Victorian Values In Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

Victorian Values are what this story is based upon in a sense. The Norton Book lays out a format or brief description of the Late Victorians and what the men had to go through to be accepted in society. “The concept of the double life is central to the principal male characters that enables them to indulge in their desires” (Norton 1670). The strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde reflects Victorian Values because of the double sided life he lives to be able to complete his desires. He cannot do what he wants to do because men at this time are meant to be well respectable, successful, and have good behavior. Dr. Jekyll is the known respectable loving doctor in the story that reflects Victorian Values while Mr. Hyde is the evil side who does
These values gave the people no open room to express themselves because they have to be perfect with no complaints, no issues, and also no problems. This is when you have to mask yourself to do what you desire or what you want to do in order to be happy. In other words, Dr. Jekyll seems to be miserable being this loving doctor that everyone loves and adores when this is not really who he wants to act as. He has to hide his own personality day by day which causes him to act even more malicious and dangerous just to feel good. It is normal for one to have two personalities but what is the purpose if you cannot express it they way you would like. The Victorian Values left no time for this it was almost like they were all black cats stuck in a cage but one of them wanted to be white and he can’t as a metaphor. So if everyone in this time is walking around with desires in their minds and in their hearts then what are they to do to let it out and express themselves? Stevenson tells us this tale to say that they can’t be who they are out in the open they have to be upper-class people with good qualities and self respect in order to be accepted in this