Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Jekyll example essay topic

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Jekyll does deserve his final miserable fate because he commits several selfish deeds to the point where he brings his miserable fate upon himself. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson uses Jekyll to represent how man prioritizes by putting himself over others. Throughout the book, Jekyll's two different sides are used to show that man is consistently selfish and will usually think of himself before others. Even though Jekyll has a good side and an evil side, both sides of him are selfish. Jekyll originally takes the potion for selfish reasons, Jekyll uses Hyde to conquer his own evil temptations, and in the end Jekyll gives into Hyde and completely gives up.

Jekyll originally taking the potion can be conveyed as a selfish act because he mainly took the potion to benefit himself. Jekyll said he took the potion so he could become recognized for his good deeds, even though he was well respected by his peers he wanted more recognition from the public, he wanted to be famous for his deeds and become well known among the public. Jekyll says, .".. fond of the respect of the wise and good among my fellowmen... And 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 to reconcile with my imperious desire to carry my head high, and wear a more commonly grave countenance before the public". (Page 103). Jekyll wanted to be acknowledged for his good deeds because having the satisfaction of doing something good wasn't enough for him.

He took the potion in the first place to become famous rather than to help others, making it a selfish act. Jekyll is tempted to do bad things and he uses Hyde to overcome his temptations. Jekyll gets his satisfaction of doing bad deeds by becoming Hyde. Jekyll says "If each, I told myself, could be housed in separate identities, life would be relieved of all that was unbearable; the unjust might go his way" (Page 105). He states that he wants to do bad things but knowing he cant and still live the life he has, he uses Hyde as an escape from his temptations. Once Jekyll is able to control his temptations but still do bad as Mr. Hyde he says "I felt younger, lighter, happier in the body" (Page 106) Mr. Hyde is Jekyll's way of escaping his sophisticated lifestyle and entering a totally separate way of life.

Jekyll then didn't feel any guilt for Hyde's actions. In the end, Jekyll decides to let Hyde take over and he gives up. Hyde is able to take control over Jekyll because Jekyll had originally taken the potion for selfish reasons. Jekyll knows that there is a good chance Hyde will take over but he continues with his experiment knowing the risks.

He says, "To cast in my lot with Jekyll, was to die those appetites which I had long secretly indulged and had of late begun to pamper. To cast it in with Hyde, was to die a thousand interests and aspirations, and to become at a blow and forever, despised and friendless". (Page 114) Jekyll runs out of the salt needed to transform himself and gives up. Jekyll lets Hyde take control of himself leaving Hyde to do whatever he wants. He tells Utters on that he doesn't care what Hyde does with himself because Jekyll will be gone therefore any decision that Hyde makes will not affect Jekyll.

He closes out his letter saying", God knows, I am careless; this is my true hour of death, and what is to follow concerns another than myself". (Page 124). He doesn't care what happens to Hyde or what happens to others as a result of Hyde still living. Jekyll brought his fate upon himself as a result of his selfish acts. Hyde was able to take over Jekyll's body because Jekyll originally took the potion for selfish reasons.

Jekyll did deserve his miserable fate for what he had done because he originally took the potion for selfish reasons, he uses Hyde to control his evil temptations, and because he gives up in the end allowing Hyde to continue committing evil deeds.