Literary Analysis Essay - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

                            Troglodytic Temptations

            Within every person exists temptation, whether it be dormant or active, which varies in form from one individual to the next. Usually always negative, temptations arise from the lesser qualities of man and expose an individual to develop even more nefarious ambitions. In severe cases, the temptation transforms into a desire, in which the individual experiences a lack of control accompanied with self-infliction and remorse. The story of one man’s dark desires is examined in Robert Louis Stevenson’s book, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Appropriately termed, Stevenson peruses the eerie case of a respected doctor who becomes associated with Mr. Hyde, who is essentially Dr. Jekyll’s counterpart. The bizarreness of this case is the fact that the two men are the same person; they have different personalities and physical characteristics, but they occupy the same body. By further exploring the personas of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the stark differences in both natures support the hypothesis that temptation is the cause of his corruption.
            Reputable and very successful, Dr. Jekyll “…[possesses] every mark of capacity and kindness.” His eminence was achieved through honesty and employment of his good-spirited nature with the assistance of inviting physical features such as being tall, lean, and handsome. As a member of a group of three life-long friends, that includes Mr. Utterson and Dr. Lanyon, Jekyll is seldom alone; except when he “disappears” for months at a time. It is important to know that Jekyll is not a doctor of medicine; instead, “…the direction of [his] scientific studies…led wholly towards the mystic and the transcendental.” As an antithetical character to Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll despises Hyde with bitter anger induced by fear. At the mention of Hyde, “the large handsome face of Dr. Jekyll grew pale to the very lips, and there came a blackness about his eyes,” which blatantly shows he is extremely uncomfortable with the topic and perhaps regrets ever creating this alter ego/alternative persona.
            Mr. Hyde has earned himself the title as the epitome of pure evil nature. His rampant nature in which he behaves animalistic and impulsive is also a descriptor of his appearance: “There is something…displeasing, something downright detestable;…he gives a strong feeling of deformity…” Disrespected and hated by everyone around him which resulted from committing countless crimes, Mr. Hyde takes great measures to conceal himself from the sight of others to avoid their persecution. Ironically, Stevenson gave a man that hides from people the name Mr. Hyde. A couple examples of crimes which reflect his evil disposition include an occurrence where he “trampled calmly over [a] child’s body and left her screaming on the ground,” and his attack on Sir Danvers where “…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 and the body jumped upon the roadway.” The severity of these crimes illustrates Hyde’s lack of conscious and primitive, evil nature.
            The duality of human nature is a dominant theme present in the plot. Jekyll and Hyde, viewed as individuals, are positioned on opposite sides of a nature spectrum; Jekyll embodies purity and holiness, where as Hyde signifies the virulent, primitive side. Essentially, the two men are complete opposites. However, one must ask this question: “why did Dr. Jekyll create Mr. Hyde?” Jekyll created Hyde with the intention of ridding himself of evil, so that he would be able to exist as himself (Dr. Jekyll) and have a completely pure soul; however, he “had come to a fatal cross-roads” and was presented with a temptation. He realized he would be able to become Mr. Hyde with the gulp of his potion; therefore, he could commit scandalous acts while retaining his strong reputation as Dr. Jekyll. Overpowered by the temptation, he chooses to become Mr. Hyde, which he admits near the end of the story when he says, “Had I approached my discovery in a more noble spirit, had I risked the experiment while under the empire of generous or pious aspirations…I had come forth an angel instead of a fiend.”
            In this strange account of a good doctor faced with an evil temptation, his virtue did not possess the power to overcome his dark desires. Ultimately, with time, the temptation reduces him to a pathetic recluse that commits suicide to avoid being discovered. This story is an exaggerated example of duality in human nature: Stevenson utilizes the severity of Dr. Jekyll’s condition to make the concept more profound. Man contains both evil and good in him and it is up to him to decide which he will become.