Jekyll and Hyde: The Struggle of Good and Evil

According to Mark Lawrence, “We’re built of contradictions, all of us. It’s those opposing forces that give us strength, like an arch, each block pressing the next.” In The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, the idea of conflict within oneself portrays a major obstacle under the ken of the characters. The author makes an exciting challenge to untangle this story over the vast conflicts that occur inside of an evil and not evil being. In his writing concocted of mystery and horror, Stevenson provides an undeniably sturdy platform for the story at hand. Dr. Henry Jekyll balances the conflict, he has with himself, and his evil psyche, with the society surrounding him throughout the entirety of the book as well.

In the fifth chapter of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde, Jekyll states that he is finished with Mr.Hyde and will never see the man again. “‘I swear to God, I will never set eyes on him again. I bind my honour to you that I am done with him in this world. It is all at an end.’” (page 30). This man vs. self conflict, proposes a struggle that Jekyll had to determine himself. Dr.Jekyll had to verse his evil persona with his non-evil persona, consequently deciding whether to unleash this devil, or stay as The Doctor, his wiser, more trustful self. This decision shows what morality, Dr.Jekyll has for his community, as well as the morality he has for himself.

Another instance when Dr.Jekyll shows inner conflict is in chapter 6 when Jekyll isolates himself due to an unknown “sickness”. Poole states, “‘The doctor was confined to the house...and saw no one.’” (page 35). In this stage of the book, Jekyll’s moral changing solution has stopped working and his body is taking this illness in return. Furthermore, Jekyll faced inner conflict when he decided to stay in the house alone rather than allow anyone access. At this time, Jekyll discerned that his friends and acquaintances might realize something is up and