What view of human nature does Stevenson present in the novel, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?

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Anthony Duggan 11HB

What view of human nature does Stevenson present in the novel, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?

The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is written with the purpose of showing the author Robert Louis Stevenson’s theory that everybody has a good and bad side. Stevenson views people as being capable of evil, and that “evil is just as much a part of human nature as good is”. His upbringing would have influenced his theory, Stevenson would have been familiar with the story of Deacon Brodie during his childhood. Which coincidentally has a similar storyline of that of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this is because Deacon Brodie also has a split personality just like Dr Jekyll, his evil side Mr. Hyde was created by Dr Jekyll’s most darkest and evil side. Hyde is described as an “ape-like creature” that appears to not care about people surrounding him. Evidence of this is the fact that Mr. Hyde “with ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot and hailing down a storm of blows, under which the bones were audibly shattered”. But Dr Jekyll gives the impression that he is proud that he is able to turn into this evil creature Mr. Hyde as he say that it is his greatest pleasure and achievement.

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Jekyll and Hyde is written as a casebook in order to make the story more believable and interesting. Stevenson explains his theory of human nature of every person having a good and bad side of their personality. Mr. Utterson sort of relates to this theory just as Dr Jekyll does. Utterson is described as a lawyer, who is a man of rugged countenance and who very rarely smiles but is somehow lovable. But also when the wine was at his taste, something eminently human beaconed from his eye as though he wanted to let his evil side out. Utterson was ...

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