evil in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde In this piece of coursework, I am asked to first of all, discuss how the novel is mainly concerned with the struggle between good and evil. Next, I will be moving on to discovering the historical, social, and cultural issues of the novel; this will discus what Stevensons literary influences were. Subsequently, I will be exploring the actual evil character oh Mr. Edward Hyde; thisRead More The Representation of Evil in Stevensons Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde1490 Words   |  6 PagesThe Representation of Evil in Stevensons Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde This essay will show how evil is represented in Robert Louis Stevensons Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is about evil and the duality of peoples personalities. To show this I will focus on Stevensons use of characterization, setting, historical, social and cultural context, settings, symbols and language. Robert Stevenson lived in the Victorian era, this was a very repressiveRead MoreDr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1348 Words   |  6 Pagesmore creative interpretation of the original text. Victor Flemming’s 1941 adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde brings two new female characters to the screen, adding to the duality of the story. The women, Beatrix an Ivy, are opposing figures: Beatrix being Jekyll’s pure and loyal fiancà ©e, and Ivy a strong-willed sexual icon. In this 1941 adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the characters Ivy and Beatrix are not only important allegorical catalysts, but also portray theRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1126 Words   |  5 Pages_______, â€Å"there is an almost tragic duality between outer and inner worlds, between the rush of experience and the immobility of awareness†. Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, brilliantly exemplifies the philosophical phenomenon that is the duality of hu man nature through the 2 main characters that coexist interdependently together, Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde. According to Webster’s dictionary, the duplicity of human beings is based on the contradictoryRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1675 Words   |  7 PagesThe Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella, â€Å"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,† is a type of Gothic literature. In the beginning of the story when Stevenson is describing the lawyer, one â€Å"Mr. Utterson,† the mood is a bit dull. At first glance the reader may think that this story would be a bit boring and drab. Stevenson’s story is far from being another dull piece of British English literature. The setting and mood of this novella are more complexRead MoreGrendel Essay761 Words   |  4 PagesDuality of Good and Evil Robert Louis Stevenson, a famous Scottish writer, once said, â€Å"All human beings are commingled out of good and evil.† Not one person is completely good or evil; everyone possesses both characteristics. In the literary pieces of John Gardner’s, â€Å"Grendel,† unknown author of, â€Å"Beowulf,† and Robert Louis Stevenson’s, â€Å"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,† the characters are portrayed as having both qualities of good and evil, proving there to be a duality of decency/immorality, righteousness/depravityRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1326 Words   |  6 Pagesbegan resisting this sense of order and questioning accepted roles and beliefs. Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was published during the late Victorian era, but he clearly brings into question the acceptance of Victorian philosophies, especially the belief that one truth exists and that we can identify good and evi l as separate entities. The names Jekyll and Hyde have become synonymous with multiple personality disorder. This novel can be examined from theRead MoreThe Literature of the Victorian Period1090 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† by Stevenson Book Analysis â€Å"North and South† by Gaskell Book Report Example of Literature Review essay, Sample Paper Introduction The literature of the Victorian period is the synonymy of oppositions. Some of the oppositions introduced by this period are to be considered â€Å"vital† as they deal with the major human values. The list of the works known to be the best representations of the Victorian world outlook is very long; nevertheless some works are to be highlighted