Imagine you are presented with the opportunity to do whatever you choose without the repercussions of losing a good reputation or legal trouble. Would you take the chance that it would not backfire or would you think twice about something that seems too good to be true? In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Henry Jekyll faces the fallout of his decision to take advantage of this opportunity. While he tries to keep the other half of his identity, Mr. Edward Hyde, a secret, he fails miserably leading to his ultimate demise. When you ask someone what Jekyll and Hyde represents most would respond good (Jekyll) and bad (Hyde). Nature always has to balance itself out, and human nature is no different. Humans can be selfish, angry, and
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Jekyll’s positive outward appearance, does not mean that his personality is one of a good person. He refuses to take responsibility for the acts of Mr. Hyde, and is more concerned with his social status, than outing Hyde for his murder of Danvers Carew. In the novel, Jekyll claims that “I cannot say that I care what becomes of Hyde; I am quite done with him. I was thinking of my own character, which this hateful business has rather exposed” (Stevenson 19). In this instance, Jekyll simply wishes Hyde away rather than putting forth any effort to bring him to justice. He is so fearful that his reputation as a good doctor will be ruined if the fact that he corresponded with Hyde came out, that his morality becomes skewed. He is no longer the good moral physician, but rather a criminal trying to cover for the other half of his identity. John Addington Symonds writes about this in his letter to Robert Louis Stevenson accusing the book of “reducing individual freedom to zero, and weakening the sense of responsibility” (Symonds 139). Symonds disliked the book as it took responsibility off of Jekyll and pushed all of the blame onto Hyde; however, Jekyll clearly must bear the brunt of the responsibility for Hyde’s actions. Stevenson, in trying to preserve Jekyll as a positive figure, sacrificed his morality. Nevertheless, Jekyll is not a simple monster and cannot be viewed as only
Jekyll’s positive outward appearance, does not mean that his personality is one of a good person. He refuses to take responsibility for the acts of Mr. Hyde, and is more concerned with his social status, than outing Hyde for his murder of Danvers Carew. In the novel, Jekyll claims that “I cannot say that I care what becomes of Hyde; I am quite done with him. I was thinking of my own character, which this hateful business has rather exposed” (Stevenson 19). In this instance, Jekyll simply wishes Hyde away rather than putting forth any effort to bring him to justice. He is so fearful that his reputation as a good doctor will be ruined if the fact that he corresponded with Hyde came out, that his morality becomes skewed. He is no longer the good moral physician, but rather a criminal trying to cover for the other half of his identity. John Addington Symonds writes about this in his letter to Robert Louis Stevenson accusing the book of “reducing individual freedom to zero, and weakening the sense of responsibility” (Symonds 139). Symonds disliked the book as it took responsibility off of Jekyll and pushed all of the blame onto Hyde; however, Jekyll clearly must bear the brunt of the responsibility for Hyde’s actions. Stevenson, in trying to preserve Jekyll as a positive figure, sacrificed his morality. Nevertheless, Jekyll is not a simple monster and cannot be viewed as only