Duality In Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

In Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the theme of duality emphasizes, through the transformations experienced by Mr. Utterson, Dr. Lanyon, and Dr. Jekyll, that every individual possesses a dark side that they typically do not want to expose.
Mr. Utterson expresses this theme of duality through his change in behavior. In the beginning of the novel, Stevenson describes Mr. Utterson as a trustworthy and honest lawyer. As the story progresses, it is evident that this description becomes false as his other half emerges: "This is a private matter, and I beg of you to let it sleep" (Stevenson 19). At one of Dr. Jekyll's dinner parties, Jekyll asks for Utterson to promise to stop investigating information about Hyde. Utterson's dark side surfaces as he lies and promises to Jekyll that he would stop. Due to his curiosity in Hyde, Utterson's inability to control his dark side emphasizes the theme of duality.
Dr.
Lanyon expresses this theme of duality through his change of beliefs. Near the beginning of the story, Dr. Lanyon states that he and Jekyll are not on speaking terms due to disagreements on science: "'I wish to see or hear no more of Doctor Jekyll,' he said in a loud unsteady voice" (Stevenson 29). Lanyon's benevolent half causes him to shut Jekyll out because Jekyll's beliefs of science, which includes the paranormal and supernatural, conflict with the scientific beliefs of Dr. Lanyon that include physical aspects of the real world. With that being said, Lanyon experiences internal conflicts and eventually goes against his own scientific beliefs to help Jekyll. As a result of the influence of Dr. Lanyon's dark side, he experiences illness and death shortly after he witnesses the
transformation. Dr. Jekyll expresses this theme of duality through his transformation into Mr. Hyde. Jekyll's transformation into Hyde demonstrates a physical representation of the theme of duality: "Hence, although I had two characters as well as two appearances, one was wholly evil, and the other was still the old Henry Jekyll, that incongruous compound of whose reformation was improvement I had already learned to despair" (Stevenson 56). Initially Jekyll enjoys being Hyde and explains that the reason why he wants to separate his two natures is because he believes that the dark side would be easier to contain when both sides are separated. In Jekyll's statement of the case, he states how Hyde, his”wholly evil” side, is gaining more power over him. This loss of control represents the cause of all of the events in the story. Jekyll's transformation into Hyde to deal with the internal struggle of having to balance his good and evil personalities forces the other characters in the novel, such as Mr. Utterson and Dr. Lanyon, to reveal their dark sides in order to understand his.
This novel represents the theme of duality through the transformations of Mr. Utterson, Dr. Lanyon, and Dr. Jekyll. Mr. Utterson's other half causes him to change from an honest and trustworthy lawyer into a private and secretive lawyer in order to satisfy his curiosity in Mr. Hyde. Dr. Lanyon's dark side forces him to go against his beliefs, ultimately leading to his death. Dr. Jekyll's physical dark side causes him to lose control of both of his natures, forcing him to perform immoral actions as well as forcing his friends and those who care about him to reveal their dark sides. The changes experienced by these three characters illustrate the theme of duality in the sense that all of these individuals initially display a benevolent side, but as the story progresses, their dark sides are revealed.