Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde explores many themes including the duality of human nature, good vs evil, and the struggle between rationality and the supernatural. The novel portrays Dr Jekyll as a respected man of science and Mr Hyde as his violent, evil alter ego. It suggests that within all people lies an internal struggle between good and evil. The characters keep many secrets and do not fully express themselves, showing the difficulties of communication. Ultimately, the story is an allegory for the battle between the light and dark sides of human personality.

2. DR JEKYLL AND MR
HYDE
-THEMES-
PREPARED BY:
NUR HASANAH BINTI RAZALI
NUR AINUL HAYANI BINTI ADERI

3. 1) Good vs. Evil
- Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is viewed as an allegory about good and evil that exist in all
men.
- People could argue that evil is stronger than good when Hyde seems to taking over.
- However, Hyde’s death at the end perhaps suggests a weakness of evil.

4. 2) Innocence and Violence
- This novel details two violence crimes against innocent and helpless citizens:
first, a young girl, and second, an elderly man.
- The violence in the novel centers on Mr. Hyde.
- It raises the question if violence is an inherent part of man’s nature.

5. 3) Female and Femininity
- Most female characters in this novel are portrayed as passive and weak spectators.
- A young girl running through a London street who was trampled by Hyde is portrayed
as
helpless, passive creature.
- The female servant only watches Hyde beating Carew until death, faints, waking up
long after the murderer is gone.

6. 4) Reputation, Secrecy and
Repression
- The upright men avoid gossip at all costs; they see gossip as a great destroyer of
reputation.
- Even many men claim themselves as friends, their relationships are most defined by
the things they keep secret from each other.
- Jekyll's actions suggest the possible outcome of such self-repression.

7. - He ultimately feels compelled to find a secret outlet for the urges he cannot share—Mr.
Hyde.
- Jekyll believes he can maintain his reputation while enjoying his darker urges through Mr
Hyde.
- Hyde's takeover of Jekyll suggests that repression only strengthens so it explodes.

8. 5) Bachelorhood and
Friendship
- Mr. Utterson is compelled to uncover the mystery of the evil man because of his
friendship with Dr. Jekyll.
- Lanyon and Jekyll are also old friends and dine together, but they regard each other as
professional rivals.
- We see that friendships can be ruined by differences of opinion.

9. - Clearly, all of the main male characters are single bachelors.
- This gives the personal lives of Utterson, Jekyll and others a lonely, isolated feeling.
- The social that constructs these men to deal with money, law, and science, have taken
away from the communal traditions perhaps even religion.

10. 6) KEEPING UP
APPEARANCE
- The appearances of buildings in the novel reflect the characters of the inhabitants.
- Dr. Jekyll has a comfortable, well kept, majestic, rich and beautiful house.
- Meanwhile, Mr. Hyde lives in a run down, neglected and shabby laboratory.

11. 7) DUALITY OF HUMAN
NATURE
- Hyde is imagined as an evil-looking dwarfed man with a violent temper.
- Jekyll is a respected man of science, good-natured and leader of his circle of friends.

12. 8) LACK OF
COMMUNICATION
- The characters show the inabilities to fully express themselves.
- They choose to hold highly important information.
- Most of the important details regarding to the nature of Jekyll and Hyde are passed on
in
written form rather than in speech.

13. 9) RATIONAL VS
IRRATIONAL
- Utterson considers himself to be an upright and honorable citizen of Victorian England.
- From Dr. Lanyon’s side, the revelation of Jekyll's work is too much to bear.
- This is because he died in shock of Hyde’s transformation back to Jekyll.

14. 10) SCIENCE, REASON &
SUPERNATURAL
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde creates a tension between the world of reason and science
and the
world of the supernatural.
- They also suggest the limits of reason in the inability to understand with the
supernatural
phenomena that takes place.

15. 11) CURIOSITY
- In this novel, curiosity has driven the characters to seek knowledge.
- This curiosity is either suppressed or fulfilled in each character.
- Finally, the characters’ curiosities are, somehow transferred over the reader to figure
out the solutions.