Throughout the novel there are many different descriptions of evil. The doors used by Jekyll and Hyde are an example of symbolism. In chapter 1 – ‘The story of the door’, Stevenson describes the door used by Hyde. ‘The door, which was equipped with neither bell nor knocker, was blistered and distained.’ (Page 4, lines 31-32). This immediately gives the image of someone who doesn’t care about appearance or image. Mr Hyde using this door shows that he isn’t respectable and he needs to ‘hide’ away.
Mr Hyde’s actions are also evil. The first time we hear about him is when we hear of a madman knocking down a small child and walking straight over her. ‘It sounds like nothing to hear, but it was hellish to see. It wasn’t like a man, it was like some damned Juggernaut.’ (Page 5, lines 22-24). Hyde wasn’t bothered about who or what he hurt; he didn’t have a conscience to speak of. He never felt guilty of his actions and this allowed him to do anything he feels like without any emotional punishment. When he got mad he acted like an ape and quite insanely. ‘And next moment, with ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot.’ (Page 21, lines 8-9).
When Jekyll tries to control his evil side, it doesn’t work because when the evil is suppressed it comes back more ‘powerful’ than before. Jekyll starts to change into Hyde without taking the potion. Hyde is gradually taking over and Jekyll is becoming more evil. In chapter 7 we see this happening. Mr Utterson and Mr Enfield are standing below the window where Mr Jekyll is sitting. Suddenly they see something which shocks and scares them; ‘froze the blood of the two gentlemen below. They saw it but for a glimpse for the window was instantly thrust down, but that glimpse had been sufficient.’ (Page 35, lines 13-15). This shows that Jekyll’s evil side is increasing with time and starting to control him. It also that Jekyll is becoming more dependant on the antidote to stop him becoming Hyde and to keep the evil in check rather than before when he was using it to isolate his evil side.
Other characters always react with shock and horror to Mr Hyde; this is because he is so repulsive looking and primitive. The image scared a lot of people, and as Hyde is rude and unsociable no one likes him or is prepared to talk to him. ‘I had taken a loathing to the man at first sight.’ (Page 5, line 33). His appearance and manner also provoked a bad reaction from people. ‘…Gave me one look, so ugly that it brought out the sweat on me like running.’ (Page 5, line 27). ‘The haunting sense of unexpressed deformity with which the fugitive impresses his beholders.’ (Page 24, lines 11-14).
Jekyll is the only person who does not react with horror at Hyde. ‘And yet when I looked upon that ugly idol in the glass, I was conscious of no repugnance, rather of a leap of welcome. This, too, was myself.’ (Page 58, lines 34-37). He realises that the man staring back at him from the mirror was himself in a different, more evil form.
At the time Stevenson was writing the novella, people were very judgemental of those who looked different. This included people with all sorts of different disabilities, which are now widely accepted. Back then, these ‘deformed’ people would have been shut away and often the public thought that only a deformed or evil soul could cause such deformities on the outside. These real, sadly common reactions from the late 1800s probably had a huge influence on the attitudes that Stevenson’s characters had towards Hyde in the book.
Generally Hyde or evil gradually increases in power and has greater control over Jekyll. Evil is described as something ugly and outcast, something that should be hidden away but ultimately is something that should be treated with caution and is capable of becoming very powerful.
