FREE ESSAY ON DR. JEKELL AND MR. HYDE

DR. JEKELL AND MR. HYDE

The Dominion of Evil 
The term "Jekyll and Hyde", now a part of our common language, can be found in most
dictionaries. Random dictionary definitions of "Jekyll and Hyde" include: 1) "One who has
quasi-schizophrenic, alternating phases of pleasantness an unpleasantness." 2) "A person
having a split personality, one side of which is good and the other evil." 3) "This
phrase refers to a person who alternates between charming demeanor and extremely
unpleasant behavior." This concept revolves around the experience of Dr. Jekyll, enabled
by drinking a potion, into living as his own living side, whom he names Hyde. Stevenson
intended Jekyll's character to be pronounced Je (French word for "I") Kill (Je-Kill = I
kill), as an indication that the doctor wanted to isolate the evil portion of himself,
appropriately named "Hyde," meaning low and vulgar hide or flesh which must hide from
civilization. When Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the story Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, he
portrayed man's evil nature as a portion of his total makeup, and showed that the evil
portion will often express itself more forcefully and powerfully than do the other
aspects. 
Throughout life, a person can develop a sense of the conflict that actually involves
one's good and evil natures. Often a person's current actions reflect their childhood
experiences. Jekyll, described by Stevenson, born wealthy, grew up handsome, honorable,
and distinguished. Yet, throughout much of his life, he commits secret acts which he
thoroughly regrets. Early in Jekyll's development, Stevenson had him recognize a
"profound duplicity of life...so profound a double dealer" and "that man is not truly
one, but truly two." Intellectually, he evaluates the differences between his private
life and his public life and, ultimately, he becomes obsessed with the idea that at least
two different entities, maybe even more, occupy a person. Jekyll's reflections and his
scientific knowledge lead him to contemplate the possibility of scientifically isolating
these two components. With this in mind, he begins to experiment with various chemical
combinations. When Jekyll discovers the correct formula and drinks it, he is approaching
a hardy fifty years of age; after his transformation into Edward Hyde, he feels younger,
lighter, and more sensual, thereby indicating the appeal of the evil side. At that point,
he acknowledges "the thorough and primitive duality of man." He sees the necessity to try
to separate the two selves, to hide that shameful part of himself from the world, and
therefore stay in control of his evil nature. 
Dr. Jekyll's dominant evil side, also apparent in every person, brings disgust from
other's around him. Dr. Jekyll's evil side, Mr. Hyde, commits several appalling acts
throughout the novel, including mere acts like trampling over a young girl, to gruesome
acts like murdering a man. Acquiring no respect by anyone he comes in contact with, Mr.
Hyde is looked down upon in distaste: "There was something wrong with his appearance;
something displeasing, something downright detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked."
Women around him, upon looking at Hyde, suddenly seem "as wild as Harpies," and even the
apothecary who is "as emotional as a bagpipe" turns sick upon seeing Hyde and has a
strong desire to kill him. The reader becomes entranced with a person who can evoke such
horrible responses in many different kinds of people.
As with many instances of man's amoral tendancies versus his angelic tendancies, Jekyll
and Hyde themselves have a strange relationship with each other. Jekyll hates Hyde for
the ascendancy that Hyde has over him, and Hyde hates Jekyll both because of Jekyll's
hatred and, more importantly, because Hyde knows that Jekyll can destroy him (Hyde) by
committing suicide, but, during the act of Jekyll's dying, Hyde regains dominion so that
Utterson and Poole find the body not of Jekyll, but that of Hyde. At this point in the
novel, the reader becomes perplexed about theliteral separation of the two components of
one man, Dr. Jekyll. 
All people share this battle between good and evil within their own subconsciousness. The
dominion of the winning side proves apparent to the onlooker, thus confirming that one's
actions are encouraged by a single forceful portion that characterizes the entire person.
The evil represented by Hyde only makes up a portion of the entire person Jekyll has
become. Evil, good, and many other qualities will ultimately be discovered to encompass
the entire person. Jekyll and his experiments prove that our existence has two parts-one
good and one evil. This story proves a timeless representation of the struggle felt
within every individual between one's good side versus one's bad side. Any person can
reflect upon this story to be reminded of the role an evil side can play, and therefore,
prevent it from dominating one's inner self. If we allow the evil to overcome the power
of control, that will in the end, destroy each of us.