Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde
Essay title: Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde
Robert Louis Stevenson in “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is telling people that they fear the knowledge of their duality so they keep silent. That everyday people are silent they fight a “war” within their bodies and minds. People are afraid of the truth, about themselves, so they stay quiet. Everybody has a part of himself or herself that they don’t reveal to anyone. People are afraid to show it, but when it comes out they would rather not talk about it. People cannot do this, it is essential that one be capable of good and evil to be in existence.
The author Robert Louis Stevenson shows knowledge as a very important thing. “Now I shall know you again,” said Mr. Utterson. “It may be useful.” This quote is said when Mr. Utterson meets Mr. Hyde for the first time. Another quote that proves this is “I wish to see or hear no more of Dr. Jekyll.” Lanyon said this after he had saw Mr. Hyde turn into Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Utterson was asking him questions about Dr. Jekyll. “Lanyon, you remember your vows: what follows is under the seal of our profession” Lanyon is about to find out about Dr. Jekyll’s secret.
Another pattern that the author shows as being important is fear. Mr. Utterson and Mr. Enfield were walking together and saw Dr. Jekyll in his house. They were talking to him when all of a sudden he started to change into Mr. Hyde. Seeing this they glared at each other, both were pale and had an answering of horror in their eyes. “I am afraid, I think there has been foul play.” Poole says this when he goes and talks to Mr. Utterson about Dr. Jekyll. Also, when Mr. Utterson and Poole go talk to Dr. Jekyll, ask for him, but find out that Mr. Hyde is inside- they swing an axe at his door. They hear a “dismal screech, as of mere animal terror.” A different way fear is shown is when Lanyon saw Mr. Hyde turn into Dr. Jekyll. “O God and O God again and again.” Lanyon said this after what he saw.
Another major pattern is duality. You can see duality through out the whole book. One example is Mr. Utterson and Mr. Enfield. Mr. Utterson is very popular around town. He is also involved heavily with the town functions. On the other hand Mr. Enfield was always quiet and did not do anything around the town, but they were always together. Nevertheless another example is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll was a smart, polite, and kind person. While Mr. Hyde was a person who liked to have fun. He was a rude and an evil person. This shows duality because Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was the same person. In the last chapter, the one that Henry Jekyll wrote he says “Hence it came about that I concealed my pleasures.” He wrote saying that he was holding back. Also, in the same letter he says “…I saw that, of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness, I was both.” In the same chapter, he says he had just woke up and looked at his hand and saw something weird. “It was the hand of Edward Hyde.” Silence is another thing he wanted