The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a literary work in the gothic novella category. Notably, Robert Louis, a Scottish author, wrote and published the book in 1886. The core story is that of a legal practitioner, by the name Gabriel John Utterson, who investigates to determine the root cause of strange happenings between his long-time friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde who he regards as evil. The impact of the story on the English language and the literary industry is a phenomenon. For instance, the English language adopted the words Jekyll and Hyde as a phrase to describe people with unpredictable bipolar behavior. There are several theories that scholars say inspired Robert Louis to write the story, such as the conviction and execution of his French teacher for killing his wife. Notably, the French teacher appeared to live a normal and loving life before his conviction. Mrs. Stevenson, Robert’s wife, states that Robert finished writing the book within a short time and had a dream-induced impetus leaving m, any people wondering whether the book was an autobiography of the author (Kreitzer 128). The wife said that the husband wrote the first draft of the book after waking up from a nightmarish dream. Nonetheless, Robert Louis was also fascinated by the role that human personalities play in the integration of evil and good into a literary work. After its publication, other people have produced other forms of literary works based on the story, such as short films. The story, nevertheless, has overarching themes that are still relevant in modern society, such as the duality of human nature, ethical concerns of scientific studies on humans, and public versus private division. Besides, the story also incorporates various forms of symbolism to depict the varying natures of the characters as well as the environment in which they lived.

Struggle between Good and Evil and Fog as Symbolic

One of the overarching themes in the book The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is the struggle between evil and good. After the identification of Carew’s body, Utterson recognizes the murder weapon as the stick that Jekyll has said he had lost. Therefore, he brings more police officers into the house to search for more evidence. Meanwhile, Jekyll and officer Utterson take a ride in a cab. Due to the initial findings, the officer grows suspicious of Jekyll’s involvement in the murder of Carew. During the scene, Robert Louis describes the presence of fog. He writes that the mist was a great chocolate-colored pall that came from heaven, and the wind was continually charging through the vapor. Notably, the fog represents officer Utterson’s suspicions on Jekyll. Nonetheless, the officer has been friends with Dr. Jekyll for a long time, and he believes that he is a good man who is not capable of committing such a crime. As they progress, the fog starts to fade. Simultaneously, subsequent events make Utterson believe that Hyde was the murderer. Before he could act, the officer is baffled by the declining health of Dr. Jekyll. Unaware of the internal battle that Jekyll has against Hyde, the writer says that the fog as brown as umber settled down again in that area reducing the officer’s ability to see clearly. Officer Utterson’s doubts about the involvement of the Jekyll in the murder affected his ability to see the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde.

The fog could also represent the battle that Dr. Jekyll is having against the temptation to change into Mr. Hyde. Over the years, Dr. Jekyll has been fighting the Hyde within him, and the battle has drained him mentally. As the fog becomes denser in the scene, it could represent Dr. Jekyll’s diminishing spirits and the ability to fight Hyde. His life becomes miserable, and he feels that the only solution is suicide. The theme of the struggle between good and bad is relevant even in the current society. Various studies have stemmed up trying to explain the source of evil in the world and how many good people turn out to be bad. The theory of psychodynamic, in conjunction with many traditional theories, states that evil comes from the mentally-disturbed people and traces the conflicts to unresolved infantile problems.  Nevertheless, the source of DR. Jekyll’s mental troubles could be from the pathological defective genetic make-ups that the traditional; scientists called bad seeds. Nevertheless, contemporary scientific researchers sow that the transformation of DR. Jekyll, a good person into Mr. Hyde, a bad person transcends genetic make-ups. Instead, they argue that the human mind is a marvelous blank template without prior tendencies towards good or bad, and each mind can do more good or more bad than the world has ever seen (Zimbardo, 5). Nevertheless, the human mind can adapt easily to environmental changes to create or destroy wherever possible to survive.

The Duality of People and the Door as Symbolic

Doors act as points of access into either the world of Jekyll and or the environment of Hyde. Besides, the doors also show the different characteristics of the two men. The front door to Dr. Jekyll’s office and laboratory describes his success in London. Stevenson writes that the door is part of a ” square of ancient and handsome houses,” and that its doors showed a great air of comfort and wealth. After passing the door, there is a vast hall with low roofs, flags, and a warm, bright fire as well as well-polished cabinets. Nevertheless, the door acts as a barrier to Utterson, the investigative officer, since Jekyll’s servant Poole controls who enters the room. On the other hand, Mr. Hyde’s door is blistered and distained and repulse anyone who attempts to walk in. The entire home is a sinister-looking building and does not have any windows. Besides, the ugly looking door, the entire house has the marks of prolonged and sordid negligence.

The two doors not only show the struggle between good and evil but also the duality of people. Stevenson exhibits the battles ranging between the spirits of people. From early in the book, before it is clear that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are one person, the readers would ask why the respectable doctor would the evil Hyde free access to the house. Besides, the doctor also wrote Hyde as the inheritor of his wealth upon his death (Stevenson). Besides, it was baffling to find that even Dr. Jekyll may have had homosexual tendencies that he could not explain. The author splits the main character between the decent side and the evil side. The decent side seems to have grasped the ability to suppress the temptations to act in ways that contradict the norms and beliefs of the society. On the other hand, the evil side attempted to gratify the animal desire of harming others (Buzwel). In chapter ten, the character contends that of the two natures that fought for control within him, even if they said that he could be either, it was only because he was both of the characters. Nevertheless, many other people view the characters from a different perspective. For instance, some believe that through Hyde, Dr. Jekyll could relieve some of the restraints that society imposes on the members and commit a crime. Therefore, Dr. Jekyll is as responsible for the crimes that Hyde committed as Hyde himself. The complex nature that the case may take in a court of law may bring to light some of the mental disorders such as bipolar disorder that can contribute to the scenario. What’s more, Christian teachings also recognize the duality of human beings. Nevertheless, the teachings also state that individuals have to choose their course of action and take responsibility for them. For instance, if Dr. Jekyll chose the decent side, he would forego the disreputable and tempting desires he can indulge as Hyde, whereas, if he chose the evil side, he would give up all the noble aspirations and become a societal outcast. Despite the dilemma, Stevenson notes that the duality of people and the challenges, as well as the struggles that come with it, is an old and commonplace as the man himself.

Unethical Science Experiments and Impurity of Salt as Symbolic

Stevenson confirms that Mr. Hyde is a creation of DR. Jekyll’s scientific experiments. Jekyll notes that through his scientific studies, which resulted in mystic and intellectual results, the experiments shed light on the perennial war between the duality of people. Through the scientific studies, the doctor created a monster within him, terming it as a shipwreck (Stevenson 52). Therefore, Mr. Hyde was not a result of transcendence and illumination but rather a product of unethical scientific studies by the doctor (Czyweska and Grzegorz, 25). Notably, the doctor realizes that he used an impure sample of salt during his studies. It was also ironic that out of the pure salt that the doctor uses, only the impure sample worked and created the monster within him. After the creation of Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll finds himself unable to control when Mr. Hyde may take over and cause destruction, especially when the people worshipped the Victorian standard of reputation. Generally, Dr. Jekyll was a reputable member of society. He is pious and an active giver to the charities. Nevertheless, the external appearance is a façade since the Victorian standards bore him. Internally, the doctor is aware of a monster willing to commit grave acts. Just like the impurities within the salt that the doctor had not seen, the other members of the society, including officer Utterson believe that Dr. Jekyll is a humble person who would not commit any crime.

Conclusion

The book The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a fictional book that has, nonetheless, ignited much debate over the years. The book also aroused the interest of many scientific scholars who began researching the duality of people and other behavioral models. Nevertheless, the use of symbols to create themes by the author makes the book an interesting read.

Works Cited

Buzwell, Greg. “Man Is Not Truly One, but Truly Two’: Duality in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”.” The British Library (2014).

Czyżewska, Urszula, and Grzegorz Głąb. “Robert Louis Stevenson philosophically: Dualism and existentialism within the Gothic convention.” Roczniki Filozoficzne 62.3 (2014): 19-33.

Kreitzer, Larry. “RL STEVENSON’S” STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE” AND ROMANS 7: 14—25: IMAGES OF THE MORAL DUALITY OF HUMAN NATURE.” Literature and theology 6.2 (1992): 125-144.

Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Didier,

Zimbardo, Philip G. “A situationist perspective on the psychology of evil: Understanding how good people are transformed into perpetrators.” The social psychology of good and evil (2004): 21-50.