Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886): Victorian Surfaces, Constraints of Fame

 

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886): 

Victorian Surfaces, Constraints of Fame

    In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louise Stevenson lets the readers explore the Victorian constraints of Fame through the plot and the characters. The most outstanding aspect of this novella is the effect of the social restrictions that shape people's behavior to conform to the social norms, which lead to the repression of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Utterson's deep desires.

          In the aspect of repression, Dr. Jekyll is a great example. The confession of creating the evil side of himself, Mr. Hyde, can tell us many things about how the social restrictions suffocate him. Dr. Jekyll was born into a high-class family and grew up as an honorable man who gained many respects from others, so he must conform to what people expect him to do or be virtuous. Moreover, he has his face to save as he is in a position where his image and reputation among the public must be perfect. Dr. Jekyll then has a hard time reconciling with his deep desire and comes up with the idea of living a double life: Dr. Jekyll as a good man, and Mr. Hyde as an evil man. When the first transformation happened, he felt livelier and fresher. It is not only because Hyde is younger but is also another identity of him to do whatever he wants to, which are mostly bad things, without worrying about appropriateness and morality. He expresses all his feelings and desires through the actions of Hyde. He commits terrible crimes: murdering Sir Danvers Carew and child abuse without feelings of guilt or sorry. Another character is Mr. Utterson. At the beginning of the novel, it states, "He was austere with himself; drank gin when he was alone, to mortify a taste for vintage; and though he enjoyed the theatre, had not crossed the doors of one for twenty years" (p.39). His profession as a lawyer confines him from seeking small pleasures such as going to the theatre. It shows the state of society quite well as the social restriction may have the quality of 'a decent lawyer' like how to behave. These examples flawlessly link to the Victorian constraints of Fame where Dr. Jekyll, who lives under high-class society's conventions, and Mr. Utterson, who lives under the fixture of the appropriateness of being a lawyer, have to suppress their desires to fit in the social norms.

          However, there are vast differences between the suppression of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Utterson's deep desires, which are conscience and consciousness. Dr. Jekyll creates Mr. Hyde because he wants to do what Dr. Jekyll cannot do: do dreadful things without getting caught and feeling guilty. At first, he enjoys living as Mr. Hyde due to the freedom and the ability to be self-indulgent without trapping in the frame of social conventions. However, as time passes, the evil side inside him slowly swallows the virtue, and eventually, he cannot triumph. It can be interpreted that he lets the devil's side live in him for far too long, and it takes over all the good sides of him. While Mr. Utterson knows what he wants to do, he chooses to deny it. Although his desire does not come from the evil side like Dr. Jekyll, it is interesting to compare these two characters because it can lead to the concealment and the secrecy of Dr. Jekyll. Unlike Mr. Utterson, who has nothing to hide due to his virtue, Dr. Jekyll has a deep and dark desire in him and cannot beat it. He has to conceal the truth that he is Mr. Hyde because he knows that if the public knows his true identity, Dr. Jekyll's image will be destroyed. It can also connect to the Victorian constraints of Fame that people in high positions and social classes have to maintain their reputations.

          To sum up, we cannot use social class to measure the virtue of people. High society does not guarantee that people's level of morality or conscience will be as high as their class. A great example is Dr. Jekyll; he is a hypocrite. If he considers himself a good man, why does he want to create Mr. Hyde to express his evil mind by doing awful things? Moreover, it is unacceptable when he never feels guilty about the crimes he committed. It can reflect human nature thoroughly. If you let evil thoughts and desires consume your soul, you will be incapable of getting rid of them. Eventually, you will lose to it, and it will fully overtake every part of you. In addition, the character of Dr. Jekyll allows me to see through the twisted and hideousness of people's minds. Apart from that, this novella pinpoints how social restrictions or conventions affect people, especially people in high classes or top positions; there are always public eyes on them. Therefore, they must suppress their desire to meet the public's expectations and maintain their reputations.