Discuss Stevenson's portrayal of "good an evil" and the dual nature of men

Discuss Stevenson’s portrayal of “good an evil” and the dual nature of men

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the novel Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in the late1800. This novel portrays the idea of a dual nature in man; it shows this as good and evil. Stevenson was fascinated with the duality in man and how in public there were outstanding gentlemen with high status but in reality liked to indulge in the pleasures but their status stopped them.

He had two main influences for the novel one was his Nurse. As a child Stevenson was very ill and spent most of his time in bed, during this time his Nurse would tell him stories and read out the Old Testament.

The second influence he had was where he grew up. He was born in Edinburgh. Edinburgh had two sides to it; one the extremely respectable and highly religious, the other represented brothels and shadiness. This idea of good and evil strengthened his fascination about duality. Both his nurse and where he grew up supplied him with the idea for Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

The story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is largely allegorical. The first chapter starts with two main characters talking a walk, when they see a door it is described as “bore in every feature the marks of prolonged and sordid negligence”. This door stuck out from the rest of the street since all the other buildings have been well kept, this is the first sign of duality in the book.

The door makes Mr Enfield remember a past event when he met Mr Hyde. He watches as Hyde tramples on a little girl; he is described as a “juggernaut”. ...

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The door makes Mr Enfield remember a past event when he met Mr Hyde. He watches as Hyde tramples on a little girl; he is described as a “juggernaut”. Stevenson makes a little girl the first victim of Hyde because children represent innocence, and only someone evil would do something like that. Enfield describes him as giving “a strong feeling of deformity” yet he is not easily described.

In the second chapter Utterson finally encounters Hyde his “hissing intake of breath” strengthens the beast like impression you receive from him, Utterson attempts to explain why he was filled with such a loathing at the sight of him . Stevenson wants us to know that Hyde is akin to the devil and evil. Also it as if descent people instinctively know that there is something wrong with him; however they can’t seem to say what it is so they call it a deformity.

Again we encounter the theme of duality, in the fourth chapter, this is very similar to the chapter in which Hyde tramples on the little girl. There is a lot of duality in this chapter as the maid watches out of her window. She describes the setting as a soft, clear night, the full moon and the sweet loveliness of the old man. Despite all this there is still a graphic murder. This is the duality of good and evil or in this case the ugly versus the beautiful.

Once again the maid’s description of Hyde shows that she knows there is something wrong with him. While the murder is happening the maid describes Hyde as “ape like fury”, almost as if he is not fully human but a deformity of one. Hyde tramples on his victim with such force that the shattering of bones could be heard. Hyde soon becomes more dangerous; he begins to change without the potion, proving that the evil side is taking over.

Wine also seems to be an important aspect in the novel is in the presence of wine more positive things seem to happen. But wine can also be portrayed as a symbol of evil, like the potion that Jekyll consumes to become Hyde, too much wine can transform a gentleman and demonstrate his true colours.

The imagery in the last paragraph announces the immanent closure of a circle. Our story began with Jekyll’s desire to separate the moral aspects of his self so that he might have vibrant and wicked experiences without remorse. The cost of the pilgrimage was a deadly reversal of dominance.

By: Sathesh Singaraj 10M8