The first scene consists of Mr. Richard Enfield and his distant cousin Mr. Utterson walking along a street in London. They are life-long friends and take a walk together every Sunday. Like Utterson, Enfield is reserved and formal; the two men often walk for long stretches without even saying a word to one another. Mr. Enfield has a recollection of a previous incident in w

Mr. Edward Hyde represents evil throughout the novel. Since evil makes up a smaller percentage in people, Hyde is depicted as small and deformed, as literary critic Stephen King illustrates, “He is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something down-right detestable. He must be deformed somewhere; he gives the strong feeling of deformity, although I couldn’t specify the point. He’s an extra-ordinary looking man, and yet I can really name nothing out of the way” (79). It is hard to exactly pin-point what is wrong with Hyde’s appearance. One knows that there is something disturbing about it, therefore sensing the evil in him. This is clearly seen, however, during the transformation of Hyde back to Jekyll. The reader knows Jekyll is tall and stout while Hyde is shorter and leaner. R.L. Stevenson explains the potion and the events of the transformation through the voice of Dr. Lanyon.

The symbol that is clearly seen is that of Jekyll’s house and laboratory. Stephen King, a literary critic, describes the street and building, “Here is one large block of buildings. On Jekyll’s side, the side presented to the public eye, it seems lovely, graceful building inhabited by one of London’s most respected physicians. On the other side-but still a part of the same building we find rubbish and squalor, people abroad on questionable errands at three in the morning” (80). The street that Jekyll lives on also has a duality, Jekyll’s side and Hyde’s side. Jekyll’s side is well-kept and noticeable to the public, while Hyde’s side is threatening, mysterious, sinister and lower down out of sight from the public. Another symbol of the house is the mysterious cellar door. It is described as “blistered and distained door” set in “a blind forehead of discolored wall” (King 80). Doors are traditionally powerful and mysterious symbols, representing the possibility of things hidden or revealed, or moments of finality. The description of the door and duality of the street serve as good symbols for Jekyll’s house and laboratory. The description and symbolic duality of Jekyll’s house and laboratory bolsters the theme of good and evil.

Throughout the novel many people and objects are used as symbols. One symbol is the character of Gabriel John Utterson. Literary critic, Brittany Nelson tells us how these names have additional significance, “Gabriel is one of the four archangels, usually given the role of a divine messenger. John, Utterson’s middle name, is shared by several important New Testament figures: John the Baptist who sent the Apostle John to Jesus; John, who wrote the three epistles; and, finally, there is John, who wrote Revelations” (Nelson 7). The point is that both of Utterson’s names, Gabriel and John, allude to men who were revealers or explainers of the truth, which is Utterson’s task in this fiction. The irony is that Mr. Utterson is a lawyer by profession and the stereotype for a lawyer is being crooked or a liar. The narrator gives some information about Mr. Utterson at the beginning of the novel saying,

A large crowd had gathered around and they saw the man, Edward Hyde. The crowd forced the man to give money to this girl for trampling over her. Hyde did not run over her for any reason. He just did it out of spite and evil. He represents all the evil in the world. When people see Hyde, they feel the urge to kill him because they can sense his evil nature. His physical appearance brings out the worst evil in other people. Since Hyde represents evil, he is symbolically much smaller than Dr. Jekyll. Stevenson uses Mr. Enfield’s narrative voice to give the reader multiple views, and his unique structure strengthens the theme of good and evil.

hich he witnessed an extremely unpleasant man trample upon a small screaming girl and then walks swiftly away.

Inanimate objects are also used as symbols th

Some topics in this essay:
Danvers Carew, John Utterson, Hyde’s Jekyll’s, Brittany Nelson, Vladimir Nabokov, Edward Hyde, Gabriel John, Stephen King, Dr Lanyon, Jekyll’s Hyde, theme evil, literary critic, narrative voice, edward hyde, writing structure, unique writing structure, jekyll’s house, unique writing, jekyll’s house laboratory, dual nature, people hyde, dr lanyon, critic brittany nelson, literary critic brittany, reinforces theme evil,