I have studied a science-fiction “The Strange case of Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” in my graduation, this was the most interesting text for
me in my first semester. Now I know the plot of this novella but still it gives
me a feeling of suspense and horror whenever I read it. I would like to share
my interpretation of this novella.
Dr
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
By Robert
Stevenson
Robert Louise Stevenson
was the master of the adventure stories in Victorian age. He was the writer of
current affairs and situations. Victorian era was an era of science and art,
and there were many inventions in science. Many writers have tried to write about
science and its effects, the best science fiction is Marry Shelly’s
“Frankenstein- a modern Prometheus” and many poets also used the inventions to
express their feelings.
Robert Stevenson has also written one science fiction which shows the reality of human life and expresses duality of human nature. He has used ‘split personality’ which suggests that within the same body, there exists more than one distinct personality. The full title of this novella is, “The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide”. In this novella, Dr. Jekyll is a character that shows two personality within him, but both are different one is good and another is evil.
Dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hide
This story is all about a
scientist who wants to reveal the hidden personality in human nature which is
suppressed by the social contexts, the scientist wanted to fulfil all his evil
wishes, but as a very kind hearted doctor it was not possible for him to do
that so he made a portion, a chemical which helps human body to transform
appearance with personality, it is totally different from apparent personality
of person. Human has two nature as well as personality; one is for society, as
a good a noble human and another is a hidden evil wishes. Stevenson has showed
the darken side of human or we can say hidden evil part of human.
As per Dr. Jekyll,
“Man
is not truly one, but two”
He wanted to separate both the personalities
so he can live his social life as Dr. Jekyll and fulfil his evil wishes as Mr.
Hyde. Stevenson has also shown the connection between appearance and reality.
Dr. Jekyll is apparently a good and a kind natured person but from inside he is
a criminal, on the other hand Mr. Hyde is a very ugly looking man with ugly (evil)
nature, he has killed sir Danvers Carew, a member of parliament. If we take
reference of “Frankenstein- a modern Prometheus” by Marry Shelley, she has also
presented appearance and reality but in different way, as per her point of view
appearance not always goes with reality.
Dr. Jekyll wanted to live double
life and commit crimes, but without harming his reputation, and that was the
reason that he has created a man which looks different than him, who is not a
part of society. In a day time he serves as a doctor, and in the darkness of
night he was committing crimes.
The novella clearly suggests the
unfulfilled human desires, which forces a person to choose inappropriate way to
fulfil that. Society has made such rules, and as a social animal every human
have to follow that, but Dr. Jekyll has choose a very strange way to commit
crimes and finally at the end his darken personality has overpowered his noble
persona and he has became Mr. Hyde, but before being Hyde completely, he has
committed suicide. At the end we could say that the good soul in Dr. Jekyll has
sacrificed to destroy the evil, and both died. The very important symbol in the
novella is dead body of Mr. Hyde, he died as Mr. Hyde not as Dr. Jekyll, and it
shows that evil has finally died.
He has challenged the rules of nature
and it resulted in death, also in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and in
Christopher Marlow’s “Dr. Faustus and his Tragic History” we could find this
kind of elements.
Wordsworth has said,
“Nature
never did betray the heart who loved her”
But
it can be also said that,
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