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JakePorter
Mrs.Stanford
ENG234
16May2016
Dr.JekyllandMr.HydeTwoPersonalities,OnePerson
DissociativeIdentityDisorderaffectsmanypeopleintheworldtoday.Dissociative
IdentityDisorderiswhenonepersoncontainstwoormoredifferentpersonalitieswithin
themselves.Themainthemeofthebook,
TheStrangeCaseofDr.JekyllandMr.Hyde,
is
DissociativeIdentityDisorder.ManyarguethatthisisthethemebecauseinthebookDr.Henry
Jekyllisbelievedbymanyreaderstohavethisdisorder.HisalteristhatoftheevilMr.Edward
Hyde.Thetwoarecompleteoppositeswhenitcomestolooks,size,personality,andanyother
thingthatcouldbethoughtof.Dr.HenryJekyllwasakind,jollyfellow,hewasabitonthe
heavysetsidewithanormallookingface.Mr.EdwardHydeontheotherhandwasanevilman
withalotofragebuiltinsideofhim,hisfaceisdescribedbymanyasbeingdistorted.Thetheme
ofthisbookiswidelydisputed,howevermanybelievethatthemainthemethebookattemptsto
getacrossissplitpersonality.
SplitpersonalityisamentaldisorderwhichisalsoreferredtoasMultiplePersonality
Disorder(MPD)orDissociativeIdentityDisorder(DID).DIDisreferredtoaswhentheirisa
presenceoftwoormorepersonalitiesoranexperienceofadistinctalternativepersonalitytaking
possessionofanindividual,oftencounselingprofessionalsrefertothesepersonalitiesasalters.
Thenumberofaltersthatanindividualexperiencesvariesfrompatienttopatient.Schizophrenia
isalsolinkedtomultiplepersonalitydisorder.Themainconstantwithintheseparateidentitiesis

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thattheyexhibitdifferentphysicalandmentalconditions,genderidentities,sexuality,behaviors,
thoughts,andfeelings.DIDisstronglylinkedtoPosttraumaticStressDisorder(PTSD).
Approximately71%ofclientswithDIDhaveexperiencedchildabuseandaround74%have
reportedsexualabuse.Someofthesymptomsincludealterationsinconsciousness.Somepeople
describebeingseparatedfromtheirbody,zonedout,floatingabovetheirbody,detached.This
iswheretheseparatepersonalitycomesintoplay.
Thebook
TheStrangeCaseofDr.JekyllandMr.Hyde
hasamainoverarchingthemeof
DissociativeIdentityDisorderalsoknownasDID.StevensonspeaksaboutMansdualnature
andthatthetwonatureshadmemoryincommon,butallotherfacultiesweremostunequally
shared(Scholar43).ThisexplainswhyDr.JekyllandMr.Hydeseemtoknowallofthesame
peoplearoundthetown,withoutHydegoingoutandtalkingtoanyofthem.Thisalsoexplains
whytheyaretwocompletelyoppositepeople.Stevensonmaynotusethetermsplitpersonality
but,thatdoesntmeanthebookisntaboutDissociativeidentitydisorder.Thisjusthelpstoadd
tothemysteryofthebook.ThebookdealswithDr.HenryJekyllwhoisverybrilliant,however,
heistooawareoftheduplicityofthelifehelivesandtheevilwithinhim.Stevensonadmitted
theJekyllknewofhisalter,Mr.HydeshowingthatthebooktalksaboutDID.Manybelievethat
TheStrangeCaseofDr.JekyllandMr.Hydewaswrittenabouthavingmultiplepersonalities.
Peoplebelievethissomuch,astomakeJekyllandHydeitsowntermasasynonymto
multiplepersonalityinscientificresearchandliterature.ThetermJekyllandHydeisalsoan
epithetforthetermpsychopath.Thetwopersonalitieswithinthebookclashwithoneanotheras
well.Asoneofthepersonalitiesinthebookisgood,theotherisevil.Dualismasaphilosophy
signifiestheviewthattheuniversecontainstworadicallydifferentkindsofbeingorsubstance

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matterandspirit,body,andmind(Shubh2008).Thenovelwasknownbysomeasa
psychologicalcasehistoryofDr.Jekyllwithawidersocialsignificance.StephenHeathargues
forthistheme,sayingthestrangesenseofmansdoublebeingwhichmustattimescomeinupon
andoverwhelmthemindofeverycreaturecapableofthinking.Alsodescribingthenovelas
significanttowardsthestudiesofdoctorsandmedicalscience.
Dr.Jekyllspersonalityisofagoodnature.Dr.Jekyllcanbecharacterizedasalarger,
handsomeman.Hewaswellknownforhisdinnerpartieswhichheheldathisratherlargeestate.
HeisalsodescribedasajollymanandwasgoodfriendswithDr.LanyonandMr.Utterson.
ThroughoutthebookUttersonandLanyonstaygoodfriendswithDr.Jekyll,howevertheyboth
dissaproveofMr.Hyde.ThetwotrytodriveawayMr.HydeandbegintoworryaboutDr.Jekyll
whenJekyllwritesmostofhisfortunetoMr.Hydeifheweretodieormysteriouslydissapear.
ThisiswhereUttersonbegantoworryaboutJekyllandhiswill.Hewasbornintoagood
family,andhadagoodeducation,obviously,sinceheisadoctor.Dr.Jekyllwaswellrespected
byallwhoknewhim,anddidalotforcharitieswheneverhecould.Dr.Jekyllwasalsointothe
sciencesasheworkedtocreatesomesortofpotiontohelptoreleasehisinnerdemons.Hisinner
demons,alsoknownas,Mr.EdwardHydecameintoplaywhenhecreatedhispotion.Dr.Jekyll
startedtobecomeextremelyobsessedwithhisalterego,thatit(Hyde)cameoutwheneverithad
pleased.Jekyllthenlostallofthepowerandleverageheoncehadwhenheattemptedtocommit
suicide,sinceitisseenasanevilsinthroughtheeyesofthechurch.
ThepersonalityofMr.HydeisthecompleteoppositeofDr.Jekyll.WhileDr.Jekyllisa
nice,handsome,goodheartedman,Mr.Hydeisanevil,grotesque,coldheartedman.Mr.Hyde
isdescribedbyallwhohaveseenhimasanincrediblyhideoushumanbeing.Hecanalsobe

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describedasverymysteriousandratherquiet.Mr.Hydewasaveryevilman,ashewasallofthe
badintentionsthatDr.Jekyllhadbuiltup,butdidntshow.Mr.Hydecommittedmanycrimes,
thefirstcrimehecommitsiswhenheisfirstintroducedintothebook.Hydetramplesalittlegirl,
thisiswherehereallyraisesattentiontohisevil,aspeopleinthecommunitybegintoloathe
him.ThemostinfamouscrimetheMr.HydecommitsisthemurderofSirDanversCarew.Hyde
hadverylittletonoreasoningforthismurderotherthanthefactthatSirDanverswasagood
humanbeing.Mr.EdwardHydewasthealterforDr.Jekyll.HebecamemorepowerfulthanDr.
Jekyllcouldhandleandsoonhewasthealterthatappearedmoreoftenthannot.Mr.Hyde
becamemorepowerfulafterDr.Jekyllhadattemptedtocommitsuicide,sincesuicideisseenas
anevilsinintheeyesofthechurchthisallowedHydetofullytakecontrolofthebody,and
mind.
HydebecomesmorepowerfulthanJekyllcouldhaveeverimagined.Asthetwo
charactersfightinternallythroughoutRobertLouisStevensonswholenovel,Hydebeginsto
becomemorepowerfulthanJekyll.Dr.Jekyllslaboratoryliesontheoppositesideofaredbaize
door.Thisdoorhasasmallsignificanceinthebook,asitcanalludetoJekyllsalter,Mr.Hyde.
Thebaizewhichisusuallyusedonpooltableswassometimesusedondoorsbackinthe
eighteenthcenturytohelpmufflenoises.ThismaybewhyDr.Jekyllsbultersmayhaveheard
mufflednoisesduringJekyllsinternalconflicts.ThsiisalsowhereJekyllhadfirsthadcreated
thepotion,hethoughtthathewouldeasilybeabletocontrolhisevilpersonality,Mr.Hyde.He
howeverhadthoughtwrong.AsthereaderprogressesthroughStevensonsnoveltheyalsosee
thetrendofMr.Hydebeginningtogrowintoastrongerandmoredominantcharacter.Thebattle
betweenDr.HenryJekyllandMr.EdwardHydeisafightbetweengoodandevil.Asthey

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constantlybattletheevilsidebeginstowinthebattleuntiltheultimatefight,whenUttersonand
PooledigdeeperintothecaseofJekyllswill.TheybegintosearchforJekyllinthehouseand
whentheyareclosetofindinghim,JekylldoesnotwantPooleandUttersontoseehiminhis
currentcondition,soheattemptstokillhimself.ThisisthemajorturningpointofwhenMr.
HydegainsthemostleverageoverDr.Jekyllsincekillingoneselfisandevilsin.
RobertLouisStevensonwasaveryuniqueman.StevensonwasbornonNovember
thirteenth,1850,hewasanonlychildtoThomasStevensonandMargaretBalfour.The
StevensonfamilywasnotedforengineeringgreatnessanditwasbelievedthatRobertLouis
Stevensonwouldfollowinhisfathersfootsteps.HoweverRobertLouisStevensondidntfollow
inhisfathersfootsteps,insteadhehaddecidedhewantedtobecomeanauthor.Asayoungchild
RobertLouisStevensonhadinheritedaweakrespiratorysystemfromhismotherMargaret.
MargarethadanassistantnamedAllisonCunninghamwhowouldoftenreadbookstoRobert
LouisStevensonduringhiscoughingspells,howevermostofthebookswereabouthelland
damnation.ThesebooksgaveR.L.Stevensonnightmaresandtormentedhimgreatly.R.L.
Stevensondescribedthesenightmaressaying,theroomwouldbegintoshrinkalongwithhis
clothes.AsRobertLouisStevensonbegantobloomintoayoungadult,therewasalotof
pressureforhimtobecomeanengineer.RobertLouisStevensonhoweverfoundnointerestin
engineering.HehadGraduatedandevenpassedthebarexam,howeverR.L.Stevensonnever
studiedlaw.HisfathersawtheseasrespectablecareersbutR.L.Stevensondidntseemtoagree.
DoctoringeventsseemedtofascinateR.L.Stevensongreatlyalthoughheneverbecameadoctor
hewasalwaysundermedicalcarewithhisrespiratoryweakness.Hischildhoodandearly

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adulthoodmaybesomekeyfactorsasforwhyhehaswritten
TheStrangeCaseofDr.Jekylland
Mr.Hyde
aboutdissociativeidentitydisorder.
HowevermanyreadersofRobertLouisStevensonsnovel,
TheStrangeCaseofDr.
JekyllandMr.Hyde
believethatthebookhasadifferenttheme.Somesaythatthethemeisnot
ofdissociativeidentitydisorder,butthatthethemeisreputation.SinceDr.HenryJekyllis
knownaroundthetownthathelivesinasabenevolentman,hedoesntwantpeopletoknow
abouthisbadside.Thisiswhyhehascreatedapotiontochangeintoanotherhumanbeings
body.ThatwayDr.Jekyllcanreleasehisinnerrageandhatefulnesswithoutitharminghishigh
reputationthathehasworkeduptoget.Thereputationofhiscounterparthowever,Mr.Edward
Hydehasaveryawfulreputation.Knownaroundtownasawretchedhumanbeing,inlooksand
personality.Mr.Hydeisknownaroundthetownasanawfulhumanbeingbecauseofthethings
hedoes,whichinrealityiswhatDr.Jekyllwantstodobuthecannot.ReaderssaythatifDr.
Jekyllsreputationwouldnotchangeifheweretocommitthesecrimesthathewouldhaveno
needtocreateanotherpersonainMr.Hyde.
Thethemeofthisbookiswidelydebated,however,manyreadersofStevensonsnovel
believethatthemainthemethebookattemptstogetacrossisdissociativeidentitydisorder.Dr.
HenryJekyllisconstantlybattlingwithhimselfthroughoutthebook.Dr.Jekyllisburdenedwith
havingmorethanonepersonalitytrappedinsideofhismind.Oneofhistwopersonalitiesis
himself,Dr.Jekyll,whoisakindheartedman.Abitonthelargerside,andiswellknownbyall
forhisdonationstocharityandhislargedinnerpartiesathisestate.Theotherpersonalitythatis
trappedinsideofhimisthesidehetriestokeeptohimself.Thispersonalitytakesonthepersona
oftheMr.EdwardHyde.Amanwhoisdisfigured,andcruel.HeismuchsmallerthatJekyllin

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stature,yetseemstohaveamorepowerfulmind.Thetwocharactersbattleforfullcontrolover
theirsharedmindandbody.

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