What insights does Stevenson’s novel give the reader into the nature of good and evil?
Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was published in 1886. The story was written in a gothic style and in those days, that type of literature was almost unheard of. The novel is very well known because it portrays a split personality, another thing that wasn’t written about in those days and it explores the nature of good and evil in this portrayal. Jekyll himself says “man is not truly one, but truly two” relating to the natures of good and evil inside a person and what we are made out of.
In this novel, Jekyll exploits his other half to do things that would make him lose all respect, things that he would be jailed for. He takes the form of Hyde. Hyde is described by Richard Enfield (Utterson’s cousin) as “ape-like”. When Jekyll takes a potion he made, he turns into Hyde. Jekyll’s emotions when he takes the potion are a swirl of anger and overall bad thoughts. It is because of these emotions that he turns into Hyde, these pent up rages and frustrations ended up being the end of him and show us that bottling up your emotions is a bad thing and could potentially turn you into a monster.
Jekyll is described as a good person because in the novel he is said to have done no bad deeds. He becomes Hyde so that he could do bad deeds. But when he becomes Hyde a lot and realises he is addicted to becoming Hyde and doing horrible things he is fraught with fright. The time between becoming Hyde and then turning back to Jekyll is increasing; Jekyll knows that he will be Hyde forever. This is a bad thing as when he didn’t become Hyde for a long time and then he did, he murdered a man name Danvers Carew, and now Hyde (if the police find him) will be sent to jail. Jekyll then decides to kill himself for the greater good. This proves that even doing all the bad things, Jekyll can still have good thoughts and good actions.
When people see Hyde, they... [continues]
Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was published in 1886. The story was written in a gothic style and in those days, that type of literature was almost unheard of. The novel is very well known because it portrays a split personality, another thing that wasn’t written about in those days and it explores the nature of good and evil in this portrayal. Jekyll himself says “man is not truly one, but truly two” relating to the natures of good and evil inside a person and what we are made out of.
In this novel, Jekyll exploits his other half to do things that would make him lose all respect, things that he would be jailed for. He takes the form of Hyde. Hyde is described by Richard Enfield (Utterson’s cousin) as “ape-like”. When Jekyll takes a potion he made, he turns into Hyde. Jekyll’s emotions when he takes the potion are a swirl of anger and overall bad thoughts. It is because of these emotions that he turns into Hyde, these pent up rages and frustrations ended up being the end of him and show us that bottling up your emotions is a bad thing and could potentially turn you into a monster.
Jekyll is described as a good person because in the novel he is said to have done no bad deeds. He becomes Hyde so that he could do bad deeds. But when he becomes Hyde a lot and realises he is addicted to becoming Hyde and doing horrible things he is fraught with fright. The time between becoming Hyde and then turning back to Jekyll is increasing; Jekyll knows that he will be Hyde forever. This is a bad thing as when he didn’t become Hyde for a long time and then he did, he murdered a man name Danvers Carew, and now Hyde (if the police find him) will be sent to jail. Jekyll then decides to kill himself for the greater good. This proves that even doing all the bad things, Jekyll can still have good thoughts and good actions.
When people see Hyde, they... [continues]
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