Chapter 6 or “Remarkable Incident of Dr. Lanyon” begins with aa description of how Dr. Jekyll has changed back for the better after the disappearance of Mr. Hyde. He has started to be more social and positive, entertaining and working more in charity. But then suddenly Jekyll starts refusing to take visitors. Utterson knows that Lanyon has seen Jekyll so decides to talk to him, only to find that Lanyon is in terrible condition. He explains he’s had “ a shock” and he expects to die soon. He also shows a great distain for Jekyll. He explains that after his death all will be explained. Utterson then exchanges letters with Jekyll but this doesn’t shed anymore light on the matter. Jekyll explains that he understands Lanyon’s views and still refuses visits. Soon later Lanyon dies and Utterson picks up an envelope marked for him to open at Lanyon’s death; only to find another envelope marked to be opened at Jekyll’s death. Utterson honors the marking of the letter.
“Incident at the Window” begins with Utterson and Enfield taking their walk discussing the door, Hyde, and Jekyll. After discussing concern for his health, they see Jekyll at his window. They ask him to join their walk but he refuses politely, though they suggest it would be good for him. They decide to continue talking when suddenly a look of horror appears on Jekyll’s face and he slams the window, vanishing. This encounter shocks both men.
In “The Last Night” Poole come to Utterson concerned for the well being of Jekyll. When reach the house the voice coming from the lab is not Jekyll’s. The voice refuses to receive visitors and Poole explains that he keeps getting sent on errands by this person, for an ingredient that no one has. Poole reveals that the man inside is Mr. Hyde. With this new knowledge Utterson decides to break into the lab. Utterson demands to be let in but the voice, which Utterson knows to be Hyde’s, refuses. They break down the door and find Hyde on the floor seemingly poisoned. Hyde is clearly wearing a suit of Jekyll’s but there is no sign of him or his body. They then find an envelope addressed to Utterson containing a will leaving everything to him, a note telling him to read Lanyon’s letter, and a sealed envelope. Utterson then leaves to read Lanyon’s letter.
The chapter “Dr. Lanyon’s Narrative” shows the events as they transpired according to Lanyon through a letter to Utterson. The story begins with Lanyon receiving a letter from Jekyll after his dinner party. The letter asked him to break in to Jekyll’s lab and steal a specific drawer, take it home and wait. It said that if he did this all would be explained. He did as asked with the help of Poole and a locksmith taking vials with red liquid, salt, and a book of notes. He waited at home and at the stroke of midnight Hyde showed up exchanging no pleasantries and asking to be directly shown to the drawer. Hyde mixed the ingredients and before drinking to offered Lanyon to not see what would happen next. After he drank it Lanyon watched Hyde transform back in to Dr. Jekyll. The letter then explains that this wrecked all that Lanyon had understood to be true and would lead to his death.
The final chapter is the tale told from the perspective of Dr. Jekyll through the letter he leaves for Utterson. In his letter he explains that he has always felt that there were two sides to him and he always felt guilt for the darker one he hid from the world. He explains that in creation the potion he risked his life by taking it a first but after the transformation his darker impulses took hold. At first he welcomed the new him in which he was able to release his repressed impulses without guilt. This was fine until he transformed without taking the potion. This scared him into stopping the transformation for two months, until he gave in to his desire and drank the potion again. Hyde having been repressed for so long lashed out and murdered Carew, with no remorse. This made him vow to never transform again. This was fine until Hyde took over again; knowing the police would stop him if he went home had Lanyon get his potions. He was growing weaker as Hyde grew stronger, having to take double potion to hold him back. Not being able to recreate the potion and facing certain death, Hyde decided to poison them both and end it.
Anne Stiles compares Jekyll and Hyde to the “Dual-Brain Theory”, which states that the left side of the brain relates to intelligence, linguistic, and logical thinking; while the right is more emotional, inferior, and prone to wrongdoing. This theory is problematic at its base as it states that the left side is more predominantly used by white intellectual males, while the right is for the feminine and animal. Putting aside its racist and sexist connotations, it does have a strong connection to the literature. Through this lens, you see Dr. Jekyll as the clear left brain and Mr. Hyde as the clear right, even giving Hyde animal like characteristics.
Diving further into their characteristics making them both great examples of this theory. On the side of the left brain you have Jekyll, a well-mannered, well liked, intellectual. But this potion seems to switch the function of his brain to the lesser used right side. This leaves you with Hyde, an unpleasant man, who is disliked by everyone who meets him. Hyde also connects the criminal aspect of this theory by literally committing assault and murder. As the right side is used more it grows while the other shrinks.
Though this connection clearly holds up, I always thought of it a little differently. I always thought of both sides as one cohesive person, and what makes us who we are is what we choose to listen to and/or repress. It was also my understanding that the potion was a metaphor for drugs or alcohol. The way it inhibits our normal behavior and can wildly change someone who is known to be a stand-up person. The thoughts have always been there but the filter or decision making holding them back is gone.
A connection I definitely did see was to Samuel Taylor Coeridge’s “Christabel”. How you see this kind person and everything is not quite what it seems. You never quite know what is happening in someone’s head or what they’re capable of. Such as Geraldine has a façade and turns out to have malicious intent.
Discussion Questions:
1) If anything what do you think the distinction between Jekyll and Hyde symbolizes?
2) Do you think all people have a good and evil side?
3) Would the potion have the same effect on all people?
The distinction of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde symbolizes, as I’ve said in another post, the outward and inner self, and the way we balance our superego and our id, our knowledge of what is socially correct and our impulses and temptations. Because we must make this distinction in our conduct, it appears as though we have two versions of ourself. That distinction between them signifies that break we must make between these two sides of ourselves. I do not believe, however, that it needs to be such a sharp one in every individual, although it must (hopefully) exist at all.
The words “good” and “evil” are value judgments. There is no perfect person, at least not perfect by everyone’s standards. In our evolutionary history it has not done us well to be selfless. We evolved in a world where we had to kill and hurt in order to survive, sometimes our own kin. Although we live in a rather different world today as our ancestors did, we still have the same drives and the same hard-wired defensive or aggressive tendencies that can lead to violence, and the endless quest for success and happiness tends to breed deceit and manipulation. These tendencies exist in us all. How they manifest, the behaviors they make possible, is what we can call good or evil. Their existence, I do not believe we can do the same for.
The distinction between Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde symbolizes the battle between good and evil within an individual. I do think that all people have a good side and an evil side. I do not think that the potion would have the same effect on all people, because there are different facets of each individual’s personality. One person may not necessarily have the same impulses as another.
That’s a really interesting way of thinking about the transformation — that it somehow reveals a potential evil that is particular to the individual, rather than a potential evil within us all.
I believe that we all have good and evil side, maybe not evil but every human being contains opposite forces within him or her, an alter ego that hides behind one’s polite facade. maybe the potion has the same effect on others also , which may release your bad side out but I think the key is how you control your desire.
The comparison from this article to the usage or drugs and alcohol is a very good way to describe the novel. The idea of using psychologically altering drugs to turn a person into someone else. This way the novel gains a whole new interpretation of Hyde and Jekyll being two parts of one person versus two different people in one. I personally think people do have a good and the evil side but I don’t think most people try to keep the evil side hidden. This is mostly due to the fact that the idea of evil and good are very subjective.
Jekyll and Hyde represents two different parts of a person. Jekyll symbolizes the rational side of ourselves, thinking about consequences to actions and conforming to societal expectations and norms. While Hyde symbolizes the irrational part of the personality that is impulsive and selfish that has to be kept under control. I do believe everyone has a good and a bad side. Humans are for the most part, imperfect individuals and sometimes evil thoughts can come into their heads from out of nowhere. But, it is up to the individual to make the right decision and see clearly. I don’t think the potion would have the same effect on all other people because people can react differently depending on their personality and their livelihood, but if a person was in a similar situation with repressed emotions, they could have the same reaction.
The distinction of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde symbolizes that this “man is not truly one, but truly two.” This is discovered by the end of the last chapter when Dr. Jekyll – Mr. Hyde personality is finally revealed. Dr. Jekyll was constantly resisting himself to be Mr. Hyde. However, over the time Mr. Hyde was growing and becoming stronger and Dr. Jekyll was shrinking and losing power.
The scientific relationship between the right and left side of our brain and our personality is not scientifically proved; however, it’s proved that our brain can process information, manage and control our body in different ways, for instance, control body heat, experience emotions, understanding, walking and talking. If our brain is able to control us and process information, it is possible that it avoids reminding about not wanted events. Based on clinical criteria, multiple personality disorder is a mental illness that cannot be cured but can be treated. The case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was a bizarre case when Dr. Jekyll’s evil side came out and became stronger over the time. Our brain is not only responsible for that. I believe individuals have a good and evil side. In some cases, the magnitude of the good or evil side is stronger than the one. Dr. Jekyll’s evil side consumed him, even though he fought against it, thus his evil side ended up with him. I believe he was always evil and also was not mentally okay. People are able to recognize and repair mistakes but the fact that he was mentally ill did not allow him to take responsibility on his horrible acts.
“The scientific relationship between the right and left side of our brain and our personality is not scientifically proved; however, it’s proved that our brain can process information, manage and control our body in different ways, for instance, control body heat, experience emotions, understanding, walking and talking. If our brain is able to control us and process information, it is possible that it avoids reminding about not wanted events.” — This is a great insight. Perhaps the article missed the point: the important relationship isn’t between right and left sides of the brain, but between a controlling part of the self (in your interpretation, the brain that feels and processes information) and the self that is controlled (the memories that the processing brain represses). It’s a fascinating idea — that our brains might, in some crucial way, not be “us.”
Is there an actual distinction between Jekyll and Hyde? People tend to show different parts of the self, or “outfit/mask”. People adapt and change over time. I am not like myself in high school where I was immature and learning how to deal with responsibilities. There isn’t a true version of ourselves. We our highly influenced by the people that surround us. Jekyll and Hyde are not two separate entities, but two different aspects of the same self. I can have multiple interests and hobbies. I do not discriminate my music preferences, I cross them depending on my mood for that particular moment.
The question good versus evil has been talked about previously in Frankenstein. The debate whether Monster was good or evil was very gray. Generally acceptable society standards, most people are good. We believe good is not committing crimes. People may have evil tendencies, such as wishing harm to an opposing sports player, purely just for that individuals satisfaction that his preferred team has a better chance at winning as an example. But just because that person has an evil tendency, does that make him evil? I think this constant questioning and two sides to an argument segues well into the split personality theme between Jekyll and Hyde. It is consistent with them theme of the novel the question good vs evil.
I believe that anyone can be evil, but I think the type of evil is different within everyone. We all have the potential to be good or evil. It is normal for someone to get mad and angry, but the way someone acts on those feelings is what can make them have evil tendencies. This links perfecting with Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde, they symbolize the good and evil within one person. The evil side of Dr. Jeykll was released when being Mr. Hyde. It is hard to say if the potion would have the same effect on each person. I believe it has to do with a specific person’s personality. It is possible that the evil might come out in a different way than it did in this novel.
The characters of Jekyll and Hyde signify the persona of a single individual. We as humans are flawed, and posses attributes seen in Hyde, however in most scenarios (I hope) not to that exaggerated extent. Similarly, we all have some good in us as depicted in the character of Jekyll.In many scenarios, we are rationale beings, but in others we may act in a manner that is not “acceptable” by the norms of society. It is our responsibility to find the appropriate balance between the good and the bad in ourselves, and attempt to make the good outshine the bad. I do not believe that the potion would have the same effect on each individual. Everyones character is unique in it’s own way. People have different goals, and perspectives on life. I believe that the potion serves to alter the persona of a a being into their subconscious state. Evidently we all do not have the same subconscious motives.
The distinction of Jekyll and Hyde symbolize the margin in which we are humans and where we become more primitive with our actions. In other words, this is the margin between good and evil humans are capable of doing, we can be extremely passive and positive but a single event can change that to a more primitive and aggressive mindset. like J Cole “Everybody is a killer, all you have to do is push’em to the limits”.
I do believe that all humans have an evil and good side, both of those elements are shaped by our own experience. We have many things that influence us to be caring, compassionate, open-minded, and loving but we also have other things that influence us to be judgemental, lustful, hateful, and in some cases killers.
Do you think all people have a good and evil side?
I believe everyone has a good and bad side because we’re human and meant to make mistakes. When you recall Adam and Eve and that first interaction where Eve is encouraged to eat the forbidden fruit after being told not to do it. Did she know that was something bad that she was doing or understand the extent of what she was doing?—most likely not. However, she still did something that she wasn’t supposed to do. Let’s say that fruit was going to kill her and she wasn’t disclosed that information, is that still considered her doing something bad? Perhaps so, but how do you describe good or bad? Bad is something that is not good. So if you believe the illustrations with the good side and bad side, one on each shoulder pushing you in both directions, then you believe we have the ability to make our own choices, good or bad. I believe it is definitely possible to have a good or bad side—how do you see people that have done no bad in their lives and have no criminal record with no priors, but one day they commit heinous crimes? Does that make it possible for a good person to go bad or did that person already have a bad side to them—or is it a constant battle that you are always trying to fight in your head where you have good and bad thoughts and you’re always trying to do the right thing like the serpent when Eve was being pushed to eat the apple because of the voice in her head.
Do you think all people have a good and evil side? Yes I do.. Not necessarily a “evil” side, but I do people that people have a good side, and a bad side. Even the nicest people have their limits, and at times sometimes what we go through makes us show a different side. Like the saying sometimes people out the worst in you. Everyone has that temper or that bad side within them, it just takes the right moment, or the right situation to bring that side out, therefore everyone has it within them. Some just show it more or quicker than others do.
The distinction between Jekyll and Hyde symbolizes ethics or moral philosophy in human beings. It clearly presents the concept of right and wrong in us. Jekyll symbolizes the right side in terms of benefit to individuals and the society and fairness while Hyde symbolizes the wrong side. Doing right things takes some effort which sometimes seems hard while doing the wrong things does not require much efforts, it is just a matter of being reckless. When a person gives in doing the wrong things, they may end up eating all his or her effort to do the right things
It is interesting to think about if all people have a good and an evil side. Most people believe that they are surrounded by good and are doing good in the world. But the way their actions may play out can be perceived as something bad or evil. It depends on how you view yourself or a person and the situation they are in. I believe that all people are able to tell the difference between what is good and evil but some actions that are carried out may or may not seem bad or good.