Evil Personas in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis...

Evil Personas in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Some believe that every individual has an evil persona trapped inside that is just waiting to get out! This may be true for some but it may also just be another excuse for one to commit evil deeds. In the novel Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, a prominent doctor (Dr. Jekyll) conducts a scientific experiment in which he compounds a certain mixture he consumes and transforms into an ugly, repulsive creature (Mr. Hyde), representing the pure evil that exists within him. This novel is truly an astonishing piece of literature that consists of many components that make it a marvelous piece of literature. Not only is the symbolism fascinating†¦show more content†¦At first, all he wanted to do was isolate Jekyll and Hyde, but he had gotten addicted to the high that Hyde gives him when doing those â€Å"hidden desires†. Dr. Jekyll symbolized the good in every person and Mr. Hyde repre sents the evil persona that everyone has. The symbolism in this novel makes it interesting and meaningful. The novel further proves that the inner devil is desperately trying to escape. The terminology for Jekyll and Hyde could also be found in a dictionary. Such definitions can be found: (1)â€Å"one who has a quasi-schizophrenic, alternating phases of pleasantness and unpleasantness† (2) â€Å"a person having a split personality, one side of which is good and the other evil† and (3) â€Å"this phase refers to a person who alternates between charming demeanor and extremely unpleasant behavior†. Sigmund Freud, a controversial psychiatrist with many questionable theories, described the symptoms of schizophrenia as the â€Å"Jekyll and Hyde syndrome†. Jekyll and Hyde were two opposite personalities that made up one person. Stevenson wrote his novel on the assumption that man is made up of only two parts- the good and the evil. In the novel, Mr. Hyde was depicted as being ugly, disgusting, and much smaller than Dr. Jekyll himself. This was because his evil side (Mr. Hyde) was a smaller portion than that of the good side (Dr. Jekyll), so Jekyll wasShow MoreRelatedThe Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1052 Words   |  5 Pagescriticized in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Apart from being an exceptional Gothic work, Stevenson’s novella is an excellent critique of the hypocrisy that dominated the Victorian era. In his novella, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson uses the characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to expose the double standards and moral pretensions that governed Victorian society. Dr. Jekyll, the protagonist in Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and MrRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Where Dr. Jekyll 1163 Words   |  5 Pages(Aronson 2) Being from Edinburgh, Stevenson was surrounded with the well-known tales of the past and a history of duality in his hometown. Deacon Brodie and Dr. Knox were both from Edinburgh and both lived â€Å"double-lives†, this undoubtedly had a major impact upon Stevenson’s imagination and later his writings. (Stefan 5) â€Å"While growing up Stevenson had a friend and the son of Sir James Simpson, the developer of medical anesthesia, the two friends would â€Å"experiment† with chloroform, for the enjoymentRead MoreGood vs. Bad of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson932 Words   |  4 PagesGood vs. Bad of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde â€Å"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† is a novella written by Robert Louis Stevenson, a Scottish author. Written and published 1886, this novella reflects on the individual, and societal behavior during the Victorian era. During the Victorian era people, were supposed to behave like a normal person. Certain behaviors were highly restricted for example, showing evil. Instead, they were expected to give respect for everyone. People who acted out against the norm duringRead MoreDr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Analysis1709 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"All human beings are commingled out of good and evil.† Robert Louis Stevenson was no fool when it came to understanding the duality of human nature evident within mankind. In his novella, the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson is able to explore his interests concerning the dark, hidden desires that all human beings are guilty of possessing. In his story, a well-respected professional by the name of Dr. Jekyll experiments with the idea of contrasting personalities and successfullyRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1186 Words   |  5 Pagesself-discovery and individuality to provoke new views of social norms. Three authors stick out as the pioneers of dualism: Robert Louis Stevenson, Oscar Wilde and Charlotte Brontë. Stevenson wrote a story to tell his audience that having a secondary life strictly for pleasure can destroy both of your lives. Wilde disagreed with Stevenson and believed that the second persona can be safe, and not affect anyone else. Brontë used her story to shed light on the secret desires of women by producing charactersRead MoreThe Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Louis Stevenson Essay1468 Words   |  6 PagesThe Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Louis Stevenson In the strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Robert Louis Stevenson makes the reader question the extent to which Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are in fact a single character. Until the end of the novel, the two personas seem nothing alike-the well-liked, respectable doctor and the hideous, depraved Hyde are almost opposite in type and personality. Stevenson uses this marked contrast to make his point: every human Read MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde Essay1393 Words   |  6 Pages Jekyll/Hyde and Mary Reilly Comparison Final Paper The book of â€Å"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† was written nearly over a century ago. The fictional novella was written the year of 1885 in England, by Robert Louis Stevenson. The author wrote a gothic mystery story, told by a narrator that follows Mr. Utterson’s point of view. Mr. Utterson is the attorney of Dr. Jekyll, and his point of view comes from the outside of the home. Stevenson accomplished tremendousRead MoreDr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Analysis914 Words   |  4 Pagesnovel Dr. Jekyll Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson contains frequent situations where conflicts among the characters arise. This literary classic also has a prominent and iconic villain depicted in one of the title characters, Mr. Hyde. The general plot of the novel is as follows; Utterson, a respected lawyer, and Enfield, Utterson’s cousin, are on their weekly walk when Enfield tells Utterson about his first encounter with Hyde. During his retelling, Enfield explains how he witnesses Hyde trampleRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1126 Words   |  5 PagesAs Robert Grudin said in _______, â€Å"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 beingsRead MoreDuality In Dr Jekyll And Hyde933 Words   |  4 Pageslife. Duality is expressed in Robert Louis Stevenson’s book, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Which takes place during the Victorian Era. Duality was very common during the Victorian era. Many politicians and famous people during this time tried their best to hide their second li fe, which contained many secrets. Eventually, these secrets were publicly exposed, trashing their public image. The idea of hypocrisy, authenticity, and conformity contribute to evil and are all shown in the book