Jekyll and Hyde

        Before the book was written Darwin's theory of evolution was introduced. People believed that the more evil they did, the more they would degenerate o animals (apes). Some of the description of Hyde having characteristics of apes could mean that Stevenson was influenced by some aspects of Darwin's theory.

        The narrative of the story is from Mr. Utterson who is a respectable man in Victorian society. As we see the story through the eyes of Mr. Utterson is makes it believable. Furthermore, as Mr. Utterson takes the role of a 'detective' it makes the story more suspenseful and interesting, as we only know what Utterson discovers. Also this phrase supports and indicates that Mr. Utterson took the role of detective gladly; 'If he be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr. Seek'.

        The general plot of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is about a doctor who tries to escape Victorian society through Mr. Hyde, a being he created within himself, enabling him to sample vice whilst maintaining his respectability and moral reputation.

        Dr. Lanyon, who was a friend of Utterson and Dr. Jekyll, is described as a 'hearty, healthy, dapper red faced gentleman with a shock of hair prematurely white, and a boisterous and decided manner'. This shows he is a typical and respectable gentleman and also a doctor like Jekyll. Later on in the story, he reveals to Utterson that he didn't want to see Jekyll anymore due to the shock of seeing Hyde turn into Jekyll. Lanyon's reaction was 'I wish to see or hear no more of Dr. Jekyll' and 'I am quite done with that person'. The reason for this is that Lanyon and Jekyll differed on science many times but once he saw the transformation, he took it a major insult not to him but his beliefs of God. As Lanyon believed in God, he was offended with the use of science by Jekyll creating life, directly questioning God as Creator. After the witness of the transformation, Lanyon fell ill due to it and died, this shows the scale of congruity between science and religion.

        Utterson (as I said before) is described as a respectable man in Victorian society. However Utterson has two sides, one public and one private, it could be said that Utterson is being hypocritical to himself because in his youth he experienced pleasures not necessarily 'wild' enough to blackmail and weren't respectable in Victorian society but he understood the temptations of pleasures to a man which is why he is hard to himself avoiding them in the first place. As a respectable man Utterson's reaction to Hyde was described as Satan's signature, Utterson describes him as evil due to Hyde's behaviour and lack of moral awareness expecting Hyde to know the difference between right and wrong, but ironically he doesn't.

        Dr. Jekyll believed 'that man is not truly one, but truly two'. He feels that man has a duality of life having two personalities, one with moral behaviour and the other nothing more than an animal. The moral personality can only reach the other if the person commits sinful action degenerating him.

        The expectations of Victorian society acted as a catalyst, which enabled Jekyll to make a potion transforming him to Hyde so he can escape and be 'free' from the constraints imposed by 'respectable' Victorian hypocritical society.

        In the last chapter 'Henry Jekyll's Full Statement of the Case', Jekyll states that he was born into a family of wealth and respectability; this meant that there was a standard from him to be met and to be maintained.

        Dr. Jekyll's personality is quite hard to describe due to his problems he faces. He says 'but such as I found it hard to reconcile with my imperious desire to carry my head high, and wear a more than commonly grave countenance before he public' what he is trying to say is that he doesn't know which face to present himself to the public as he now can easily be Hyde. Dr. Jekyll also admits that he took part in activities he should have avoided; the reason for this is that he lives a double life, concealing pleasures that weren't suitable for a man of his rank in society.

        Dr. Jekyll's house is described 'and at the door of this, which wore a great air of wealth and comfort' this is showing that Jekyll's status in society is portrayed through his house, which is the only one entirely occupied. However there is a doorway which Hyde comes through. That also shows his status in society compared to Jekyll's. The significance of the door only Hyde has the key for, suggests that the door is Hyde's secret and no one knows what's inside, symbolically the doorway to Jekyll's soul.

        When Jekyll transforms to Hyde he compares it to birth because of the blasphemy of his actions represented contrary to God's control of birth. Also as soon as he was born as Hyde, Jekyll says he felt liberty but also felt ten times more evil, this could be because Hyde had no conscience or guilt leading to an ignorance of the boundaries of respectability, morality or hypocrisy in Victorian society. Hyde is described almost ape-like or troglodyte (cave animal dweller), this is related to Darwinism through the behaviour of man. Dr. Jekyll who did the transformation scientifically, at first had feelings of excitement but was soon replaced by the knowledge that man hasn't got enough will power to control his desires. I think Dr. Jekyll was a hypocrite due to being immoral to himself even through Hyde. He partly deserved to die due to extreme experimenting of man morally in two acting as God.    

        Overall I think the message Stevenson was trying to show was that Victorian obsession with respectability repressed the desire for a type of 'freedom' this was against the natural nature of man. However this view is in contrast with another – that man, without some sort of moral framework to constrain behaviour would degenerate to likeness f an animal. These views are both contrasting throughout the book. The former is depicted in Jekyll transforming to Hyde escaping from society whilst the latter is shown through Hyde's appearance and behaviour. This could mean that trying to resist the first view in any other way than admittingly committing in vice then seen as immoral in society, would result in the second view.