Take Home Final: "Tag, You're it"

My Take Home Final: "Tag, You're it"

Week Two: Entry Two: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

“The creature who crept into my house that night was… know by the name of Hyde.”(Stevenson 77)-----> Using the word “creature” and then referring to the creature as Hyde tells the reader how Stevenson views criminals as non-humans. “Night” suggests the time darkest time of the day where creatures come out to attack.

“If ever I read Satan’s signature upon a face, it is on that of your new friend.” (Stevenson 42)-----> Hyde is so evil and inhuman they relate him to satan the name of the devil.

“...renewed relations with his friends, became once more their familiar guest and entertainer… he was now no less distinguished for religion… The doctor was at peace.”(Stevenson 54)-----> When Hyde isn’t taking over the body of Dr. Jekyll he can be himself. When he puts religion first, he is more friendly, and Dr. Jekyll can be a peace.  

Evil is tangible and could be physical and/or observable. Using metaphors to describe Mr. Hyde,  Stevenson  develops the argument that humans need to protect themselves from the immoral and religion is the best way to defeat the “creature” of sin that has grown inside of Dr. Jekyll.

The evil that was taking over Dr. Jekyll was physically real and at night this creature felt right at home because the darkness of the sky matched his soul: “The creature who crept into my house that night was… know by the name of Hyde” (Stevenson 77). Stevenson uses “creature” to express to the reader how Mr. Hyde isn’t human and isn’t quite one species of animal. Hyde is so disoriented it is hard for the author to place him in a category, however Stevenson is aware of the evil category that Mr. Hyde falls into: “Crept into my house”(Stevenson 77),. the word “crept” suggests intrusion. “House” is a metaphor for the body of Dr. Jekyll, the house that Mr. Hyde intruded into against the will of Dr. Jekyll and has caused physical damage to the world around him and the inside of Dr. Jekyll’s pure body. This devilish creature will only become more physical without religion.

Mr. Utterson, the lawyer, sure did seem to think that the devilish creature will become more physical without religion when he stated,“If ever I read Satan’s signature upon a face, it is on that of your new friend” (Stevenson 42). Hyde is so evil and inhuman that they relate him to satan, the name of the devil. Doing this shows how the evil is physically growing onto the face of Dr. Jekyll. A face is the first thing people use to describe you from other humans, a signature is something you use to also identify yourself from others and to show ownership of. For Mr. Utterson to describe Mr. Hyde’s face like this shows how Dr. Jekyll isn’t different from the devil and in a way, owned by him. The “morals”and “values” of satan has taken over Dr. Jekyll’s body and soul, through the creature of Mr. Hyde, and left for the sane Dr. Jekyll is his mind. The mind is all that sane Dr. Jekyll needs to start defeating the creature of sin that as attached to him.

To get Mr. Hyde out of Dr. Jekyll’s metaphorical house he must first have a knowledge of what religion is and how it prevents evil from finding his way back in. The effects that Stevenson witnessed once the sin was outside of Dr. Jekyll was: “...renewed relations with his friends, became once more their familiar guest and entertainer… he was now no less distinguished for religion… The doctor was at peace”(Stevenson 54). Are all things Dr. Jekyll has regained now that the creature, Mr. Hyde, has left his body and soul. Instead of Mr. Hyde using Dr. Jekyll’s body to intrude into places against the will of others, sane Dr. Jekyll uses his body to entertain his friends. Instead of Mr. Hyde giving Dr. Jekyll’s soul to the night, a time of the day covered in darkness and the unknown, he has given his soul to peace. Dr. Jekyll therefore has a feeling of freedom and tranquility.

 

Week Four: Entry One: The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

“...With ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot”(Stevenson 46)-----> The words “ape-like” suggests an animal-like quality that Hyde had when trampling the victim. Whereas the word “fury” shows the anger that an ape possesses when attacking.

“Mr. Hyde shrank back with a hissing intake of the breath”(Stevenson 40)-----> “Hissing” is an action of what a snake does to warn. A snake is a devilish creature, snakes are related to the devil.

“Now that evil influence had been withdrawn, a new life began for Mr. Jekyll”(Stevenson 54)-----> Now that the evil spirits are out of Dr. Jekyll it is as if he was is entering a new phase of being. Mr. Hyde is resurrecting out of Dr. Jekyll. Without religion or the belief in a God evil will draw unto people.

Using animalistic language and metaphors to describe Hyde, Stevenson presents Hyde as a threat to Dr. Jekyll human morality because he is heartless, deceptive creature that has taken over Dr. Jekyll’s body using a physical sin. To protect humans from this immorality and adoption of animalistic qualities, Stevenson recommends religion.

Stevenson uses animal-like qualities to portray the heartless, violent, and angry Mr. Hyde inside of Dr. Jekyll. Steven Shows this by writing “...With ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot” (Stevenson 46). The words “ape-like” suggest an animal like quality that Hyde obtained when he trampled the victim. This  is a heartless act because not at anytime did Hyde stop and ask the lady if she was ok or if he was hurting her. This act also is violent because Mr. Hyde abused this lady for no real reason at all according to Stevenson. The anger of the ape took over the body of Dr. Jekyll that contained the beast of Mr. Hyde. This immortality is something found in animals and by referring to Hyde’s actions as ape-like, Stevenson shows Hyde’s immorality.

Once Stevenson saw Hyde as immoral he adopt a devilish, deceptive outlook. As Mr. Hyde was doing when he was questioned by Mr. Utterson,“Mr. Hyde shrank back with a hissing intake of the breath”(Stevenson 40). Snakes are seen as an deceptive, sly, sneaky creature as the devil. Snakes lie close to the ground and do evil acts that hurt others in their way. “Hissing” usually used as a warning side used to intimate others they encounter and may show fear towards. In this way Mr.Hyde is like a devil’s worker with his snake-like behaviors.

“Mr. Hyde appeared to be hesite”(Stevenson 41), when fear is showed vulnerability comes into effect. The devil is vulnerable like Mr. Hyde because he knows a greater power that will defeat his fear.   In this case vulnerability can be seen in a good way because it allows easy access to religion. Here Stevenson uses religion to show how it brought Dr. Jekyll back to sanity. “Now that evil influence had been withdrawn, a new life began for Mr. Jekyll”(Stevenson 54). This “new life” symbolizes the destroying of this devil creature who Stevenson refers to as Mr. Hyde. “Withdrawn” suggests the ability that Dr. Jekyll can have now that Mr. Hyde isn’t taking over his mind, body, and soul.

Entry Two: “ Victorian Psychology”: [Appendix I]

Although both authors Maudsley and Myers both believe in the “double brain” Myers linked it to having a dual identity. Myer even went as far at studying an effect young boy.

Maudsley an influential psychologists, believes that the mind could only be understood from a “physiological point of view”(193). He did this by breaking it down into two types of mental disorders, “mania and melancholia”. Maudsley believed these mental disorders had two different side effects, making it double. One side includes, “exaggerated,” “exultant,” and “delusions”, Maudsley shows his readers how people with this disorder tend to inflate thing, are to happy, and mistake where they fall in society. The other side includes, “incapacity of attention...inefficient memory...and dullness of thought. The words “incapacity,” “inefficient,” and “dullness” suggest the mental inability to stay alert, not being able to remember, and thinking as fast.

Myers along with Maudsley believed in the dual identity, but unlike Maudsley Myers took his hypothesis and experiment with a young male patients Louis. Louis was left-handed and during this age left handed people were “sinister” ( Myers 200). This suggest that being some type of sin. In addition Myers quoted, “reached a lower degree of evolution” (Myers 200). Concluding that patient like Louis haven’t yet developed into a human can be accepted in society.