Similarities Between Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a late-Victorian variation on ideas first raised in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Stevenson’s monster, however, is not artificially created from stitched-together body parts, but rather emerges fully formed from the dark side of the human personality. In the novella Dr. Jekyll, who is an esteemed and respected member of the Victorian middle-classes, conducts a scientific experiment which allows him to release from within his psyche, the brutal and “ape-like” Mr. Hyde. While Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are works of fiction, cases of dual lifestyles were common in the Victoria Era.
Victorian society was very conservative and strict, especially in the upper classes,
and it was not uncommon for well-to Londoners to hide aspects of their life, or even an entirely separate life away from the public eye in order to keep up appearances, and remain in good standing.
In the novella, Dr. Jekyll has secret perverse and dark thoughts and desires, and is unable to act upon them due to societal expectations (as well as the legal consequences). However, he is able to express and do these things when he transforms into Mr. Hyde. While none of the following ever used science to transform into another person altogether, many of the icons and idols of the Victorian era such as Oscar Wilde and Queen Victoria’s son Edward the Prince of Wales led a double-faced life such as Dr. Jekyll. To others, it seemed they led a normal and respectable life while in reality they were living a scandalous life. For instance, Oscar Wilde, an Irish-born author and playwright best known for “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, was seen as an admired member of society, but was later arrested at the height of his career for gross indecency (in fact, homosexuality is an undercurrent in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) and died penniless
in Paris, never returning to his home countries. Another example is Charles Parnell, an Irish politician whose life and career was also ruined when the news of his adultery surfaced. The working classes also were subject to the conservative standards of Victorian society, but unlike the upper classes, they weren’t constantly in the public eye. However, they all would suffer the same consequences (for the most part, anyways) if they engaged in illegal or scandalous behavior. For example, if a simple factory worker was caught cheating on his wife, he may not make such a big splash in the headlines, but he will be isolated from his family, friends, and the Church.
Another duality in the Victorian age was the clash between traditional values and progressive and scientific thinking.
While medical treatments were far from safe and helpful, they were certainly more advanced than those of previous eras. There was also newer technology, like the gramophone, the telephone, the telegram, trains, and many more. These technologies changed the way people lived, and made it easier and faster to do things. However, some people, confused by the rapidly changing world, resisted the change, and chose to stick to more tradition ideals that they were used to. And of course, there was the industrial age, meaning more and more energy (no pun intended) went into machines and factories. Many people also started moving to the city, increasing the population a bit too
quickly.
In a way, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde represent the two different aspects of the city of London. Dr. Jekyll represents the refined, clean, and well to do upper and middle class society, where as Mr. Hyde represents the grittier side of the city like the slums and shanty towns that most of London consisted of, the city too small to support such a large population. Congestion, pollution, sanitation and hygiene are some of the few problems that were prevalent in London at the time. At the same time, Mr. Hyde also represents the moral problems that plagued the poorer sides of London, such as child labor, murder, prostitution, and drugs.