Similarities In The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde

In ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, Robert Louis Stevenson presents duality as one of the key themes throughout the novel. This is reflected predominantly through the main characters of Dr Jekyll and his evil side, Mr Hyde. Stevenson also mirrors the theme of a dual nature in the settings he creates, by choosing London as the surroundings and in the descriptions of Dr Jekyll's house and the difference between his and Hyde’s rooms. The use of duality is also shown in Stevenson’s use of the themes of light and dark and religious opposites such as good and evil.

Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one long social commentary. One of its main themes is breaking down the façade of perfection created by the upper class, and examining what lies underneath. In fact, the whole story is about a man in high society, whose private life is rather an opposite of his public one. In Dr. Jekyll’s letter, Stevenson writes, “I knew myself, at the first breath of this new life, to be more wicked, tenfold more wicked, sold slave to my original evil… I was suddenly aware that I had lost in stature,” (Stevenson page 2273). The idea of a “loss in stature” holds a double meaning. Stature, meaning size, can allude to Hyde’s height which is understood to be much less than Jekyll’s own. Yet, stature, meaning stance in society, can also imply that Jekyll, when transformed, no longer hold’s his prominence in his culture. This speaks to the Victorian society’s habit of only portraying the high society as impeccable which Stevenson battles throughout this mysterious case. Another parallel of appearance is described by Nabokov as he states, “The relations of the two are typified by Jekyll’s house, which is half Jeykyll and half Hyde,” (Nabokov 186). The side facing the street filled with others in the upper class is neat, tidy, and welcoming; this is Jekyll’s half. The side facing a dimmer and more dangerous street is dark, looming, and mysterious; similar to Hyde’s

Throughout the novel there are many different descriptions of evil. The doors used by Jekyll and Hyde are an example of

First, it is obvious that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is an example of duality in Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Throughout the novel, the two characters are introduced as two different people. Dr. Jekyll is handsome and “good” in the eyes of society, and Hyde is ugly and “evil” through society’s eyes. Stevenson describes Dr. Jekyll as “a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty” (19), and Mr. Hyde as “pale, dwarfish” (17) and not human like. The description of these characters is showing us the two sides of one man. Stevenson is trying to tell us that everybody has a good and evil side, and they also have a curiosity about their darker side. He believed that people know they have a bad side, but they refuse to accept the truth, as the ‘dark side’ is so unpleasant. The duality of good and evil associates with the modern-day reader because we see that an individual, even

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

After I got done reading the book "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" the two people seem nothing alike. dr. Jekyll was respected and well liked other than me. Hyde being hideous and didn't care about his appearance. but I do think they are mentally the same because they somewhat in a way have the same personality but at the same time they don't. for instance dr.jeklly probably had evil inside him but he didn't want people to dislike him so he became this new person named "Mr. Hyde" so people would think its a completely different

The dual character combination of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of the most well-known in literature and is arguably the most blatant example of duality Stevenson uses to try and get the theme of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde across. The dual personalities Dr. Jekyll possesses are stark examples of the animalistic and civilized sides of man that inherently resides in all men. The virtuous Dr. Jekyll serves as a portrayal of the more rational, human side of man. When Mr. Utterson attends Dr. Jekyll’s dinner party he paints a picture of a quintessential Victorian man when describing Jekyll’s appearance, “well

He foreshadows that he will be transforming into Hyde soon. Once Jekyll made the transformation he felt younger and happier. “In my eyes it bore a livelier image of the spirit (78),” I honestly think that Hyde was one of the orphans that he experimented on. The quote that made me think this was, “I had now

As Jekyll realizes his and Mr. Hyde’s fate, he experiences a ‘relief of sorrow and suffering’. Sibilance suggests that Jekyll is relieved to finally expose his secret. The repetition of one direction in ‘advanced infallibly in one direction and in one direction only’ exaggerates the sense of Jekyll being unable to go back; his secret is out. This repetition also represents the repeated transformation from Henry to Edward. Henry Jekyll asks, ‘How, then were they dissociated?’ which questions how these two personalities were separated but stayed as one during the novella. In the final chapter Jekyll uses the juxtaposition of ‘polar twins’ to show how these almost identical twins are polar opposites at the same time. When the potion that Dr. Jekyll concocted begins to have a ‘strong glow’, it foreshadows the downfall of Mr. Hyde. The transformation, described by Dr. Jekyll as ‘birth or death’, alludes to the death of Dr. Jekyll and the birth of Mr. Hyde. In the final chapters, the two main characters fate is coming to an end, and Dr. Jekyll can’t turn back from his

Mr. Hyde expresses the fact that he has all of the evil impulses. Jekyll always had and regretted, but the difference is Hyde acted on them where Jekyll did not. Like when Hyde tramples on the little girl on purpose. Jekyll tries be good and refrains from his evil impulses. This is expressed in the quote “I let my brother go to the devil in his own way” said by Dr. Jekyll.

Both men are different in acts in public and in private. First Dr. Jekyll, when he is out in public, he is a benefactor, he enjoyed donating to charities and was a very religious man. Dr. Jekyll was a physician, this

Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde share many similarities and many differences. For example they share similarities and differences in mental, physical, and especially moral. These two men are not two separate people they are the same person.

The shared theme of doppelgangers and split personality is prominent in both stories. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde features a man named Henry Jekyll who has created a way to separate

Robert Louis Stevenson illustrates the relationship between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as night and day. Jekyll is cordial and sophisticated, so he is represented as the good side of human nature. Hyde, on the other hand, is a primitive monster who hates talking to others; so he is shown as the evil side of human nature. Even though the two men are entirely different, they depend on each other to survive, just like day and night. Where did Jekyll disappear to? And what is his dark secret? Without Hyde’s answers, the answer may never be

Jekyll and Mr. Hyde evokes an emotional and sympathetic response for the inner battles Dr. Jekyll endures when he is bombarded by the invasive and disturbing thoughts of his alternate personality, Mr. Hyde because it reminds the reader of the overwhelming feelings all human undergo in some point or time in their life, were confusion, unhappiness, and fear of unacceptable creates a vortex of for psychological anguish. • Find a passage from the text to highlight their differences Descriptions of both Jekyll and Hyde A major theme of this novella is the danger of introspection and social awareness, which can be understood through an analysis of Freud’s structural model of the human psyche, pertaining specifically/exclusively to the Id, Ego, and Superego. Irrefutably, Hyde is guilty of evil acts, however one of his trademarks throughout the novella is his aggression and indifference to the expectations and limitations of society. Therefore, this novel, especially considering the historical context, that being during the Victorian era can reflect of the overbearing social expectation to behave properly in society and that specifically in Victorian society citizens were expected to repress these arguably