Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Character Analysis
Robert Louis Stevenson’s book Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is said to be about the duality of man. The book is also about many societal perspectives and tackles a less referenced theme of society’s view on image and reputation. It was written during a time when if you were a woman and had red hair you were told you had an excitable and hot-tempered personality, you were then told to pursue men with dark brown or black hair because he would have a more calm demeanor. Everything during that era was based on your appearance both physically and in society. The novel is told through a similar mindset. None of the characters ever suspect that Dr. Jekyll could ever transform into something evil, or that he would have evil inside him. When reading the
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Lanyon is someone who represents society. Close to the end of the book the character Lanyon dies. Lanyon’s reaction to realizing man can be something different on the inside than what they project on the outside is what kills him. This is a completely new concept that uproots everything his way of life is based on. On page __ Lanyon says: “I had sprung to my feet and leaped back against the wall, my arm raised to shield me from that prodigy, my mind submerged in terror ‘Oh God!’ I screamed.” Lanyon’s first instinct is to shield himself with his arm. A symbol for how society would react to such a display of absurdity. To shield, look away, or to avoid in every sense of the word because this is completely different than what Victorian Englanders believed. Stevenson knows how much etiquette and image run the nation, which is why this story was so horrific. To show someone that their entire way of life could be easily manipulated by someone, like Jekyll, is why Lanyon reacts the way he reacts. His entire belief of seeing someone as a good person being based around their image has been uprooted and torn apart. Through the book Jekyll and Hyde we see what Victorian English society was like. Stevenson takes what they pride themselves on most (their image) and uses it to create a hellish nightmare that invades the subconscious of every 1800’s Victorian Englishman. The fear of someone not being how they appear is one that shows how much they truly valued their image, prestige, and reputation. A reminder today on the things we should value about each other. Not to uphold presentation but
Lanyon is someone who represents society. Close to the end of the book the character Lanyon dies. Lanyon’s reaction to realizing man can be something different on the inside than what they project on the outside is what kills him. This is a completely new concept that uproots everything his way of life is based on. On page __ Lanyon says: “I had sprung to my feet and leaped back against the wall, my arm raised to shield me from that prodigy, my mind submerged in terror ‘Oh God!’ I screamed.” Lanyon’s first instinct is to shield himself with his arm. A symbol for how society would react to such a display of absurdity. To shield, look away, or to avoid in every sense of the word because this is completely different than what Victorian Englanders believed. Stevenson knows how much etiquette and image run the nation, which is why this story was so horrific. To show someone that their entire way of life could be easily manipulated by someone, like Jekyll, is why Lanyon reacts the way he reacts. His entire belief of seeing someone as a good person being based around their image has been uprooted and torn apart. Through the book Jekyll and Hyde we see what Victorian English society was like. Stevenson takes what they pride themselves on most (their image) and uses it to create a hellish nightmare that invades the subconscious of every 1800’s Victorian Englishman. The fear of someone not being how they appear is one that shows how much they truly valued their image, prestige, and reputation. A reminder today on the things we should value about each other. Not to uphold presentation but