Self fulfillment is the attribution of one's vast hopes and dreams. One could argue that humans can never be fully fulfilled as we are such ambitious creatures with vast hopes and dreams. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, author Robert Stevenson tells the harrowing tale of Dr. Henry Jekyll’s search for freedom to express his dual nature. During the 1800’s in London reputation was the key to success, this was one of the many obstacles facing Dr. Jekyll. The story demonstrates Jekyll’s struggle against society and himself as he searches for a way to unleash his evil. Dr. Jekyll’s quest for self-fulfilment is never complete, although he achieves his goal of unleashing his inner evil, Jekyll …show more content…
Jekyll found success in his transformation, he still struggled with the pain he had to endure if he felt the need to become Mr. Hyde. In his confession statement, Mr. Jekyll describes the first time he became Mr. Hyde, the feeling of “grinding in the bones, deadly nausea, and a horror of the spirit that cannot be exceeded at the hour of birth or death”. These ghastly pains did subside, when he came to himself, “as if out of a great sickness”. One could argue that here, for a brief moment, Jekyll was self fulfilled, he achieved his duality and expressed that he felt, “younger, lighter, happier in body”. However, Jekyll didn’t recognize Mr. Hyde’s potential, when he looked in the mirror he observed that in the, “ranks of mankind, he was pure evil.” but he didn’t grasp Hyde’s capabilities. Later, Jekyll lets Hyde out again and Hyde demonstrates his potential. Hyde brutally murders MP Sir Danvers Carew, this utterly disturbs Jekyll, who realizes that he is responsible. Jekyll then declares to Utterson that he is, “quite done with [Hyde].” This enforces that he was still coming to terms with accepting who he was, and the wickedness that Mr. Hyde brought to the table. As the book continues, we are exposed to the crisis that Jekyll is experiencing, he is struggling with his identity not sure if he is truly meant to be Jekyll or Hyde. His condition worsens and he becomes unable to control his character changes, Jekyll now comes to the realization that “of the two natures, [he] was radically both”. Though Dr. Jekyll accomplished his dream of duality, he never obtained