Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Hyde

The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Hyde

TOPICS for JOURNAL #3

DIRECTIONS: Choose one of these topics as the subject of Journal #3. Journals must follow all rules for academic writing and the MLA format for the use of quotations. 20 points

1. Do you agree with Dr. Jekyll’s theory (and later, Freud’s) about the duality of man’s nature? They both say that humans have an instinct to do wrong (Freud called this the id), which must be hidden and controlled by civil and moral laws (Freud’s superego). What is it that Dr. Jekyll can do as Mr. Hyde that he cannot do as himself? Can you give specific contemporary examples to argue that people have these same urges to do wrong that must be controlled by religious rules or civil laws?

2. Dr. Lanyon says, ‘But it is more than ten years since Henry Jekyll became too fanciful for me. He began to go wrong, wrong in mind . . . . Such scientific balderdash . . . .’ (837), and Dr. Jekyll calls Lanyon ‘an ignorant, blatant pedant’ (842). Who do you side with in this argument? Is Lanyon correct to believe that there are limits to how far science should try to go, or is Jekyll correct that there should be no limitations on man’s desire to advance his knowledge through science. You will need to consider some specific scientific advancements: those that you consider beneficial to man and perhaps some that you think have had (or may have) negative consequences for humankind.

3. What kind of man is Mr. Utterson? Do you think that he is a good friend to Dr. Jekyll, or do you think that he should have behaved differently? Could he have figured out the truth of Jekyll’s problem? Could Utterson have done anything to prevent what ended up happening to Dr. Jekyll? Should he have tried to intervene sooner?

4. Stevenson’s descriptions of Mr. Hyde say that Hyde looks younger and smaller than Dr. Jekyll, thus giving others the impression that they are two different men. Dr. Jekyll’s own words explain this phenomenon. But more than that, the descriptions of Hyde are intended to imply that Hyde emanates evil. He is not physically deformed, but he is so morally deformed that people can immediately sense this about him – that they are in the presence of evil. Use several of the specific descriptions of Hyde to prove this point.