Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Why are Professional Men so Tense and Conflicted in Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
Written in 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, focuses on legal and investigative issues. In addition, the author incorporates concepts of duality in the protagonist(s), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Stevenson’s prowess in creating disparities between these two personalities indicates a balance within their character. Separating Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde would, therefore, interfere with the message intended for Stevenson’s audience. There are other characters whose impacts greatly affected Dr. Jekyll’s persona. The novella elicits an understanding of varied professions as well their relationship with notable tensions and conflicts, as portrayed by the author.
Lawyer Gabriel John Utterson is portrayed as a professional character in Stevenson’s text. He battles with the idea of maintaining a respectable and admirable status. The novella, set during the Victorian era, adapts numerous values of its time. Utterson remains reserved as a result of his affiliation with these Victoria qualities. As a matter of fact, he retains crucial information about Dr. Jekyll in an attempt to delineate qualities of an English gentleman. The lawyer thrives in limbo when he picks Dr. Jekyll, his friend, over the truth and harsh realities. Utterson strives to hide unfortunate news about murderous activities because of his status quo in the Victorian society.

Such behavior, therefore, contradicts his profession as a lawyer and investigator of criminal cases. The character risks his profession to avoid disappointing characters such as Dr. Jekyll, as delineated in Stevenson’s text. Utterson’s conflicts are also salient apropos of his friendship with Dr. Jekyll’s character. While most individuals are repulsed by the latter’s behaviors, they do not understand Utterson’s reason for striving to remain his trusted ally. Tensions, therefore, arise in the lawyer’s life when he acknowledges Dr. Jekyll’s uncanny actions and habits.
Offering utter allegiance to his friend forces the lawyer to battle with the dark realizations surrounding Dr. Jekyll’s livelihood. Indeed, Utterson’s fixation on adhering to the Victorian values interferes with his ability to lead a life free of tension and anxiety, among other psychological complications. Stevenson’s readers also observe Utterson’s evident affiliation with the fantasy world. Despite observing eerie happenings in the society, he maintains the idea of order and organization in this society. The lawyer’s loyalty to Dr. Jekyll’s impedes his rationality, thereby, causing the professional to betray his work ethics. As discussed, Utterson’s conviction toward the rightness of Victorian values cloud the lawyer’s ability to understand the risk and consequences associated with his decisions. He is conflicted greatly with the dilemma of either regarding Victorian ideologies or accepting the reality of twisted personas in human beings (Reed 12). Portraying extreme denial, Utterson retains his false mentality about the perfection in the Victorian society hence, accentuating the tension in both the lawyer’s social and professional life. Utterson’s refusal to adhere to the values in his legal profession also delineates symbolically; the derogatory, in lieu of progressive, state of various societies.
Another professional individual, Dr. Hastie Lanyon, is also part of Stevenson’s characters. The doctor also encounters numerous tensions and conflicts while interacting with Dr. Jekyll in the novella. Dr. Lanyon’s conflicting notions affect Dr. Jekyll’s professional performance negatively as a result of their distinct lines of thought. Instead of regarding the latter’s medical contribution as extensions of science and medicine, Dr. Lanyon dismisses them in a blatant manner. He depicts indistinguishable characteristics with Utterson because of their obsession with norms. When Dr. Lanyon refers to Dr. Jekyll’s work as unscientific, he displays instances of prejudice in making these inferences. The doctor’s inability to exhibit myopic thoughts creates a build-up of tensions and conflicts in his character. Attempting to dismiss Dr. Jekyll’s experiments, places Dr. Lanyon at a crucial point apropos of his allegiance to The Hippocratic Oath and various ethical considerations in the world of medicine.
As Dr. Jekyll is considered successful in his profession, there are conflicts regarding Dr. Lanyon’s negative criticism toward the former’s works. Most individuals may require more substantial information about the character’s denunciation of Dr. Jekyll’s professional efforts. Both Dr. Lanyon and Utterson depict similar characteristics in their fixation on the fantasy world. They fail to acknowledge the inevitable existence of imperfections in different individuals and societies, as a whole. Such illogical and irrational approaches toward life, therefore, perpetrate the existence of tensions and conflicts around Dr. Lanyon’s character. The tensions force him to shun Dr. Jekyll’s so as to avoid accepting the reality put forth by the latter’s discoveries. From a psychological perspective, it is easier for Dr. Lanyon to retain his ideas on perfection instead of acknowledging Dr. Jekyll’s admirable experiments. Such gestures also describe the conflicted nature of Dr. Lanyon’s character and his fixation on falseness.
Delving deeper into Stevenson’s utilization of symbolism in exploring Dr. Lanyon’s tensions, readers may decipher narcissism in his character. He cannot continue to thrive in a society that does not uphold his truths, notions and ideas. The utter disappointing nature of the real world, according to Dr. Jekyll’s assertions, is not well accepted by Dr. Lanyon hence accentuating his tensions. There are also evident conflicts within the latter’s self. Dismayed, the doctor continues to exhibit feelings of denial that are highly accentuated by his evident superiority complex. Dr. Lanyon fails to commend his medical counterpart because he does not consider the substantial nature of Dr. Jekyll’s knowledge. For Dr. Lanyon to experience death-related thoughts, the readers understand the intensities of these tensions and conflicts experienced by professional men in Stevenson’s novella. The doctor’s obsession with his discoveries contradict highly with Dr. Jekyll’s character thus accentuating the tensions and conflicts representing the lives of professional men in Stevenson’s novella, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
At the dénouement of this novella, readers identify the disparities between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. These discoveries, however, do not eliminate their classification as one character in Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. For a balance in society, it is important for both Dr. Jekylls and Mr. Hydes to exist. It is through a combination of their personas that individuals understand the scope of humanity and the world, as a whole (Diedrich 3-4). The evils performed by Dr. Jekyll are, in fact, representative of Mr. Hyde’s character. It is impossible to separate these two characters due to their salient dependence on one another. Despite Stevenson’s focus on dualities in his plot, characters such as Utterson and Dr. Lanyon heighten the author’s exploration of tensions and conflicts. These individuals are indirectly symbolic representations of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’s character.
Examining Utterson’s persona further, readers may infer his strong affiliation with Mr. Hyde’s character. The lawyer struggles to suppress all his negative thoughts and reactions about human nature to delineate perfection regarding distinct norms and values of the Victorian era. Even when he acquires evidence about Dr. Jekyll twisted ways, he does not share it with other people; so as to uphold these values. Dr. Lanyon, in castigating Dr. Jekyll, shuts out all forms of negativity that contradict his professional knowledge and ideas. His character may also be related to Mr. Hyde as a result of intense feelings of denial and falsified beliefs. It is important to incorporate Sigmund Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis in comprehending the relationship between one’s conscious and unconscious mind, as showcased by Stevenson’s characters in his novella (Thomas 2).
When an individual suppresses evil thoughts toward the unconscious in an attempt to exhibit positivity and goodness, they display characteristics related to Mr. Hyde’s personality type (Ransome 225). Both Utterson and Dr. Lanyon disregard evil thoughts so as to maintain the norms expected in the society. As the Victorian era delineates well-behaved folk according to Utterson, it is quite difficult for him to accept the salient evils in this society. It is easier for him to retain the upright and moral behavior of Victorian gentlemen rather than adjusting to the newly acquired information about this era. Similarly, Dr. Lanyon’s preference of death over accepting Dr. Jekyll’s inventions describes individuals that portray hypocritical behaviors so as to appear Saints in their society.
Instead of accepting the inevitability of dualities in various societies, Utterson and Dr. Lanyon merely strive to acquire the highly prominent roles. Stevenson uses these characters to accentuate the importance of evil and good in societies. Through a struggle between both sides, individuals experience a cathartic release of their suppressed emotions and tensions. The projection of these conflicts and inner struggles, as described by Dr. Jekyll and Dr. Lanyon, expresses the ineluctable nature of duality in human beings. They strive to hide the evil nature in people while regarding only their admirable characteristics. Interestingly, Dr. Lanyon expresses his evil side in a subtle manner. It is salient that the doctor attacks Dr. Jekyll in a witty manner so as to suppress his selfish desires. He does not portray his sadistic nature apropos of Dr. Jekyll’s new discoveries. In lieu, Dr. Lanyon castigates the latter’s experiments by eliminating them from the scope of science. The truth, however, is suppressed in his unconscious mind as a form of evil, because he is not happy with Dr. Jekyll expansion of knowledge in their field (Thomas 2). The disappointment in witnessing a challenging experience clouds Dr. Lanyon’s rational and logical thoughts, thereby, eliciting his evil nature. The constant suppression of truth by Utterson and Dr. Lanyon interferes with the ability of these characters to eradicate inconsistencies in their lives.
The prevalent theme of duality in Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde assists readers in understanding the tensions and conflicts of these professional men. Denouncing truths and upholding fantasies prove harmful in their lives. Utterson and Dr. Lanyon create room for the unconscious mind to dictate their behaviors and actions. It is important, therefore, for Stevenson’s readers to reduce their focus on objectivity while dealing with professional matters. Both Utterson and Dr. Lanyon, despite their personal sentiments, should have used objective approaches in making decisions so as to avoid permanent harm.
Works Cited
Diedrich, Julia. The Double Motif in Literature Using the Example of Stevenson’s “the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”. München: GRIN Verlag, 2009. Internet resource.
Ransome, Paul. Social Theory for Beginners. Bristol: Policy Press, 2010. Print.
Reed, Thomas L. The Transforming Draught: “jekyll and Hyde”, Robert Louis Stevenson and the Victorian Alcohol Debate. Jefferson, NC [u.a.: McFarland, 2006. Print.
Thomas, Katharina E. Robert Louis Stevenson’s “the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde”: A Geography of the Human Mind. Grin Verlag Ohg, 2011. Print.