The Victorian times bring out two types of society, on one hand we have the respectable deeply religious and polite society, on the other hand we have the illiterate and the brothels. The two never mix, and that is why Robert Stevenson provided this background to bring out the theme of 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'. The novel is a story of horror and terrifying consequences. It can be termed as an allegory with a deep meaning:
" There are more things in heaven and earth,
Than are dreamt of in one's philosophy"
Stevenson's story of duality is based on the imperfection of human nature and proves that man is fitted to make mistakes.
Dr. Jekyll, born to a large fortune was well admired in high society. He enjoyed the wisdom and the integrity among his friends and everyone believed he would have a distinguished, honorable future. His dignified reputation, his love of charities, was admired by all and he was classed as one of the finest men. He had a taste for art and the fine things f life. Any evil power cannot get the better of man. But if the evil streak is inborn, only then is there a response to evil. The creation of Mr. Hyde was the beginning of the end of Dr Jekyll. Dr jekyll calls his dual personality Mr. Hyde because the evil, inborn, illicit desires were hidden from human eyes. When the reader meets Mr. Hyde he is filled with a fear of his cold sadistic cruelty. Murder has no barriers. His first victim is an innocent child, which brings home the fact to the reader of the horridness of his hellish behavior. Mr. Hyde is a horrible figure to look on, his ace was printed with Satan's Signature". His features portray, "A black sneering coolness". The evil in Hyde is born from the reaction of others. His behavior brought out sweat, hatred, a sense of malformation and an urge to kill him. His very appearance was sickening. He was of pale complexion, dwarfish, deformed, had a displeasing smile and enjoyed a murderous mixture of timidity and boldness.
In contrast, Dr jekyll is a smooth faced man of fifty, a mask of intelligence and kindness. The duality character of Hyde has leaded a hypocritical angle of Jekyll's face. Resorting to the chemical mixture to change him from Hyde to Jekyll has definitely had a minus effect on Dr. Jekyll's features. An upright Dr. Jekyll has now reduced in stature with a lean body. His characteristics had changed and that is why he avoids society and is in constant hiding for fear that people might see his true self of evil through his changed features. The evil streak of Dr Jekyll has deformed his mind into thinking that he is a perfect scientist who could rid himself of Mr. Hyde anytime. In the initial stages he looked upon Hyde's body as a 'fleshy vestment', which would," Pass away like a stain of breath upon a mirror".
Stevenson cleverly brings out the theme of duality between the characters of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Utterson. Both men are well respected in high society; he suspects that Dr Jekyll is also Mr. Hyde because whenever a discussion takes place after a murder, jekyll deeply defends Mr. Hyde and this is in sharp contrast to Utterson's quest for truth. While Jekyll is busy lying and covering for Hyde, Utterson's quest in search of the killer troubles Jekyll. The Victorian streets and by lanes are cleverly compared to the secret corners of the mind and the by lanes of our life, bringing out the beast in man. All murders take place in hidden my lanes of the dingy neighborhood.
Dr jekyll lives in the most expensive street in London. It has shop fronts that are bright and attractive. He lives two doors away from a very dull house called 'Gaunt Street'. This is the house hat Jekyll rents for Mr. Hyde. In sharp contrast, Jekyll's mansion has an instinctive duality. It is dignified; affluent, reputable as well as, in the later part becomes mystifying, hostile and ominous. The duality is highlighted by the two appearances of the homes. The respectable Jekyll side of the house is a sharp contrast to the squalid conditions. The Hyde residence in gaunt Street is bleak, neglected compared to the impeccable and wealthy commercial structure of dr. Jekyll. Dr Jekyll's home is a symbol of the heart. The dark places in Jekyll's house represent the dark and evil desires inborn in man and is symbolized in street doors and windows veiled to society. Like Jekyll's house, the heart is outwardly clean, but it suppresses morbid desires and jealous streaks. He closed door symbolizes the door that is shut to truth and only in the end is the door broken open by Utterson because this door is the passageway to evil and horrid desires. Dr Jekyll's mysterious cellar door is important to note because it represents the possibility of all hidden secrets, which represents the path to evil. Utterson brings out the duality of Dr Jekyll's windows over a period of time. At the start of the story the three laboratory windows were shut but always clean. In the end of this novel, they become "Three dusty windows barred with iron". The iron bars are symbolic to jekyll and Utterson and the rest of the world. Jekyll has impersonated himself because of the constraints of society and this evil part of dangerous desires motivates his dangerous experiments, which finally convert him to a permanent Mr. Hyde. Although Jekyll and Hyde is one person, they have one thing in common, they both like refined comforts. This is expected of the famous Dr Jekyll. But the wants of Mr. Hyde, who has animal qualities it is surprising that he enjoys an expensive tea service, a silver platter and a snug fire. What the world does not know is that the person behind the masquerade is and has been for some time the transforming creature of Dr Jekyll into a permanent Mr. Hyde.
'Poole' is Jekyll's trusted valet, the very name spells a pool of dark secrets. He is loyal to his master to the very end, and although has deducted that Dr Jekyll is Mr. Hyde, he does not disclose anything, even to Mr. Utterson, all that he knows or suspects.
Hyde's description in the story can be compared to the devil and evil. His deformed stature makes people shun him and people think there is something morally wrong with him. Stevenson cleverly sketches Hyde as a less evolved human being more like an animal. With 'ape like fury', features which depict that good and evil can co-exist in one human body. The appearance of Hyde inspires," disgust and fear" in the minds of others. Towards the story end when Jekyll is totally transformed, permanently into Mr. Hyde, he feels the time has come to disclose his secret, to his lawyer friend Mr. Utterson. Hyde's behavior towards Utterson is at first very civil but later on it becomes aggressive and fearful and this makes Utterson believe that Hyde is truly the Sinister side of Jekyll.
The fog angle in the story is significant. Stevenson talks of the fog, shifting, lifting and then covering the whole street. The fog is a central symbol that represents the fog in people's minds that prevent them from seeing reality. All Jekyll's mannerisms do no make people realize that Hyde, the reincarnation of evil, is truly Dr Jekyll, a man of strict social morals. The descending fog contributes to the theme of suspense and mystery. Stevenson also uses images from death, and ringing church bells, to contribute to the theme of evil and suspense. He stressed that even the heavens are deceived by the duality between Jekyll and Hyde.
Dr Jekyll's firm assertion, " I can get rid of Mr. Hyde at any point", brings out an issue of control versus the lack of control. His dependence on Hyde could be compared to a drug addiction where addicts say, " I can stop my drug use at anytime." The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is an intellectual horror novel, bringing out the beast in ma. Dr Jekyll hides his imperfections and creates Mr. Hyde because he has a pride that he is an intellectual scientist. Hyde has a violent hatred for goodness and is jealous of Dr Jekyll who is a sharp contrast of him. Both characters are vain and their characteristics are reflected in the people of today's world.
We are all Jekyll and Hyde. Charming on the exterior with a dominant evil inside of us. How we control our evil desires depends on us. Stevenson in this novel has portrayed a story of pride and punishment. In life our illicit desires change our personalities and then we crave for longing of peace of mind, which we cannot achieve. Jekyll's pride paid a price, which Stevenson brings out in these words,
"If I am he chief of sinners then I am the chief of suffers"
Jekyll became a prisoner of his own evil desires. He took pride in all his doings and his words ring in the ears of the reader.
" I was the first that could plod in the public eyes with a cad of genial respectability and in a moment like a school boy, strip off these landings and spring headlong into the sea of liberty."
The thought gave him the strength to face the consequences of Hyde's actions. Jekyll was looking for freedom but eventually got enslaved in the hands of evil. We must learn the message that Stevenson tries to give in his novel that with great power comes great responsibility.
