Jekyll and Hyde Theme Essay

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One of all the key themes in Stevenson's novel, Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is that of the duality of man. What the author suggests through this expression is that every one man is, in fact, two different people, one good and one evil. If the evil side is subdued for a long period of time, it is uncontrollable once it breaks loose. This is the author’s way of commenting on the lives of upper middle class professional men in Victorian society. It's a way of saying those who seek respectability in this society are forced into a narrow corridor of adjustment, and traditionalism. The behavioral pattern of someone who has taken this path takes on a certain shape, disallowing the indulgence of instincts and desires so as not to fall victim to them (for example, when we are told that Utterson enjoys wine though he allows himself to drink only gin when he is on his own). This same pattern is also kept up for the sake of appearances (Utterson, out of sheer principle, reads at his desk before turning in). In this respect, conformity is the price to pay for acceptance and respectability for upper middle class professional men living in Victorian society. Edward Hyde, the evil counter part of Henry Jekyll, is portrayed as an unpleasant young man of stocky and slightly deformed appearance, who inspires instant dislike or hatred on the part of the other characters who set their eyes on him(''There is something with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked [...] he must be deformed somewhere; he gives a strong feeling of deformity, although I couldn't specify the point. He's an extraordinary looking man[...]'' ) None of them can explain the origins of this deep dislike: ''I never saw a man I so disliked and yet I scarce know why [...] he's an extraordinary looking man, and yet I really can name nothing out of the way''. The
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