The distinguished American writer Mark Twain once said “Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody”. In the short story “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” the antagonist Mr. Hyde, utilizes dishonesty to manipulate and deceive other characters, in order to carry out his crimes. The protagonist Dr.Jekyll utilizes his alternate persona of Mr. Hyde, to uphold his reputation to the standards of the Victorian society he is a part of. From the onset of his youth, Jekyll was captivated by the concept of separating the dual natures of man, to consequently get rid of the unhappiness and evil within him. Moreover, Jekyll wishes to commit acts of evil without facing the repercussions. In this literary work by Robert
…show more content…
Utterson and other characters, is to safeguard his reputation through the use of his dual identities. The novel takes place in London, England during the Victorian Era (the mid 1800s), where individuals were to upheld to strict moral codes that repressed individuality. The novel employs the use of the third person, in which the story is narrated by Mr. Utterson, a long time friend of Jekyll and an esteemed lawyer in London. The ambiguity as to who the character Mr. Hyde truly is commences following Utterson’s discovery of Jekyll's estate being left in Hyde's name. Dr. Henry Jekyll states in the full statement of his case, a letter which he leaves behind to his friend Mr. Utterson, that he "...was born in the year 18 — to a large fortune, endowed besides with excellent parts, inclined by nature to industry, fond of the respect of the wise and good among my fellow-men” (Stevenson 73). Jekyll was born to a wealthy and prominent family of noble nature. Since the beginning his life, in accordance to his nobility and wealth, he was well-liked and respected by others. Therefore, in the Victorian society in which he lives in he believes it is of utmost importance to uphold his influence and likability among others.This is evident as Jekyll is hesitant and refuses to answer questions about Hyde and his relation to him. Jekyll wishes as part of safe guarding his reputation to retain his favorable …show more content…
Jekyll's increasing concern of concealing his dual nature from others and covering for Mr. Hyde, pertains to the novel’s theme of the importance of reputation. According to Shubh Singh in an article analyzing dualism, "...we discover that Jekyll is but the public persona of a man who is much more and other--than he appears to be, we realize that it is the doctor's addiction that offers the means by which the character of Henry Jekyll is to be definitively understood" (1994). Jekyll utilizes the potions deceive in order to preserve his distinguished reputation and physical appearance, however he evidently conveys that looks are more than they seem. Beyond his distinguished persona of Dr. Jekyll lies an inner brutality that he is far too fearful to express as himself.Partaking in his darkest desires in his true form comes at the cost of his position as a doctor and the long-lasting relationships he has established with his friends and members of the community. Jekyll's willingness to preserve his reputation by misleading others is a direct result of the strict moral codes established by the Victorian society, and correlates to the work’s theme of the importance of reputation, as well as the duality of human
Utterson and other characters, is to safeguard his reputation through the use of his dual identities. The novel takes place in London, England during the Victorian Era (the mid 1800s), where individuals were to upheld to strict moral codes that repressed individuality. The novel employs the use of the third person, in which the story is narrated by Mr. Utterson, a long time friend of Jekyll and an esteemed lawyer in London. The ambiguity as to who the character Mr. Hyde truly is commences following Utterson’s discovery of Jekyll's estate being left in Hyde's name. Dr. Henry Jekyll states in the full statement of his case, a letter which he leaves behind to his friend Mr. Utterson, that he "...was born in the year 18 — to a large fortune, endowed besides with excellent parts, inclined by nature to industry, fond of the respect of the wise and good among my fellow-men” (Stevenson 73). Jekyll was born to a wealthy and prominent family of noble nature. Since the beginning his life, in accordance to his nobility and wealth, he was well-liked and respected by others. Therefore, in the Victorian society in which he lives in he believes it is of utmost importance to uphold his influence and likability among others.This is evident as Jekyll is hesitant and refuses to answer questions about Hyde and his relation to him. Jekyll wishes as part of safe guarding his reputation to retain his favorable …show more content…
Jekyll's increasing concern of concealing his dual nature from others and covering for Mr. Hyde, pertains to the novel’s theme of the importance of reputation. According to Shubh Singh in an article analyzing dualism, "...we discover that Jekyll is but the public persona of a man who is much more and other--than he appears to be, we realize that it is the doctor's addiction that offers the means by which the character of Henry Jekyll is to be definitively understood" (1994). Jekyll utilizes the potions deceive in order to preserve his distinguished reputation and physical appearance, however he evidently conveys that looks are more than they seem. Beyond his distinguished persona of Dr. Jekyll lies an inner brutality that he is far too fearful to express as himself.Partaking in his darkest desires in his true form comes at the cost of his position as a doctor and the long-lasting relationships he has established with his friends and members of the community. Jekyll's willingness to preserve his reputation by misleading others is a direct result of the strict moral codes established by the Victorian society, and correlates to the work’s theme of the importance of reputation, as well as the duality of human