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Smith

Shannon Smith

Professor Cobbs

English 102

12 March 2024

Demonization of Bipolarity: Dr. Jekyll’s Depression and Mr. Hyde’s Mania.

Being a good person in society is highly emphasized. Kindness and geniality are almost as important in today’s society as money is. What happens when those negative feelings and actions cannot be controlled? Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that can affect the mood of the person experiencing it. Infamously, bipolar is known to cause dramatic mood swings between periods of depressive episodes to manic high energy. More infamously, Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde is known for flipping that switch- from a seemingly jovial yet reclusive man of science to a monster. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a commentary on how bipolar disorder is demonized in society.

Dr. Jekyll, celebrated doctor and friend is the depressive and energetic side of bipolar disorder. There are two main parts of bipolar disorder: a depressive or energetic episode and a manic episode. A symptom of a depressive episode according to the National Institute of Mental Health is “[h]aving trouble falling asleep, waking up too early, or sleeping too much.” Doctor Jekyll states that “… if I slept, or even dozed for a moment in my chair, it was always as Hyde that I awakened” (Stevenson.) Dr. Jekyll attributes his switch to Hyde as being caused by sleep or the potion. It is easy to assume that after Jekyll realized that his switch to Hyde occurred when he slept it would cause Jekyll to have insomnia- further worsening his symptoms of his bipolar. Another important part of bipolar is to know that “…mood states can also exist at the same time and overlap with the expression of emotions of conflicting affective states such as irritability with elation” (Mason.) There are a few instances that doctor Jekyll feels a wave of emotions while describing his transformation between himself and Hyde. Jekyll states that his “… soul [was] boiling with causeless hatreds, and [his] body .. seemed not strong enough to contain the raging energies of life” (Stevenson.) This conflict of emotions applies to the thoughts that may be experienced from those experiencing bipolar disorder. Jekyll describes himself to not seem strong enough- which coincides with another depressive symptom had by those with bipolar. According to the National Institute of Mental Health “[f]eeling unable to do even simple things.” Doctor Jekyll’s feelings of his body not being able to handle the energies of life is him feeling as if he cannot handle day-to-day life. With those experiencing bipolar there will be both depressive and manic episodes, which is where Hyde comes in.

Mr. Hyde, a villainous and hideous monster of a man, is the mania endured by those affected by bipolar. Manic episodes are large and varied but most episodes have feelings of “… impulsiveness, irritability, and extreme pleasure in various activities, up to the point of self-injury and high-risk behaviors” (Werner.) Mister Hyde is often described as the evil and morally lacking character from Jekyll, as he is impulsive,engages in high-risks behaviors, and experiences extreme pleasure from these actions. From Robert Louis Stevenson's book, Jekyll describes Hyde as “... shaken with inordinate anger, strung to the pitch of murder, lusting to inflict pain.” Hyde’s innate need to inflict pain on others is high-risk to himself and others. Impulsiveness, as mentioned before, is a trait that Hyde exhibits when on his murderous fits. Robert Louis Steveson writes of Hyde’s impulsiveness “[a]nd next moment, with ape-like fury, [Mr. Hyde] was trampling his victim under foot and hailing down a storm of blows[.]” Furthermore, an integral part of bipolar disorder is its recurring nature.

Aside from being the same person, there is another thing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde share- they are the cyclical nature of bipolar disorder. Mr. Utterson in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde experiences the following,

“ [Dr. Jekyll] was busy, he was much in the open air, he did good; his face seemed to open and brighten, as if with an inward consciousness of service; and for more than two months, the doctor was at peace.

On the 8th of January Utterson had dined at the doctor’s with a small party; Lanyon had been there; and the face of the host had looked from one to the other as in the old days when the trio were inseparable friends. On the 12th, and again on the 14th, the door was shut against the lawyer.”

Dr. Jekyll here was seen as exhibiting behaviors from when he is entertaining guests, and being energetic, then to him becoming a recluse from his friends Mr. Utterson and Mr. Laynon. This is something that consistently happens within the narrative where Dr. Jekyll is seen going from a jovial person to going into seclusion- where Hyde becomes more prevalent. Rapid cycling as seen in Robert Louis Stevenson’s characterization of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is not common for those experiencing bipolar. However, those who do happen to suffer from rapid suffering “... include [those with] drug or alcohol abuse, major life stressors, thyroid disease or other new medical illness, and exposure to new medications” (Strakowski.) One main characteristic of the switch of personalities is the drug that Dr. Jekyll discovers that releases Hyde. Dr. Jekyll has been seen to withdraw from the effects of this drug “[s]ix hours after [a double dose of the drug], as I sat looking sadly in the fire, the pangs returned, and the drug had to be re-administered” (Stevenson.) Doctor Jekyll’s pangs, as he has described, is his addiction to the drug he had created which caused his bipolar to rapidly cycle.

Mr. Hyde is seen as a monstrous man with unforgivable actions, this characterization however- is how society views mania in the time caused by bipolar. Mr.Utterson is a prominent character of which the audience participates in the viewing of the downward spiral of Dr. Jekyll. Mr. Utterson is a lawyer and was known to be “the last reputable acquaintance and the last good influence in the lives of down-going men… [and] he never marked a shade of change in his demeanour” (Stevenson.) Lawyers are a key part of society and its judicial system as they determine morally and lawfully right and wrong behaviors. Mr. Utterson being a lawyer is the representation of the judgment from society. One of the first interactions that Mr. Utterson comes across when meeting Hyde is “ … the hitherto unknown disgust, loathing and fear with which Mr. Utterson regarded him” (Stevenson.) Despite knowing only of Hyde’s misdeeds from his client and being a man who does not outwardly show his disdain for others- he immediately has a disgust for Hyde. This aversion to Hyde is symbolic of the way that society judges those experiencing mental health crises. Moreover, in former times mental health was seen as demonic possessions “[n]early 3,000-year-old biblical writings depict depressive- and manic-like rages as expressions of “evil spirits” (Strakowski.) Manic episodes encountered by Dr. Jekyll in his Mr. Hyde state would have been one such instance that would have been looked down upon. Mr. Utterson remarks “[t]he last, I think; for, O my poor old Harry Jekyll, if ever I read Satan’s signature upon a face, it is on that of [Mr. Hyde]” (Stevenson.) Utterson calls Mr. Hyde of being of Satanic nature- which is him judging Hyde negatively.

Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Hyde’s mania and Jekyll’s depressive spells are symbolic of bipolar disorder that is demonized in society. Doctor Jekyll is the depressive episodes with Hyde being the manic episodes experienced by those facing bipolar disorder in a cyclic pattern.

Works Cited

“Bipolar Disorder.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder. Accessed 22 Mar. 2024. Accessed 17 Mar. 2024.

Mason, Brittany, et al. “Historical underpinnings of Bipolar Disorder Diagnostic Criteria.”

Behavioral Sciences, vol. 6, no. 3, 15 July 2016, p. 14, https://doi.org/10.3390/bs6030014. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Demetra, 1997.

Accessed 17 Mar. 2024.

Strakowski, Stephen. Bipolar Disorder. Oxford University Press, 2014. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,custuid&custid=s8993093&db=e000xna&AN=797940&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Werner, Ruth. “Bipolar Disorder.” Massage & Bodywork, vol. 29, no. 3, May 2014, pp. 42–45.

EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,custuid&custid=s8993093&db=awh&AN=95768540&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Accessed 22 Mar. 2024.

Directions for Revision: Open your assigned partner’s rough draft attachment and save it on your computer. Insert comments and answers to the revision questions (found in the Course Documents tab under the Revisions folder) on the essay. All revision questions must be answered in order to receive full credit for completing the revision. You may also suggest other changes to the paper besides the changes the questions call for.

To insert a comment, do the following according to the version of Word that you have:

· 2007 version-click on review at the top of the page and click “New Comment.”

· 1993 version-click on insert and add comment

Once you’ve completed revising the essay and answering all of the questions on the revision sheet, save the essay as DN Revised. Put the name of your partner’s paper in the subject line and attach the paper.

When you see your name appear, you can open the attachment and view your revised paper.

Below is a list of who will be partnered with whom:

*These names are subject to change. I will go in on Sunday morning and switch anyone whose partner did not submit a rough draft.

Smith

Shannon Smith

Professor Cobbs

English 102

12 March 2024

Demonization of Bipolarity: Dr. Jekyll’s Depression and Mr. Hyde’s Mania.

Being a good person in society is highly emphasized. Kindness and geniality are almost as important in today’s society as money is. What happens when those negative feelings and actions cannot be controlled? Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that can affect the mood of the person experiencing it. Infamously, bipolar is known to cause dramatic mood swings between periods of depressive episodes to manic high energy. More infamously, Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde is known for flipping that switch- from a seemingly jovial yet reclusive man of science to a monster. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a commentary on how bipolar disorder is demonized in society.

Dr. Jekyll, celebrated doctor and friend is the depressive and energetic side of bipolar disorder. There are two main parts of bipolar disorder: a depressive or energetic episode and a manic episode. A symptom of a depressive episode according to the National Institute of Mental Health is “[h]aving trouble falling asleep, waking up too early, or sleeping too much.” Doctor Jekyll states that “… if I slept, or even dozed for a moment in my chair, it was always as Hyde that I awakened” (Stevenson.) Dr. Jekyll attributes his switch to Hyde as being caused by sleep or the potion. It is easy to assume that after Jekyll realized that his switch to Hyde occurred when he slept it would cause Jekyll to have insomnia- further worsening his symptoms of his bipolar. Another important part of bipolar is to know that “…mood states can also exist at the same time and overlap with the expression of emotions of conflicting affective states such as irritability with elation” (Mason.) There are a few instances that doctor Jekyll feels a wave of emotions while describing his transformation between himself and Hyde. Jekyll states that his “… soul [was] boiling with causeless hatreds, and [his] body .. seemed not strong enough to contain the raging energies of life” (Stevenson.) This conflict of emotions applies to the thoughts that may be experienced from those experiencing bipolar disorder. Jekyll describes himself to not seem strong enough- which coincides with another depressive symptom had by those with bipolar. According to the National Institute of Mental Health “[f]eeling unable to do even simple things.” Doctor Jekyll’s feelings of his body not being able to handle the energies of life is him feeling as if he cannot handle day-to-day life. With those experiencing bipolar there will be both depressive and manic episodes, which is where Hyde comes in.

Mr. Hyde, a villainous and hideous monster of a man, is the mania endured by those affected by bipolar. Manic episodes are large and varied but most episodes have feelings of “… impulsiveness, irritability, and extreme pleasure in various activities, up to the point of self-injury and high-risk behaviors” (Werner.) Mister Hyde is often described as the evil and morally lacking character from Jekyll, as he is impulsive,engages in high-risks behaviors, and experiences extreme pleasure from these actions. From Robert Louis Stevenson's book, Jekyll describes Hyde as “... shaken with inordinate anger, strung to the pitch of murder, lusting to inflict pain.” Hyde’s innate need to inflict pain on others is high-risk to himself and others. Impulsiveness, as mentioned before, is a trait that Hyde exhibits when on his murderous fits. Robert Louis Steveson writes of Hyde’s impulsiveness “[a]nd next moment, with ape-like fury, [Mr. Hyde] was trampling his victim under foot and hailing down a storm of blows[.]” Furthermore, an integral part of bipolar disorder is its recurring nature.

Aside from being the same person, there is another thing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde share- they are the cyclical nature of bipolar disorder. Mr. Utterson in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde experiences the following,

“ [Dr. Jekyll] was busy, he was much in the open air, he did good; his face seemed to open and brighten, as if with an inward consciousness of service; and for more than two months, the doctor was at peace.

On the 8th of January Utterson had dined at the doctor’s with a small party; Lanyon had been there; and the face of the host had looked from one to the other as in the old days when the trio were inseparable friends. On the 12th, and again on the 14th, the door was shut against the lawyer.”

Dr. Jekyll here was seen as exhibiting behaviors from when he is entertaining guests, and being energetic, then to him becoming a recluse from his friends Mr. Utterson and Mr. Laynon. This is something that consistently happens within the narrative where Dr. Jekyll is seen going from a jovial person to going into seclusion- where Hyde becomes more prevalent. Rapid cycling as seen in Robert Louis Stevenson’s characterization of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is not common for those experiencing bipolar. However, those who do happen to suffer from rapid suffering “... include [those with] drug or alcohol abuse, major life stressors, thyroid disease or other new medical illness, and exposure to new medications” (Strakowski.) One main characteristic of the switch of personalities is the drug that Dr. Jekyll discovers that releases Hyde. Dr. Jekyll has been seen to withdraw from the effects of this drug “[s]ix hours after [a double dose of the drug], as I sat looking sadly in the fire, the pangs returned, and the drug had to be re-administered” (Stevenson.) Doctor Jekyll’s pangs, as he has described, is his addiction to the drug he had created which caused his bipolar to rapidly cycle.

Mr. Hyde is seen as a monstrous man with unforgivable actions, this characterization however- is how society views mania in the time caused by bipolar. Mr.Utterson is a prominent character of which the audience participates in the viewing of the downward spiral of Dr. Jekyll. Mr. Utterson is a lawyer and was known to be “the last reputable acquaintance and the last good influence in the lives of down-going men… [and] he never marked a shade of change in his demeanour” (Stevenson.) Lawyers are a key part of society and its judicial system as they determine morally and lawfully right and wrong behaviors. Mr. Utterson being a lawyer is the representation of the judgment from society. One of the first interactions that Mr. Utterson comes across when meeting Hyde is “ … the hitherto unknown disgust, loathing and fear with which Mr. Utterson regarded him” (Stevenson.) Despite knowing only of Hyde’s misdeeds from his client and being a man who does not outwardly show his disdain for others- he immediately has a disgust for Hyde. This aversion to Hyde is symbolic of the way that society judges those experiencing mental health crises. Moreover, in former times mental health was seen as demonic possessions “[n]early 3,000-year-old biblical writings depict depressive- and manic-like rages as expressions of “evil spirits” (Strakowski.) Manic episodes encountered by Dr. Jekyll in his Mr. Hyde state would have been one such instance that would have been looked down upon. Mr. Utterson remarks “[t]he last, I think; for, O my poor old Harry Jekyll, if ever I read Satan’s signature upon a face, it is on that of [Mr. Hyde]” (Stevenson.) Utterson calls Mr. Hyde of being of Satanic nature- which is him judging Hyde negatively.

Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Hyde’s mania and Jekyll’s depressive spells are symbolic of bipolar disorder that is demonized in society. Doctor Jekyll is the depressive episodes with Hyde being the manic episodes experienced by those facing bipolar disorder in a cyclic pattern.

Works Cited

“Bipolar Disorder.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder. Accessed 22 Mar. 2024. Accessed 17 Mar. 2024.

Mason, Brittany, et al. “Historical underpinnings of Bipolar Disorder Diagnostic Criteria.”

Behavioral Sciences, vol. 6, no. 3, 15 July 2016, p. 14, https://doi.org/10.3390/bs6030014. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Demetra, 1997.

Accessed 17 Mar. 2024.

Strakowski, Stephen. Bipolar Disorder. Oxford University Press, 2014. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,custuid&custid=s8993093&db=e000xna&AN=797940&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Werner, Ruth. “Bipolar Disorder.” Massage & Bodywork, vol. 29, no. 3, May 2014, pp. 42–45.

EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,custuid&custid=s8993093&db=awh&AN=95768540&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Accessed 22 Mar. 2024.