Jekyll and Hyde 4

Authors Note: I wrote this about how easy it is to slip into evilness. I use Jekyll to show that even the most intelligent people can fall prey to the darkness within.

Jekyll and Hyde 4

Evil is a power we are all born with; the ability to do wrong; the thrill of doing a misdeed.  Many people can avoid the temptation, but for an unfortunate few, this evil is tasted and like a drug, is addicted to.  In the Novella Jekyll and Hyde, the balance between good and evil is portrayed, and explains that even the strongest willed person can fall prey to the grasping forces of evil.

            Dr. Jekyll finds himself in the balance when he plays with the dark side, but little does he know, that when the evil and darkness come out they wish to stay out.  Jekyll’s dual personality was known from the start of the novella, but the reason laid amiss and hidden from view.  It was later found that Jekyll had experimented to rid himself of the evil; the evil which every man inevitably has.  This experimentation lead to the evil splitting into another personality, which Jekyll came to know as Hyde.  In Hyde’s body Jekyll was impervious to morals and could do what every man thinks of doing; be evil; be the epitome of evil.  He tasted the grace of having power and enjoyed the idea of no consequences, but once he had a taste he could not turn away.  Like the fine alcohols which he consumed daily, he kept returning for more, and more, until it was too late.  Eventually Hyde grew too strong; too insane, and that’s when catastrophe struck.  The Murder of a man awoke Jekyll to the insanity of Hyde, but at that point the monster was unleashed and was not going to turn down.  Jekyll knew of his now inevitable down fall and feared it.  Darkness now clung to him like vine on cobblestone; it caressed him and held him prisoner.  He may have only wanted to dip his feet in, but now Jekyll was too deep into the darkness and was now being grasped and pulled down into the abyss.  His curiosity; man’s curiosity leads to the insanity seen today. And if an educated doctor with a sophisticated ken of human intellect can fall prey to the darkness, who’s to say no one can. 

IDK

Authors Note-  Just because…

Jekyll Jekyll Hyde Jekyll Hyde Hyde Jekyll

Jekyll and Hyde 3

Authors Notes: This prompt was based off the actions which took place during Dr. Lanyon’s Narrative.  The response simply shows how knowledge can be a destructive force. 

Knowledge

                Knowledge is one of the most measured elements of the human mind.  With knowledge we find the answers to enigmas which haunt us; and upon solving these riddles, we are then once again reminded of how little we actually know.  But this element of unknowingness is what holds us in balance; there are always things that must be left untouched and unknown, but even with this law in place some give everything just to know more.  In the novella Jekyll and Hyde, This sacrifice for knowledge is portrayed when Lanyon pays with his life to witness the truth behind the infamous Mr. Hyde.

                Lanyon makes the ultimate sacrifice to understand something that was never meant to be.  In the novella it is understood that Dr. Jekyll is the murderous Mr. Hyde, and that through experimentation Jekyll defied god and became something else.  Of course to the people close to Jekyll, this truth seems ludicrous.  Many people like Utterson came close to understanding the truth, but sense the answer was so inhuman, it was pushed to the side.  But when Lanyon came close to the answer he couldn’t just walk away.  After helping Hyde retrieve some objects, a moment came where Lanyon was asked to leave, or stay and be enlightened.  After being asked, he said, “I have gone too far in the way of inexplicable services to pause before I see the end” (101).  This statement is where Lanyon knows too much.  Warned of the steaks, Lanyon presses forth and finds the answer, but also finds death.  He saw the hideous transformation of the Dr. and now must pay.  Much like selling his soul to the devil, Lanyon gives his away for unearthly knowledge.  His sacrifice leaves him bitter towards the end, and leaves him with nothing.  He died knowing the truth which should have stayed hidden; He died knowing something that defied the world, and god himself; He died because he had knowledge.

Jekyll and Hyde 3

Authors notes: A symbol that I found a lot in Jekyll and Hyde was the weather, but the weather didn’t follow the course I thought it would.  This is a less creative piece explaining my view on the weather in Jekyll and Hyde.

The Weather

The fog is unknown; the epitome of mystery.  With in every chapter the unrelenting presence of the fog can be found; typically dwelling in the most faded areas, but this seemingly typical weather stands for a much higher purpose then what may seem.  In the Novella “The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde”, the weather is used as a symbol to help portray and give insight on the surroundings, and lure the reader into a feeling of unease or false safety.

Consistently throughout the story, the weather is written in to give a sense of the scene, and a feeling for future events.  The Novella does not hide when problems are approaching; in fact it is quite contrary to that.  The story’s weather will commonly follow a change of scene.  The most typical change occurs when the presence of Mr. Hyde is expected.  Opposite to what would be expected, fog often is not the predecessor to the presence of Hyde, and often it is when Hyde lurks that the clear skies and the bright moon can be seen, absent of fog (Example: “The Carew Murder” “The early part of the night was cloudless…brilliantly lit by the full moon” (59)).  This weather gives both a sense of confusion and a sense of false safety.  When the fog lurks, Dr. Jekyll (Hyde) is not to be found, but as a character, Jekyll is surrounded by mystery, hence the presence of fog in his absence.  The reason Hyde is not followed by stringent weather is because when he is present, he is no longer a mystery.  The monstrosity that is Hyde is visible, and there is no mystery to him then.  The weather reflects the amount of knowledge the reader knows at a given time, and all the reader wants to know is the whereabouts of Mr. Hyde.  The weathers beauty often lures the reader into a sense of safety, but only to bash them back into terror by bringing about Mr. Hyde during the most pleasant of climates.  Although the weather is at times misleading, it parallels the story while giving a sense of unease.

Jekyll and Hyde 1

Authors Note: I wrote this because of Jekyll and Hyde.  The poem is simple and is about how people hold darkness even if they can’t see it.

Jekyll and Hyde 1

Darkness corrodes

And light sustains

But slips to darkness

And never remains

Contrary to thought

May vary from truth

Darkness controls

And that’s the truth

Outside our walls

We see the light

But deep down inside

Nothing gives sight

From behind our sockets

In the soul of our hearts

We find the blackness

And the suffering starts

For Dr. Jekyll

And Mr. Hyde

The darkness is close

No time to hide

But in every one

These shadows dwell

No one can run

From the deeps of hell

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(If you have a stupid sense of humor like me read the next poem)

(Alternate Ending)

Jekyll and Hyde 1

Darkness corrodes

And light sustains

But slips to darkness

And never remains

Contrary to thought

May vary from truth

Darkness controls

And that’s the truth

Outside our walls

We see the light

But deep down inside

Nothing gives sight

From behind our sockets

In the soul of our heart

We find the blackness

And now I must fart