Similarities Between Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde
Perfection is Impossible In the classics, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Picture of Dorian Gray, the quest for perfectionism in the main characters leads to their downfall. Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde narrates the mystery of an evil man and a man in seclusion. On the contrary, The Picture of Dorian Gray details the story of a cryptic painting and the damage it brings to the community. Both of these novels explore the quest for perfectionism: albeit through science in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or social standing in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde shows that the stride for scientific and moral excellence is a long and dangerous path. The mystery begins when Utterson, Jekyll’s lawyer and old friend,
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This novel begins when Basil Hallward, a painter, is captured by Dorian Gray’s beauty and paints a work depicting Dorian in his true form. Lord Henry, a friend of Basil, claims that this piece is a masterpiece and proceeds to enlighten Dorian on some of his philosophies on life and life lost. Lord Henry explains, “When your youth goes, your beauty will go with it, and then you will suddenly discover there are no triumphs left for you” (Wilde 16). This upsets Dorian, he begins cursing his portrait, thinking that it will only remind him of days when he was more beautiful externally. Dorian finds that his painting changes by the figures of his soul and because of this, he covers it with a sheet and later stores it in an unused closet. He finds himself haunted by the depth of his soul. Dorian quickly falls in love with a woman, named Sibyl, who is a young actress. Rashly, he proposes, as he finds she is the only woman for him. As soon as Sibyl and Dorian have fallen in love, Sibyl’s acting ability diminishes, taking with it Dorian’s love for her. Dorian explains, “I loved you because you were marvellous, because you had genius and intellect…You have thrown it all away!” (Wilde 63). In Dorian’s confession, the reader discovers how shallow Dorian is. Not only is he afraid of his emotions, but he is afraid of unperfected
This novel begins when Basil Hallward, a painter, is captured by Dorian Gray’s beauty and paints a work depicting Dorian in his true form. Lord Henry, a friend of Basil, claims that this piece is a masterpiece and proceeds to enlighten Dorian on some of his philosophies on life and life lost. Lord Henry explains, “When your youth goes, your beauty will go with it, and then you will suddenly discover there are no triumphs left for you” (Wilde 16). This upsets Dorian, he begins cursing his portrait, thinking that it will only remind him of days when he was more beautiful externally. Dorian finds that his painting changes by the figures of his soul and because of this, he covers it with a sheet and later stores it in an unused closet. He finds himself haunted by the depth of his soul. Dorian quickly falls in love with a woman, named Sibyl, who is a young actress. Rashly, he proposes, as he finds she is the only woman for him. As soon as Sibyl and Dorian have fallen in love, Sibyl’s acting ability diminishes, taking with it Dorian’s love for her. Dorian explains, “I loved you because you were marvellous, because you had genius and intellect…You have thrown it all away!” (Wilde 63). In Dorian’s confession, the reader discovers how shallow Dorian is. Not only is he afraid of his emotions, but he is afraid of unperfected