Dr. Jekyll's Repressed Desires

Repressed desires will be satisfied in some way shape or form. An outlet will be found, and deeper darker forces will arise. Dr. Jekyll’s deeper darker forces come forth after years of his persona not acceptable in the eyes of others being repressed because of the pain that desires cause. In Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the repression of Dr. Jekyll’s alter ego eats away at him; for the repression of this other being can no longer be caged. Through the repression and absolution of his deepest desires, Dr. Jekyll’s desire for unattainable perfection in the eyes of his peers, dissection of good and evil within himself, and acceptance into society without worry of his darker side being found out
Jekyll desire to be accepted in society transforms into a wanting to dissect and separate the evil from himself and add that evil into another persona of his being; a desire that has been repressed for a long time. Dr. Jekyll’s reasoning for another being of himself to exist was because of the morbid sense of shame that he felt for the desires that lie deep within him (103). Dr. Jekyll did not want others to know of the thoughts that he had on the other side of his personality. He knew of the good and ill that was divided in him and couldn’t help it any longer than to let the ill of his spirit break free (104). Dr. Jekyll had the knowledge of the good and evil that resides in every person’s soul; no longer could he allow the desire of his other half eat away at the good that was left. Dr. Jekyll as Mr. Hyde was the only way that his desires of fulfilling the evil within him could be satisfied. Through the separate and secret creation of Dr. Jekyll’s alter ego, he still had the ability to fit into society like every other person. Mr. Hyde takes away the unacceptable behaviors that society frowns upon. A strive for perfection is sustained in these
Mr. Hyde is created to ratify Dr. Jekyll’s unacceptable behaviors and thoughts while he is in the eye of society. The force known as Mr. Hyde displays the evil that eventually becomes of repressed desires. Evil nature, careless actions, and horrible outcomes—Mr. Hyde nonchalantly walked down the sidewalk after trampling “calmly over the child’s body”, leaving her screaming on the ground in agony (40). The first-hand encounter of Dr. Jekyll’s evil nature is seen on a dark cold night that sets off a feeling of mystery and wariness right off the bat. Mr. Hyde’s actions become more vicious and foul when he clubs a man to the earth, displaying such forceful blows that the sound of each and every bone breaking can be heard at that moment (60). Mr. Hyde’s evil doings result in the murder of an innocent man that was never intended to happen. Mr. Hyde’s (Dr. Jekyll’s) actions show the bad that can come of a repressed desire, especially one in which the person wants to be seen as good and kind; in reality that person is evil at heart. Very malicious and evil entities rise when desires are not tended to. Through this, the true creation of Mr. Hyde arose: dark, harmful, and downright evil. In the end, more crime and hateful doings were brought out because of this desire that Dr. Jekyll repressed for so long. People in the world take such hateful actions because of silly things that are wanted so