Introduction This term paper will introduce the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and suggest why the notion of instability provides a productive angle. The novella was written in the 1900th century. This was rather a popular time for modern gothic literature. The modern gothic is a fin de siècle genre, which challenged the realism. The reason why it was able to challenge the realism is the way it was able to convey messages through interesting stories. Furthermore, the gothic genre was able to represent the problems of the 19th century and their fears of the expanding metropolis, the increasing political unrest in Europe, the apocalyptic predictions for the future, the fear of machines which challenged the humans etc. Moreover,
Everyone has to deal with some sort of temptations in their lives. Usually temptations are negative, but they may differ depending on the person. Some people may not like to admit this but everyone has a dark side and sometimes it shows. A person needs to let out some darkness at some points in their lives because nobody should bottle their emotions up. One man’s dark temptations are looked at in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. In this novel, it starts out introducing Mr.Utterson who is a lawyer. He is walking with his cousin Mr. Enfield and they find a door which leads them to a house. Mr. Enfield starts telling a story and that is how Mr.Hyde and Dr.Jekyll are introduced. “ All at once, I saw two figures: one a little man who was stumping along eastward at a good walk, and the other a girl of maybe eight or ten who was running as hard as she was able down a cross street. Well, sir, the two ran into one another naturally enough at a corner; and then came the horrible part of the thing; for the man trampled calmly over the child’s body and left her screaming on the ground” (Stevenson 9). Mr. Utterson becomes curious as to who the person was and after doing some investigating he discovers that Dr.Jekyll is Mr.Hyde. Dr.Jekyll wanted a way to let out the bad that he had inside of him, but he didn 't want anyone to see him differently. He decided to make a potion, and when he drank the potion he would turn into Mr.Hyde.
Reinterpretations have played a major role in all forms of entertainment. They provide another, unique perspective on something old, something you may have read or seen. They make it possible to relive, or re-experience something that you cherished, or they can enable you to love something you hated. Reinterpretations have a lot of artistic power, as can be seen in a review of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, compared to The Incredible Hulk, directed by Louis Leterrier. The value of reinterpretations can be explored through the use of these two texts by looking at the theme of duplicity in man, and analysing the characters Bruce Banner and Dr Jekyll.
Every story needs a good villain. Villains and heroes are often portrayed in media as being very black and white, but in reality people are much more complex than that. Robert Louis Stevenson does a good job in portraying the complexity of human nature in his books, especially in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Kidnapped. The former is about a lawyer named Mr. Utterson seeking out the truth of Dr. Jekyll’s very strange will. He finds out that Jekyll was transforming himself into Mr. Hyde so that he could have the freedom to do whatever he wanted no matter how evil. By the time Utterson finds all this out and findsJekyll, he is too late and Jekyll has already killed himself. The latter is about David Balfour and his journey to take his rightful inheritance from his villainous uncle Ebenezer. Along the way he meets Alan, who is a highlander obsessed with vengeance. They help each other grow to be better people, and in the end, with the help of Alan, David reclaims what is rightfully his. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Kidnapped, Stevenson explores the characters´ villainous deeds and the philosophy that humans have two natures.
Throughout Western literature, writers have created characters who act as perfect foils to each other with dramatically observable differences. Each pairing has a stronger and weaker in the combination, and usually one outlives the other. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the pairing exists in one body, and yet the struggle is heightened because both aspects of the identity are equal in strength. Ultimately, Stevenson emphasizes it is Jekyll who holds the power of life or death over Hyde. Hyde's "love of life is wonderful," but Hyde is also aware of Jekyll's "power to cut him off by suicide (Stevenson 101)." It is the awareness of each for the other which confirms that neither
When the book The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert L. Stevenson and the play, Trifles by Susan Glaspell were written both literary pieces dealt in depravity. The two main genres engage in violent acts with no remorse. Both genres reveal emotional turmoil, that’s the battle within their mind and soul, taken pleasure in immoral behaviors. Although The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Trifles are genres depicting male and female depravity, they are alike and different in social issues, such as violence, murder and justice for all.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a novel written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1886. The novel is set in Victorian England and follows a man by the name Dr. Jekyll, a respected doctor. Dr. Jekyll is a revered man in society and has every intention of remaining that way. However, one day he goes too far with one of his experiments and he creates a draught that unleashes a split personality within him. This personality goes by the name of Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll does not seek a cure at first because he enjoys having an outlet for all of his desires that are deemed unacceptable by society. Hyde commits evil deeds, such as murdering an old man and trampling a young girl, which Dr. Jekyll could never normally let himself go through with. Dr. Jekyll believes that he can remain a good, reputable man even when a part of him is doing wrong. However, he soon learns that this is impossible. Soon after, Dr. Jekyll loses control over his ability to transform into Mr. Hyde. At first, he would only change during the night. Then, he started transforming during the day as well. Dr. Jekyll finally admits that the problem is starting to get out of control. However, he cannot create a remedy any longer. Dr. Jekyll is eventually completely overtaken by Mr. Hyde and the reader does not hear from him again. In this novel, Dr. Jekyll illustrates the duality of human nature through his struggle to choose between good versus evil, societal expectations versus unacceptable desires, and
During the latter portion of the nineteenth century, Robert Louis Stevenson published his novella, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The fin de siècle saw the rise of different thoughts and ideas surrounding science and society. These concepts and interpretations sparked the discourse surrounding the theory of degeneration; which was the concern that civilization would fall to a lower state of being. This chapter will be reading multiplex personality as a manifestation of this broader cultural fear. Stevenson’s story played upon the changes society was facing during this time and the interest in scientific explanations for mental illness. He creates the character of Dr Jekyll, a scientist who invents a potion to unlock his inner,
As Robert Grudin said in _______, “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 human 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 contradictory doubleness of thought, speech, or action; the quality or state of being twofold. Stevenson’s novel touches upon a variety of factors and concerns, one of which being the duplicity of man. The subject is articulated through the exploration of comparing and contrasting opposites; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’s physical attributes, their mentalities/personalities, and finally, the manner by which their environmental surroundings aid in contrasting their characterizations.
There is a battle of two wolves inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, lies, inferiority, and ego. The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth. Which wolf wins? The one you feed. - Old Cherokee Proverb. This quote explains that within us all, there is the battle good and evil. It explains the duality of the human condition, and that we all have the potential to be very good, but also extremely evil, a concept that Robert Louis Stevenson dabbles in throughout the course of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This concept, also illustrates the theme of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde perfectly, as the theme is good vs evil, or more specifically the dual nature of humans, and how good and evil exists within ourselves. That good vs evil can be an internal struggle, as well as a physical battle. Some argue that the theme of Jekyll and Hyde could be Friendship, Lies and Deceit, or Sacrifice, however it is evident that the theme is good versus evil for several reasons.
In the novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, I believe that Dr. Henry Jekyll suffers from a severe case of addiction; an addiction to his evil counterpart, Mr. Hyde, whom allows him to experience and indulge in the pleasures of his evilness without repercussions or disgracing his highly respected name in the community.Dr. Jekyll’s obsession with good and evil and discovering a way to separate the two, as well as his refusal to give up Hyde are all components of his addiction. It is Jekyll’s obsession with the “pleasures” that only the other half of his personality can provide, that he cannot give up. Some of the common symptoms of addiction are denial, withdrawal, dependence, excessive intake and seclusion. I strongly believe Dr. Jekyll suffers from addiction due to the fact that he has exhibited these signs numeruosly throughout the text. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine,
This is a story about Mr.utterson, a lawyer in charge of the will of a well known doctor named henry jekyll. As the keeper of the doctor will he gets confused when mr jekyll plans to leave his everything to mr hyde when he dies, Mr Hyde is a rumored murderer. Mr utterson tries to ask jekyll who hyde is but jekyll didn't give him a straight answer.
Robert Stevenson’s novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde follows the plight of Dr. Jekyll, giving insight to human desires that are typically repressed within a civilized society. People strive to fit into the society around them. In doing this they often suppress some aspects of their desires. After giving into desire once, the need for it may increase, and control may slowly decrease. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde explores the multi-faceted dimensions of the human psyche. There is a constant battle raging within every person between morality and desire. Very often the more one attempts to suppress natural urges the stronger and more profound they become.
In the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde it is regarded that these identities are two different persons but this is not the case, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are one in the same. There is much confusion when reading this literary work by Robert Louis Stevenson; this piece is regarded as horrific and disturbing in many ways. But the biggest twist is when it is reveled to the reader that these two people are the same and that below the surface of Dr.Jekyll is an evil man who enjoys committing evil acts. Mainly that Dr. Jekyll believes he has no choice but to commit these horrid acts because he has no control over is evil side. I don’t believe this is the case, Hyde isn’t a real person and doesn’t exist, nor is he someone who commits
The novel “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde“ by Robert Louis Stevenson discusses dualism and internal conflict. All the individuals have two kinds of distinguishable sides exist which are good and evil; in the book, Dr. Jekyll represents the good and Mr. Hyde represents the evil. Not only Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, other character’s perspective toward the dualism is revealed. Especially in time period when the book is published, is called Victorian London, the period of Queen Victoria’s reign from 20 June 1837 until her death. It differs between wealth class Victorians and poor class Victorians. Poor Victorians had a rough and hard life, often ending up in the workhouse or early death, Additionally, people who are rich had many pressure
Frankenstein by author Mary Shelley is a Gothic science fiction novel written in Switzerland between 1816–1817, and published January 1, 1818. Set in eighteenth century Geneva, Frankenstein tells the story of a young man by the name of Victor who goes away to college to study natural philosophy, chemistry, and alchemy. When armed with the knowledge he has long been seeking, Victor spends months constructing a creature out of old body parts, and in the secrecy of his apartment, brings his creation to life. The monstrous abomination later disappears, and when a mysterious series of deaths start to occur in Victor’s family, he is certain his creation is the cause, and devotes his life to vanquishing the savage fiend. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde written by Robert Louis Stevenson and published in 1886, is a mystery thriller about a respectable man by the name of Henry Jekyll, who takes a potion to occasionally become a dark and evil character, which he so cleverly calls “Mr. Hyde”. Meanwhile Mr. Utterson, Dr. Jekyll’s lawyer and close friend, tries to figure out why his dear friend Dr. Jekyll is acting so suspiciously, while simultaneously trying to uncover the origin of Mr. Hyde for himself. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde shares common themes with Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein such as dangerous knowledge, monstrosity, and the use of doppelgängers. Both Frankenstein and Jekyll and Hyde, develop the idea of the doppelgänger to emphasize how social