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... shoes of the civilized world, a chance to be more daring and exploit his undeveloped darker side. As he uses Hyde more and more the evil grows stronger and finally ends in the murder of Sir Danvers Carew. The murder is committed in such a way that it is described as being with ape-like fury. Although Jekyll gives up Hyde for a while, rather like a drug addiction he surfaces again, this time out of control and finally Forces Jekyll to take his own life to be rid of him.
This struggle between Jekyll and Hyde can be argued as the duality of mind that Stevenson was so preoccupied with. To a certain extent therefore the story may be about the author himself. The constraints of middle class society that both Stevenson and Jekyll were raised in, forbid any kind of impatient gaiety of disposition. It was more acceptable for the working class to be coarse and bawdy but for the middle class, they had to be both serious and respectable because this was the guarantee of an honorable and distinguished future. This led both Jekyll and Stevenson himself to be committed to a profound duplicity of life. Both found a deep divide between the respectable, civilized moral side of their life in middle class society and their passionate physical side which required a somewhat more earthy existence, or irregularities.
Perhaps it was the dream of both men to experience what it would be like to be two separate people. The essence of Stevenson's message therefore seems to be that mens desires to do well in society comes with a price attached because a certain amount of conformity is required such as respectability, even if this is only at face value. In becoming Mr. Hyde the good doctor frees himself from these social constraints and feels a: Solution of the bonds of obligation, an unknown but not an innocent freedom of the soul The reference to the actual chemical mixture that allows this duplicity to occur may also be an example to the free availability of opiate drugs in Victorian society.
The part of the story where Dr. Jekyll decides to turn his back on Hyde can be described as a reformed drug addict trying to be clean. Stevenson clearly blames middle class society here. If the constraints of public living werent so severe then men like himself wouldnt need to seek the kind of freedom of action.
Even today though such drugs and prostitution are illegal but not many would consider themselves repressed. However, it is not only the characters themselves which allows both authors to discuss their philosophy. Both texts have many other themes which illustrate this. Both appear to have a struggle between good and evil, both have a mention of a beast. Both are giving possible warnings about the power of evil if good is not encouraged in people. For example, in Lord of the Flies the boys discover how to make fire, and use it for god at first, as a source of heat and light.
But later on it is fire which destroys part of the island and kills one of the boys. The boys have become reckless in recognizing the potential for danger and therefore fail to control its power. This may represent the threat of nuclear war in that the great threat of the atomic bomb wasnt controlled, then it could end up destroying the world. Similarly, Jekyll's control over Hyde appears to falter, and evil gets the upper hand. Hyde represents the evil beast in all of us - sometimes evil wins.
Both stories also seem to suggest that there has been a failure in the way society disciplines individuals. Golding as a teacher had become disillusioned with the British public school philosophy towards harsh discipline in turning children into good citizens. Stevenson is also suggesting that this British tradition of discipline can have the opposite effect. This all takes place in a mood of darkness and evil, although the settings for both stories are different.
In Lord of the Flies the setting is a tropical island, which is warm and sunny. But its description is often one of overheating and oppression, and the jungle is described as dark and dangerous, as if it describes the darkness in mans heart. Similarly, there are dark streets and alleys in Stevenson's story which may also depict the evil lurking within. Hyde's back door is dark and may symbolize the private darker side of mans mind. In contrast to Jekyll's studio which is the more respectable public side of human life. Although it is set in London, the area discussed almost seems like an island in that it appears to be isolated from anything good, even the houses appear dingy and grey, like the characters.
Soho is also representative of the darker side of man whereas the name Cavendish square appears very respectable. Both texts appear to be allegories because they have two levels of understanding. There is a mystery story, or a fable, at one level and a hidden message concerning mans character on another level. Both have a strong use of metaphorical language. For example Golding describes the sea as leviathan or whale.
Stevenson describes terror as my life shaken to its roots. Both authors use hypallage describing a quality in something which it cannot really possess. Golding refers to the unfriendly side of the mountain and Stevenson refers to the pale moon, lying on her back as though the wind had tilted her. There is also a strong use of imagery in both stories. For example, Good versus Evil. The portrayal of death is another strong image in both novels.
Piggy's death is slightly comical: Piggy, saying nothing, with no time for even a grunt, traveled through the air... Even in death Piggy is still a subject of ridicule. The way his body is washed out to sea is heartless, and unfeeling. Whereas Simons death is a shocking frenzied attack totally without mercy, as was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Both stood for the good of mankind. Whereas Jekyll/Hyde's death is shocking and controversial and horrific. In conclusion, this essay has illustrated Golding's teachings concerning the innate evil of mankind by showing his origins of thought and his life experiences. Stevenson's views are also made clear through his own attitudes to religion and Victorian society, and his own duality of personality.
Both authors were able to achieve their philosophy through the introduction of strong characters, language, symbolism and the many similar themes which run through both texts. Although the stories are very different they can be described on one level as just good horror stories. But on a deeper level they are suggesting that in the absence of law and order, and social conditioning - evil reigns.
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Research essay sample on Middle Class Society Lord Of The Flies
