Response Paper DC J N MR H121

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Vadim Korol Denis Oleynik Professor Kim Olynyk ENGL 1310 (Wednesday) 18 July 2012 The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Story of the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was written in September - October 1885. This story combines three types of the literary genres: classic detective, psychological novel and horror literature. Stevenson was an author who discussed question of good and evil in case of human duality, also this book revealed the depths of human psychology. Stevenson was even ahead of Sigmund Freud with his works about split personality. He explores human nature and shows how indulgence towards inner evil leads to its expansion. This story tells about Dr. Jekyll who invented an elixir which allowed to free from shackles of frailty and transferred into the ugly, short midget called Mr. Hyde. He was small, as I have said; I was struck besides with the shocking expression of his face, with his remarkable combination of great muscular activity and great apparent debility of constitution, and-last but not least-with the odd, subjective disturbance caused by his neighbourhood. This bore some resemblance to incipient rigour, and was accompanied by a marked sinking of

the pulse. At the time, I set it down to some idiosyncratic, personal distaste, and merely wondered at the acuteness of the symptoms; Rather, as there was something abnormal and misbegotten in the very essence of the creature that now faced me-something seizing, surprising and revoltingthis fresh disparity seemed but to fit in with and to reinforce it; so that to my interest in the man's nature and character, there was added a curiosity as to his origin, his life, his fortune and status in the world.(Stevenson 54-55) The end result of his experiment should help people to distinguish their evil part. If each, I told myself, could be housed in separate identities, life would be relieved of all that was unbearable; the unjust might go his way, delivered from the aspirations and remorse of his more upright twin; and the just could walk steadfastly and securely on his upward path, doing the good things in which he found his pleasure, and no longer exposed to disgrace and penitence by the hands of this extraneous evil. It was the curse of mankind that these incongruous faggots were thus bound together-that in the agonised womb of consciousness, these polar twins should be continuously struggling. (Stevenson 60) Mr. Hyde was the embodiment of all bad and vile, main and minor charecters of the story have a natural aversion to him. Well, sir, he was like the rest of us; every time he looked at my prisoner, I saw that Sawbones turn sick and white with desire to kill him. I knew what was in his mind, just as he knew what was in mine;( Stevenson 8)

Freedom of action and total disregard for moral norms of his second personality enslaved Dr. Jekyll. Logically, Henry Jekyll should be the opposite of Edward, but it is not so. Hyde is really close to be a pure evil, whereas doctor is not a pure good. He has his own weaknesses. When he realized the criminal nature of his alter ego, it was too late. Vicious nature of Hyde physically does not allow him to do good, pain and suffering of others bring him physical and mental pleasure. 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. It sounds nothing to hear, but it was hellish to see. It wasn't like a man; it was like some damned Juggernaut. (Stevenson 7)

The monsters point of view reflects one of the core themes of the book. Being dualistic itself, it is represented in two ways: the point of view on Mr. Hyde by Dr. Jekyll and the Hydes personal view on himself. Even though Jekyll and Hyde is the same person with a joint memory and mind, the perception of the surrounding world, its norms and rules, is sharply different between these two characters. Dr. Jekyll clearly realised that in societys eyes Hyde is an amoral monster, but for doctor he was his own creation which he had more than a father's interest in (Stevenson 67). He knew what Mr. Hyde actually was: the very worst, separated for decades, traits of his character that burst out in one hideous individual, who was not accustomed to norms and social roles and also did not have any guilt and compassion, he simply strived to

satisfy his wants and needs that brought him pure joy. For Dr. Jekyll, a man of science, it was fascinating and spanning. In comparison of himself and his protagonist alter ego doctor said: In my eyes it bore a livelier image of the spirit, it seemed more express and single, than the imperfect and divided countenance I had been hitherto accustomed to call mine (Stevenson 62). Apparently, Dr. Jekyll became a monster himself not only when he wore Hydes face. Without a fear of being recognised he achieved numerous undignified desires, leaving them on Hydes conscience, deceiving his own. From Hydes perspective, there was no conflicting good and evil, as there was no concept of good in him. From Jekylls words, he was pure evil, alone in the ranks of mankind (Stevenson 62). This creature, that sometimes seemed not to be human, didnt have any remorse towards his behaviour. Edward Hyde is definitely an inhuman monster that is the cause of many unflattering and horrifying incidents, but his blame is still a question. Hyde is not even an actual real-born person, he is a character that represent only evil, one of different human traits. People have a diverse personality, but Hydes was strictly one-sided, unable to be put in any different state rather than a blind and insatiable need in violence and chaos. His nature was thoroughly evil, lacking most of humanistic feelings. As he became more monstrous in his entertainment, the rational mind of the doctor stopped to understand and tolerate that bestial behaviour: Henry Jekyll stood at times aghast before the acts of Edward Hyde (Stevenson 65). This spawn of science cant be considered as a human. Therefore, he simply can not be judged by norms and laws designed by people for themselves. At the time of murder his own creator was terrified and struck, but he could feel how Hyde was heartily exulting: I saw my life to be forfeit; and fled from the scene of these excesses, at once

glorying and trembling, my lust of evil gratified and stimulated, my love of life screwed to the topmost peg (Stevenson 69). Both Jekyll and Hyde became trapped in the circumstances Henry brought himself to. As doctor became trapped into Hydes aspiration to live, what lead him to deprivation and of his own life, as well as its collapse. At the meantime, Edward was trapped as well, living inside of Dr. Jekyll, who sought to prevent him from occurring again all his possible time, but failed. As the evil side gained more power and suddenly became stronger than person, who was no longer capable of keeping it confined, it consumed him, took over the control and left no place for its own origin and creator who preferred to eliminate himself in case of failure. Thus, he did not let the opposing side to win with the last opportunity he only had, left no choice Dr. Jekyll made himself and Mr. Hyde to disappear. Work citation: Stevenson, Robert L. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York: Signet Classics, 1978.

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