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Duality In Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

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Duality In Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde
In Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the theme of duality emphasizes, through the transformations experienced by Mr. Utterson, Dr. Lanyon, and Dr. Jekyll, that every individual possesses a dark side that they typically do not want to expose.
Mr. Utterson expresses this theme of duality through his change in behavior. In the beginning of the novel, Stevenson describes Mr. Utterson as a trustworthy and honest lawyer. As the story progresses, it is evident that this description becomes false as his other half emerges: "This is a private matter, and I beg of you to let it sleep" (Stevenson 19). At one of Dr. Jekyll's dinner parties, Jekyll asks for Utterson to promise to stop investigating information about Hyde. Utterson's dark side surfaces as he lies and promises to Jekyll that he would stop. Due to his curiosity in Hyde, Utterson's inability to control his dark side emphasizes the theme of duality. …show more content…
Lanyon expresses this theme of duality through his change of beliefs. Near the beginning of the story, Dr. Lanyon states that he and Jekyll are not on speaking terms due to disagreements on science: "'I wish to see or hear no more of Doctor Jekyll,' he said in a loud unsteady voice" (Stevenson 29). Lanyon's benevolent half causes him to shut Jekyll out because Jekyll's beliefs of science, which includes the paranormal and supernatural, conflict with the scientific beliefs of Dr. Lanyon that include physical aspects of the real world. With that being said, Lanyon experiences internal conflicts and eventually goes against his own scientific beliefs to help Jekyll. As a result of the influence of Dr. Lanyon's dark side, he experiences illness and death shortly after he witnesses the
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