#3 Online Review

(3) In this literary review, Peter Singer & Singer discusses that the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde would not be famous if one or the other would be missing from the plot. Mr. Hyde depends on Jekyll, and Jekyll depends on Mr. Hyde. This relationship symoblizes that good can not be present without evil, and vice versa. People HAVE to have both in them, even if they don't show both sides. Singer & Singer implies that when he is acting like "Hyde" he dislikes Christians and all that is accepted as being a good samaritan. When he is like "Jekyll" he is all that is good. I agree with this review in the sense that good can't be present without eveil, and that they come in a pair. I do think that human beings tend toward the bad side and that evil prevails in most situations. People can choose what they want to be, and evil is usually the most appealing to them and the easiest to achieve.

Allusions

The allusions that I have came across in reference to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are almost always dealing with the double personality factor thats quite evident in this novel. One allusion in this book is a biblical allusion about Dr. Jekyll being a form of God, doing all that is good and Christian in the world. Mr. Hyde is representing the Devil. For instance, trampling the kid was a barbaric act that is considered un-Christian. Some allusions to this book are: Ozzy Osbourne's song "My Jekyll doesn't Hide", "Some Kind of Monster" by Metallica, the comic series The Hulk, and the movie The Nutty Professor, to name a few. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of the first books to open up this "outlandish" idea of a two opposite people living as one, therefore many works after refer back to this novel for the targeted audience to acquire a better feel for the book.

Archetypes

The novel, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is one shown through an archetypal lens. For starters, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde demonstrate the villain/hero archetype. Dr. Jekyll is the nice hero who will do anything for anyone. Mr. Hyde is a dwarfish, evil villain that doesn't care about anyone or anything. These two contrasting characters are different, but the difference is choice. Jekyll chose to take the potion which would unleash the worst and vice versa. Also, Henry Jekyll is a seeker. He chose to go out on a journey to try and discover himself in a new light. Poole is Jekyll's caregiver. He looks out for him and worries when he isn't showing up anymore, esp. when Hyde was in his place. He runs errands for him and does whatever is asked. All these archetypes add to the better comprehension of this calssic.

#2 Online Review

(2) In this article by Anne Stiles, she sees Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as a representation of the Dual Brain Theory. She argues that the evil, deformed, dwarfish Mr. Hyde is considered as one half of the brain. The other half is represented in Dr. Jekyll as a sincere, respected, trustworthy man. The Dual Brain Theory states that each of the two hemispheres in the brain can function independently of one another. Stiles has the right side of the brain represent emotions, instincts, femininity, and madness which she says Robert Louis Stevenson shows through Edward Hyde. The left side is logic, reasoning, civilization, and masculinity shown in Henry Jekyll. Stiles argues that humans are double, even when they are healthy. I don't agree with the Dual Brain Theory, becuase I would rather call it the Double Personality Theory. I think that each side of the brain can't function independently. I do agree when she stated that humans always have two sides to themselves, even when they are healthy and, in a sense, "normal."

It's a Classic because....

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a classic because it is a creation of the uptmost recognizable excellence. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote a novel that is a long-lasting favorite of many. At the time it was written, society would have never thought with an imagination like Stevenson's. It was an overachievement of that era and a highly-developed piece of significance. It is a universal book because most people know what Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is about when they hear it. The style Stevenson wrote in was very sophisticated, yet understandable so people of all ages could enjoy it. The thought behind it is what was most masterful. Double personality is an interesting subject to anyone. It is one of the many unknown additions to this world, yet almost everyone has it in some shape of form. Stevenson's novel captured the attention and approvals of many, that is why it's a classic.

Character Growth

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde's most obvious character growth is that of Henry Jekyll's. Jekyll started out wanting to discover a new part of himself. When he found out how, he couldn't resist. Once he had the power, he took the potion whenever he wanted to change into something polar opposite of his real self. He controlled the potion, but once the potion controlled him he didn't want to do it anymore. He regretted his whole decision of trying to discover something within. He didn't want to transform anymore because "his" beast, Mr. Hyde, was a creature that no one liked. Mr. Hyde was a murderer, a loner, and a monster. Jekyll couldn't live as Mr. Hyde so the decision was made to live no longer.

Summary

Stevenson's novel, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is one of the great calssics of the Realism Era. It portrays a man, Henry Jekyll, who is confused. On his path to unconvering mysteries of himself, he unleashes the monster within. Jekyll administers himself a mixture of potions he concocts, which make him transform into a whole new person. Edward Hyde is the deformed, small, evil figure that comes out of Dr. Jekyll. For some time, he can reverse the process whenever he needed to, but misfortune strikes. He tries to ween himself off of the double life, but the urge is too strong. One last use sends him over the edge. The reversed potion makes Dr. Jekyll become the "other" half. With Mr. Hyde being the primary persona, the special ingredient needed to reverse the evil half is quickly diminishing. Henry Jekyll drags himself into a mess on a his own journey to discover himself. He dies as Mr. Hyde, unable to live and move on as a wanted murderer and a twisted form of evil.