Critical Essay

18/20 Higher Essay

Choose a novel or short story which explores one of the following themes: prejudice, evil, the abuse of power, loss of faith.

By referring to appropriate techniques…

In the short story “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” written by R.L. Stevenson, the author effectively explores the theme of evil through the character Mr Hyde. Mr Utterson, a dear old friend of Dr Jekyll, a very calm, well put man has started to act very differently when a strange character of Mr Hyde comes to town. Throughout the story we learn why Dr Jekyll has been acting odd and how Mr Hyde’s true nature is vicious and horrible.

Mr Hyde is an unpredictable and dangerous character. During the story, Mr Hydehas come for a visit to Dr Jekyll’s house yet he is stopped by the maid. During their conversation, the maid is shocked by the sudden actions of Mr Hyde. She explaines that suddenly “he burst out in a flame of anger!”. The word choice of ‘flame’ has connotations of heat and hell. Stevenson ver clearly uses this to highlight how sudden and violent Mr Hyde’s actions were. He instantly started to attack Carew. While doing so,  Hyde was described to be displaying “ape-like fury”. This simile paints a picture of Hyde acting like an animal, very unusual behaviour for a man, especially in the Victorian era. Not long after, poor Carew was murdered, the police came to scene. Carew’s body is described as “incredibly manged”. This word choice of “mangled” highlights the horrible state of his body and creates an impression of a destroyed, scrunched up body. Stevenson also effectively used the word “incredibly” to emphasise how brutally the body was treated. This underlines that Hyde’s actions were almost like a monsters, very vicious which Stevenson uses to show the theme of evilness.

Mr Hyde also shows no remorse. The first time we are introduced to Hyde is when Mr Utterson’s friend, Mr Enfield, has the unfortunate luck to see Hyde in action. He sees how Hyde “trampled calmly” over a little girl one chance night. Through the use of the word “trampled” we can fairly assume that Hyde has a very brutish nature: he stomped unlike a usual Victorian gentleman who would be typically seen to walk - Hyde lacks the grace. Furthermore, we learn that while committing the devil-like action, Hyde did this ‘calmly’. This highlights how there is no way Hyde would have not understood the horrible nature of his actions as he left the girl “screaming on the ground”. Stevenson emphasises that Hyde did not care for the little girl, which once again highlights his brutish and evil nature.

Mr Hyde differs in looks, especially with Jekyll. Dr Jekyll is described to be “large, well-made, smooth faced man of fifty”. This creates an image of a pleasant, typical Victorian gentleman. However, Hyde is being described as “pale and dwarfish”. This, in turn, creates contrast between the two characters. As the story progresses, we learn that Hyde is only Jekyll’s evil alter ego. He was created by Jekyll so that he could do things that are very improper for a normal, respectable man to do. This is symbolic due to the contrast between “large” and “dwarfish” as it creates a sense that Hyde is not a full person. He is only one (negative) part of Jekyll. We also see this further in the story, when Jekyll’s dear old butler has a short encounter with Hyde. Although he does not know that who he saw is a monster-like animal looking man. He has Utterson trying to convince him that it might be Jekyll. Poole does not believe that and questions: “why he had a mask upon his face?” Stevenson very cleverly them implies that Hyde’s actions are not only evil but also his looks are very unpleasant.

Mr Hyde has also negative impacts on people’s feelings. He makes them feel very negatively. We learn this when after Hyde attacks the little girl, a doctor comes to the scene. He is described to be “emotional as a bagpipe”. This metaphor creates the impression of a calm person who doesn’t make a fuss about things. We learn that this changes when he meets Hyde. Enfield described him to have “turned white with the desire to kill him.” Stevenson clearly implies that Hyde make well-put people feel very aggressive and seem dangerous. Doctors need to take on an oath to try and save everyone’s lives at all times yet there is a mysterious character making him want to break that oath. This suggests that Hyde is not a common man and he has a lot of negative influence not only within himself by also on those around him too.

Lastly, we learn that, by the end of the book, Hyde is trying to take over Jekyll. At first, Jekyll is in denial saying “the moment I choose, I can be rid of him”. Unfortunately, he is wrong. When he finally realises that Hyde is taking over he admits that “fresh terror struck upon my soul.” Through this Stevenson is very effective in showning that Hyde’s evil side is taking over and has more power than the reasonable ‘good’ side of Jekyll. This is further shown when Jekyll says “instantly, a spirit of hell awoke in me and raged!” The words of “hell” and “raged” emphasise how strong and powerful Hyde is and how Jekyll fully loses control. This also explains why he kills himself in the end. Stevenson cleverly demonstrates evilness but also a moral dilemma. Jekyll wanted to try something ‘fun’ which he thought he had control over. Unfortunately, he was wrong, which has ended up having terrible consequences. There are connotations of addiction contained within our world right now, such as alcoholism. We start off as wanting some fun, yet at some point when we don’t realise harsh consequences catch up to us. Just like Jeykll, we lose control and are overtaken by the evilness. Stevenson has made this story very thought provoking.

In conclusion, throughout the contrasting, ugly and very unpleasant appearance of Hyde and him standing out in the society and his brutal actions, hurting people and being careless about it, Stevenson shows Hyde’s true evil nature, almost like from hell itself. He also makes the thought-provoking as he implies that the evilness like Hyde can be found in any person in today’s world.

16/20 Higher Essay (written by me)

In the short story ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ written by R.L. Stevenson, the author effectively explores the theme of reputation throughout. There are many characters in the book that have different reputations, and we get to see what caused them to be the way they are. There is a particular contrast between Jekyll and Hyde, the main characters of the story.

Mr Utterson is a man who is very respected within his social circle, and is a man who holds himself to the high standards of Victorian society. In the beginning of the book, Utterson is described as “lean, long, dusty, dreary; and yet somehow loveable”. This suggests that even though Utterson may be an uptight man who is seriously respected by those around him, he has a ‘softer’ side that makes him loveable too. This is important as it shows more dimension to his character, and gives us the impression that Utterson has a vulnerable side to him in which he rarely lets out. Further on, it is mentioned that Utterson has “an approved tolerance for others”. This shows that Utterson has a high sense of maturity and regard for others, and has a very open mind in contrast to those around him. This adds to Utterson having the ‘ideal’ Victorian reputation – as he is a man who does not involve himself in meaningless conflicts, and mostly keeps to himself. Utterson is shown to be a man who is undoubtedly loyal to his friends and those he cares about. He is further described as “the last reputable acquaintance and the last good influence in the lives of the down-going men” - which suggests that he again has a reputation of being loyal to those he holds dear, and is willing to do anything for them. The phrase “good influence” also has good connotations in regard to Utterson’s reputation, as it tells us that he is a favourable man who leaves long lasting impressions on those he meets.

Dr Jekyll is a dear friend of Utterson, and another character who upholds the highest of reputations within his circle. He is a well respected Doctor and Scientist who has contributed many times to charity throughout his life. It is stated that Jekyll is a “charitable man” - the word choice of charitable gives us the impression that he is a selfless and generous man. Through his many charitable acts Jekyll has built a solid reputation for himself as many people think highly of him. Jekyll is described as “a large, well made, smooth faced man of fifty” - this gives us a clear image of Jekyll. He is a well rounded man with a clean cut appearance. A good appearance is a key factor in reputation, as it is one of the first things a person will notice about him. Jekyll is shown to care about his reputation, as he mentions that he “concealed his pleasures”. This tells us that he fights to conceal the other side to his personality, Hyde. If the truth came out in regards to Hyde, Jekyll’s reputation would surely crumble. This also shows us that he likes to do the right thing no matter what, even if it puts him in danger, which gives us the impression that he is selfless and strong.

Mr Hyde is the main antagonist within the story, and a man who has no regard for his reputation

whatsoever. He is the stark contrast of Jekyll, the other side of his personality. During our first encounter with him, it sets the foundations for how we perceive Hyde, and gives us a clear idea of the type of reputation he has within society. He is involved with the attack on an innocent little girl, and it is said that he “trampled calmly” over her and “left her screaming”. This highlights Hyde’s violent tendencies and how he clearly has no regard for how others perceive him. The word choice “trampled” shows Hyde’s intent within this situation, as it was clearly no accident. This highlights Hyde’s brutish side and how he truly has no sympathy for how severely he is hurting the little girl. Utterson, who had witnessed the incident firsthand, described Hyde as “like Satan”. Describing Hyde as being like Satan himself gives us the impression that he is not like the typical Victorian gentleman, he is brutish and evil - the complete opposite of what a man should’ve behaved like during his time. It also suggests that Hyde truly has no morals or feelings towards anyone as he is selfish and a narcissist.

Hyde is yet again involved in a separate incident involving Sir Danvers Carew. This incident further shows the type of reputation that Hyde has voluntarily built for himself in pursuit of his selfish desires to be in control. Carew’s maid, who had witnessed the incident, described Hyde as a “madman” which creates the image that Hyde is truly unhinged and out of control. Hyde is a man who doesn’t care how his actions affect how others perceive him, as he is too focused on his main goal of having full control over Jekyll. Further on, he is described as having “ape-like fury”. This highlights how animalistic Hyde tends to behave, and how he seems to lose all control of himself when he is angered. Also, by comparing him to an ape, it shows how mindless Hyde is, and how he seems to lack intelligence in contrast to the likes of Utterson or Jekyll. This shows how bad Hyde’s reputation has deteriorated throughout the story, as he keeps committing heinous acts that negatively affect him and his reputation. By demonstrating himself as an evil man with a bad reputation, it makes it easier for him to push others away in pursuit of his goal.

In conclusion, the story explores the many complexities of a person’s reputation, and how there are many factors that contribute towards it. Stevenson demonstrates that reputations are of the highest importance in society, and that having a negative one can have severe consequences.