The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr.

Hyde, published in 1886 by Robert Louis

Stevenson, is a novel which despite its fantasy and macabre, is placed within the
recognisable world. It blends elements of horror and romance, using themes of
science versus nature and potions which change personality. This novel explores
the human psyche and the supernatural. This is an important book as it enables
us to question the ways in which we comply with the rigid conventions of class
and society, which is called into question using the metaphor of changing roles of
the main characters. This book is a morality tale which explores the idea of the
duality of man, and the darker side of mans nature. The notion of a Jekyll and
Hyde has become used in everyday speech to describe someone that is
behaving contrarily to their normal nature; this shows the influence this book has
had.
In this essay I will be applying the psychoanalytical and Marxist literacy
approaches to critically analyse this novel. The psychoanalytical approach here
will be mainly based on the Freudian approach rather than the approach
stemming from this by Lacan.
Freudian psychoanalysis involves giving
importance to the distinction between the unconscious and conscious mind. The
content is examined particularly from the covert content, with an aim to unravel
this from the overt content. Close attention is paid to motives and feelings of
both the author and the characters. The presence of psychoanalytical symptoms
are also noted and applied through this theory. Social and historical context takes
less of a focus, where the psychic context takes precedence rather than a
conflict between social classes for example. This brings me on to the Marxist
approach, similarly a division between overt and covert is made, this division
however, is related to Marxist themes such as class struggle, class conflict, and
the transition of society from feudalism to capitalism. The author is also
examined with regards to their class and social status, this is sometimes
assumed. The Marxist approach also attempts to explain the nature of the
literature from the social period in which it was produced and how it represents
that. This also links to how it is consumed at the time and the social assumptions
which are involved within this. Following on from this, the literature is examined
in the way it is determined by the political circumstances of the time (Barry,
2009).
Freudian concepts of instincts and the structural theory of the mind resonate
greatly with this novel. Stevenson makes use of Freuds theories in his works.
Freuds personality theory which includes the three drives of our conscious is
clearly observed. Hence it came about that I concealed my pleasures; and that
when I reached years of reflection, and began to look round me and take stock of
my progress and position in the world, I stood already committed to a profound
duplicity of me.(Stevenson, 49) The two characters of the novel are one; one
body and two conflicting characters, the good and evil; the representatives of the
id and the ego according to the theory of Freud (Yaman, 2013). The characters in
the novel manifest characteristics of Freuds structural theory of the mind. Mr.
Hyde could be representative of the id, in that the character has aggressive
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instincts, a lack of moral and social conduct and hedonistic tendencies. Dr. Jekyll
could be represented as the ego, the conscious and rational part of the psyche.
As a character, he is tasked with juggling the multitudinous demands of the id
(Mr. Hyde) and the moralistic and refined Victorian society, which could then be
represented as the superego. Eventually, Dr. Jekyll concedes to his impulses and
then cannot control their power, given that Hyde and Jekyll must coexist, he
decides to commit suicide. Hyde is labelled by Stevenson as a troglodyte, this is
a commentary on the theory of evolution, Hyde can be seen as poorly evolved
and savage, he thus represents a regression to a lesser phase of human
development (Singh et al, 2008).
Keeping in mind the background of the author, the story was written after it
came to Stevenson in a dream. This hints that the novel is an unconscious
construction. This dream and his resulting novel could be seen as a projection of
his inner turmoil. Another interesting aspect of the novel is of the all male
narrative, this could represent Freudian theory of the Oedipus complex (Tothova,
2013). One more significant statement concerning psychoanalytic theory that
ties into this novel is the theme of repression of guilty desire. Mr. Hyde could be
representative of the signifier of repressed desire. Indeed, he mentions the
repressive modes favoured by this society, Mr. Hyde impresses ordinary folk
as horrible, monstrous, and murderous because he manifests aspects of the self,
monstrous passions that are ordinarily suppressed (Quinley, 2006). Theories
from psychoanalysis link the motive to a source from the past and explain how
the persons unsuccessful repression of the illicit desire led to his downfall
(Yang, 2010).
There are critics who do not view the relationship of Hyde and Jekyll in Freudian
terms. Saposnik (1971) tries to illustrate Hyde as the brutal embodiment of the
moral, social, political, and economic threats which shook the uncertain Victorian
world (Tothova, 2013). Jekyll explains himself that his criminality is the result of
trying to repress feelings that were not considered appropriate in his position in
society: Indeed the worst of my faults was a certain impatient gaiety of
disposition, such as has made the happiness of many, but such as I found it hard
to reconcile with my imperious desire to carry my head high, and wear a more
than commonly grave countenance before the public. Hence it came about that I
concealed my pleasures; and that when I reached years of reflection, and began
to look round me and take stock of my progress and position in the world, I stood
already committed to a profound duplicity of life.
Indeed, there are many aspects which can be analysed from a Marxist
perspective. In the context of its setting of Victorian London, Stevenson seems
to observe the dualism present in the individual but also in society, where the
aristocracy that despite its refinement, had ulterior identities and secrets within
their mansions (Singh et al 2008). Much of the story takes place in the poorer
districts of London, most significantly, Mr. Hyde enters and leaves Dr. Jekyll's
house through the back door, all of the other buildings are attractive and wellmaintained except for this one, rundown doorway. This could represent the
tensions that the varying economic backgrounds of people living in one area can
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cause. The back door could also be a metaphor for the evil, which resides behind
civilisation and refinement. This is also echoed in the momentum of the plot.
The working class characters tend to expose the sins of the bourgeoisie; this
demonstrates a moral component of the Marxist class struggle. These lower class
characters suggested to possess moral insight. The first character who uncovers
Mr. Hyde is that of a maidservant living alone. This leads Utterson to discover
Henry Jekylls murder weapon. Although the maid faints at the sight of Hydes
crime, she is the proprietor of justice. Similarly, Jekylls butler (Poole), catches
Hyde trying to obtain his potion. Poole asks Utterson, if that was my master,
why had he a mask upon his face? why did he cry out like a rat, and run from
me? Through the butler and the maid, Stevenson develops Hydes savagery.
Stevenson uses lower-class characters to elicit a moral response from the reader.
It is evident that the political theories of Karl Marx influenced the works of
Stevenson as the working class are seen as agents of social change and moral
rebuke (DeLuca, 2011). Stevenson seems bitter in his tone towards the
bourgeoisie, Dr. Jekyll could be described as the typical capitalist, the
representation of Hyde as the evil within him represents the duality of his wealth,
after trampling the lower class girl (literally and figuratively) he is able to pay
100 pounds to preserve his reputation. This could also be seen as a metaphor for
the ability of those who create wealth to walk on those who work for it (Marxist
Criticism, 2013). Initially, the text seems positive about class hierarchies, but in
reality, Jekyll is the same as the primitive Hyde. Jekyll has numerous titles,
these titles show that Jekyll is a distinguished doctor and part of the upper class,
although Hyde is described by Utterson as evoking an unsettling, feeling of
deformity and ape-like attributes, his tastes are those of the upper class. Dr
Jekyll lives in a well appointed home characterised by Stevenson as having a
great air of wealth and comfort his laboratory is described as a certain sinister
block of building which bore in every feature the marks of profound and sordid
negligence. The respectable main house symbolises the respectable upper class
where as the laboratory represents the lower class. Furthermore the two
buildings face opposite directions and look out onto two different streets, this is a
metaphor for the difference in perspective between the upper and lower classes.
Indeed, the noun used most often in the story to describe Hyde is not a negative
one but "gentleman." A world is portrayed of almost exclusively middle class
professional men, yet instead of attacking Hyde, they more often protect him. As
proved by Dr Jekylls double identity and struggle between the good and bad
within him, the ideals of the Marxist criticism and the importance of a social class
system are inescapable in all aspects of life and literature. This challenges class
perceptions of poverty and, thus class superiority is revealed to be an illusion
(Moffat, 2009). Stevenson turns the class discourses of underclass and
criminality back on the bourgeoisie itself. Stevenson's novel is finally more
concerned with its middle-class professional "heroes" than it is with the figure of
Edward Hyde. Mr. Hyde thus acts not just as a conductor for middle class fears
of the "other" but also as an agent of vengeance (Arata, 1995).
Within this essay I have explored the themes within the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll
and Mr Hyde. Employing psychoanalytical theory which befits this work easily, it
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is possible to see aspects of deviance, the three drives of consciousness and

repression of desire. Looking at the author himself, this tale came to Stevenson
in a dream, which represents subconscious aspects of psychoanalytical theory,
and the all male narrative could link the author to the Oedipus complex as
outlined by Freud. Repression is a common theme when looking from both critical
theories, in the psychoanalytical theory, repression is seen as within the
individual and the dualism of personality. Within the Marxist perspective,
repression is seen within the class system, the trampling of the maid and the
repression of the bourgeoisie unto themselves, where their sins are exposed
within the novel, and the fear of the other and the underclass are revealed to
be a fallacy. The key difference between the perspectives here are that of the
dualism of good and evil within the individual and the dualism within society.

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References and Bibliography

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