Authors Note: History teaches us that people fall under the illusion that they can control power that they do not contain. This need for more power makes them greedy and leads to their failure. Ramses2 believed that he had the power to keep the Jews enslaved in Egypt, when Moses came and challenged his power he became greedy and refused to release them, because he refused to release them he lost his son. Hitler let power get to his head and started WW2 ending with his, and millions of others deaths.
Dr Jekyll found power through his mask known as Hyde. He used this power to feed his dark side by committing crimes while being Hyde, receiving no punishment. Through this negative outlet Jekyll let his new-found power get to his head, resulting in Jekyll losing contact with who he really was. As he committed crimes and acts of violence he became more and more of a Hyde until he lost himself. He became Hyde because he no longer wished to be himself, and it is from this longing that he became evil. when he no longer wanted to strive to be good, that is when he became evil, and he soon realized it too. That is why I believe he committed suicide, because he could no longer live with who he had let himself become.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Monday, February 20, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Authors Note: While reading chapters 8 and 9 i noticed a common theme of representing Hyde as the forbidden knowledge, that Jekyll should not have ever of found nor shared with anyone in fear of condemning them too.
At the beginning of chapter nine it starts with a letter from Henry Jekyll that was sent to Mr. Lanyon. This letter tells Mr. Lanyon that he must get a cabinet for Jekyll and bring it to his home, insisting that if he did not do as Jekyll requested it would end with dire consequences. later in the chapter after Lanyon has previously brought the cabinet home he hears a faint knock on his door. there on the front step he finds Hyde, who emerges from the dark and welcomes himself in claiming that he is there on Jekyll's terms. There Hyde finds the Cabinet and gives an offer to Lanyon. This offer is either for Lanyon to keep his innocence or to receive the forbidden knowledge. Hyde's offer is a lot like the offer the devil gave to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. The devil's or Hyde's offer is to great for Lanyon and he caves rendering his soul and innocence open for the taking. Jekyll too had traded his soul and freedom of will for this knowledge that now does him no good other than to pawn it off on others, ruining them as well. It is only once Jekyll has the forbidden knowledge does he realize that he never needed it and all it has done was bring him grief. For this reason Jekyll knows he must destroy himself, in so destroying Hyde (his forbidden knowledge). That is why I believe that Jekyll had killed himself, in order to save his friends from meeting a similar end.
At the beginning of chapter nine it starts with a letter from Henry Jekyll that was sent to Mr. Lanyon. This letter tells Mr. Lanyon that he must get a cabinet for Jekyll and bring it to his home, insisting that if he did not do as Jekyll requested it would end with dire consequences. later in the chapter after Lanyon has previously brought the cabinet home he hears a faint knock on his door. there on the front step he finds Hyde, who emerges from the dark and welcomes himself in claiming that he is there on Jekyll's terms. There Hyde finds the Cabinet and gives an offer to Lanyon. This offer is either for Lanyon to keep his innocence or to receive the forbidden knowledge. Hyde's offer is a lot like the offer the devil gave to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. The devil's or Hyde's offer is to great for Lanyon and he caves rendering his soul and innocence open for the taking. Jekyll too had traded his soul and freedom of will for this knowledge that now does him no good other than to pawn it off on others, ruining them as well. It is only once Jekyll has the forbidden knowledge does he realize that he never needed it and all it has done was bring him grief. For this reason Jekyll knows he must destroy himself, in so destroying Hyde (his forbidden knowledge). That is why I believe that Jekyll had killed himself, in order to save his friends from meeting a similar end.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Authors Note: While reading these chapters I was listening to Johnny Cash's song God's Gonna Cut You Down, and a specific verse caught my ear, "working in the dark against your fellow man, but as sure as god made black and white whats done in the dark will be brought to the light." this verse stuck out at me, because in chapters 5-7 Dr. Jekyll has been hiding himself and his secrets in his dark creepy laboratory, and he is slowing killing himself, and if he dies he will be judged by god, and his friends for everything he has hidden or been ashamed of.
I believe that Dr. Jekyll is hiding himself away because he is ashamed of what he has created and what is slowly taking him over. Dr. Jekyll became a man who found great knowledge, then a man who became a monster, then a broken man whose knowledge can no longer save him from himself. By secluding himself he is unable to harm his friends, nor himself. In weakening himself he also weakens Hyde. If he dies he takes Hyde down with him resolving his problem by finishing what he has regrettably started. He is sacrificing himself so that no more of his friends must die to allow him to live. He would rather be dead than have to continue to watch his friends be killed by his dark side. He may also hope to redeem himself, by killing Hyde.
www.alecsterling.blogspot.com
I believe that Dr. Jekyll is hiding himself away because he is ashamed of what he has created and what is slowly taking him over. Dr. Jekyll became a man who found great knowledge, then a man who became a monster, then a broken man whose knowledge can no longer save him from himself. By secluding himself he is unable to harm his friends, nor himself. In weakening himself he also weakens Hyde. If he dies he takes Hyde down with him resolving his problem by finishing what he has regrettably started. He is sacrificing himself so that no more of his friends must die to allow him to live. He would rather be dead than have to continue to watch his friends be killed by his dark side. He may also hope to redeem himself, by killing Hyde.
www.alecsterling.blogspot.com
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Authors note: Before starting my blog i noticed how Mr. Utterson was putting a lot of strain on his friendships because he continued to push the fact that Hyde was on Dr. Jekyll's will. i wanted to show people that the Author may have been trying to make a point on trusting your friends.
I believe that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a metaphor trying to show the reader that if they would trust their friends, their lives would be better. Mr. Utterson is obsessed with a creepy young Mr. Hyde, believing that he is evil and needs to be kept out of his close friend, Dr. Jekyll's will. Throughout the short story Mr. Utterson is unable to sleep nor think about anything, but his friends mysterious choice of picking Mr. Hyde to receive his fortune. Stevenson writes, "It was a night of little ease to his toiling mind, toiling in mere darkness and besieged by questions"(48). Since Mr. Utterson is unable to focus on what matters, he is slowly losing his friends, because he continues to pursue the matter of who Hyde truly is. he is slowly losing Mr. Enfield due to the questions he continues to bombard him with. He is also upsetting Dr. Lanyon, again due to his addiction of finding out who Hyde is. Though doctor Jekyll tries to persuade his friend Mr. Utterson that there is nothing wrong with Hyde, and that he deserves the fortune, Mr Utterson is unable to except it. Turning Dr. Jekyll to pleading with Mr. Utterson to go through with his will when he passes on. It is because he is unable to except it that he continues to wonder and is unable to sleep nor focus on his everyday life. If Mr. Utterson would accept his friends decision and get on with his life, he would have a better, more relaxed life.
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