Choose a novel which explores an important theme. Show how the author has explored this theme.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a novel which explores the theme of good versus evil. We can look at how Stevenson develops this theme through his characters Dr Jekyll, Mr Hyde and Mr Utterson.
The first time we see the theme of good versus evil is in the first chapter when a mysterious figure, Hyde, tramples a child in the street and shows no remorse. The text tells us that ‘the man trampled calmly over the child’s body and left her screaming on the ground’. The word ‘trampled’ tells us how he walked over the child, the word ‘calmly’ makes this seem evil though because he is not bothered about his actions, even worse he ignores her ‘screams’ – a clear sign that she is in pain. This shows us Hyde is evil as a normal person would react to the injured child and help her and apologise – Hyde does none of this showing he is bad.
Another way in which the theme of good versus evil is explored is through the setting of Dr Jekyll’s house – the front represents Jekyll and the back Hyde. We are told Jekyll’s house has a ‘comfortable hall… warmed … by a bright open fire, and furnished with costly cabinets of oak’ whereas we are told the lab is a ‘certain sinister block of building’. Jekyll is quite a jolly person and we see this in his house – it is ‘comfortable’ meaning relaxed, it is ‘warmed’ suggesting it is inviting, and it is ‘open’ which bears connotations of an open personality. Hyde on the other hand is secretive and deformed which is encapsulated in the adjective ‘sinister’ to describe the lab. The front of the house represents Jekyll and therefore goodness and a good reputation and the lab represents Hyde and evil.
A third way in which we see good versus evil developed as a theme is when Hyde brutally murders Carew in public and in cold blood. We are told Hyde behaved ‘like a madman’ and we get a graphic description of Hyde with ‘ape-like fury’ ‘trampling his victim underfoot, and hailing down a storm of blows, under which bones were audibly shattered’. The simile at the start, ‘madman’ tells us he is psychotic and uncontrollable. This is reinforced with the second simile of ‘ape-like fury’ – he is animalistic. The description at the end is nauseating, we can easily picture and hear what is happening. The strength of the attack is given in the word ‘storm’ – Hyde is raging at Carew. This develops the theme of evil as Hyde’s attack was unprovoked, his reaction is instinctive and spurred by frustration, he does not think he merely acts on his whims.
Mr Utterson contributes to the theme of good versus evil as he attempts to protect Jekyll’s reputation through investigating Mr Hyde – there are several points where he should involve police but hides the truth instead. Mr Utterson realises Hyde and Jekyll have the same handwriting and he says ‘Henry Jekyll forge for a murderer!’ before his ‘blood ran cold’. This tells us that Utterson is scared for his friend, Jekyll’s compliance in faking Hyde’s writing shows he sides with the murderer. This shows us good versus evil as Jekyll has made the wrong decision in siding with Hyde and we see him sliding down the spectrum of behaviour towards evil.
The final way in which good versus evil is explored is Jekyll’s suicide at the end which kills both himself and Hyde showing the triumph of good. We are told in Jekyll’s own words that ‘I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end’ and we know that Utterson and Poole discover the body of Hyde from whom ‘life was quite gone’. Both characters are dead and at Jekyll’s decision, he concedes that his life has not been fun because of Hyde. We can see then that Jekyll in killing himself also kills Hyde, the symbols of good and evil are both dead for the greater good of ridding the world of Hyde.
