The citizens of the Victorian era were obsessed with maintaining a good reputation, and Robert Louis Stevenson picks up on this as one of the main themes in his novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. . parallels to Poe, Sade, and especially to Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886).3 Stevenson's earliest critics and reviewers had mainly praised his formal construction and prose style, while advancing mild concerns about the text's possible impact on popular audi-ences. Dr. Jekyll, a doctor and a well-liked member of a society of successful bachelors, that values his perfect reputation, created Mr. Hyde. Many people might claim the book as a good vs. evil theme, but through the multiple misleadings of the book that convince others of everything but the truth, proves that deceit is a major portion of the novel. The following quote clearly reveals Dr. Jekyll feeling the unspoken need to behave in a certain manner: Many a man would have even blazoned such irregularities as I was guilty of; but from the high views that I had set before me I regarded and hid them with an almost morbid sense of shame.(pg 42) This obviously led to him seeking a type of outlet for his inappropriate desires, however he released a lifetime of pent-up frustrations and shook the doors of the prisonhouse of my disposition; and, like the captives of Philippi, that which stood within ran forth. (pg 45) Similarly, this occurred when Dr. Jekyll stopped allowing Mr. Hyde to take over for two months and I began to be tortured with throes and longings, as of Hyde struggling after freedom; and at last, in an hour of moral weakness, I once again compounded and swallowed the transforming draught. (pg 49) In examining Dr. Jekylls propensity to escape into the character of Mr. Hyde the argument can be made that Mr. Hyde is the literal physical manifestation of hidden Victorian identities and desires because of the strict Victorian societal structure that controlled every aspect of a persons life. 7. He first employs this technique in the opening scene, when Enfield relates his story of witnessing Hyde trample a little girla night when the streets were so empty that he began "to long for the sight of a policeman." Jekyll and Hyde Contrast Essay - 833 Words | Bartleby Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay - UKEssays.com Throughout the story, many examples of symbolism are presented to the reader. Branching from this major theme are many more specific views on the idea that human nature is divided into good and evil. The clash between the pure and impure sides of man: a fight to the finish. Whilst the reader might not suspect that Jekyll actually is Hyde, they are certainly suspicious of the secret he is keeping for him. PDF downloads of all 1725 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Complete your free account to request a guide. Dr. Jekyll must uphold a status quo so without humiliating himself he successfully does so by transforming into a dwarf who is sadistic and hateful. Jekyll was a 'good man', a distinguished man of good position, a man who, like all others, repressed the darkest impulses inside him. GCSE English Literature Paper 1: 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde The strictness of the Victorian times made him want to reach for more. Dont have an account? Jekyll and Hyde essay plans Flashcards | Quizlet 'Transcendental medicine' 'unscientific balderdash' 'pure evil' 'respectable' 'sea of liberty' 'faults'.

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