The dual figure of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the doppelganger (Essay Sample)

Student Name: Professor: Course: Date: The dual figure of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the doppelganger The concept of counterpart has been a popular topic in literature and culture. The novel “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is a good example of how a doppelganger contributes to a sense of unease and dramatic actions within a reader’s environment. It occurs when a duplicate of an individual often appears in dreams or visions and is believed to bring bad luck. The imaginary is particularly unsettling since it challenges the sense of identity, morality, and reality. Stevenson, in his novella, indicates that Dr. Jekyll is a respectable and well-known physician in Victorian London despite having a dark side that he tries to suppress. Dr. Jekyll creates a potion that transforms him into a separate and evil (Wright.pp256) persona named Mr. Hyde, who indulges in all of Jekyll’s repressed desires without any sense of morality. The individual develops a character of being violent and having uncontrolled emotions that facilitate the development of a series of crimes that leads to Jekyll's destruction. The author indicates doppelganger as an important element in the reading that reflects the duality of human nature (Totaro, 1998). The element indicates the struggle between good and evil that many individuals experience. The author uses Dr. Jekyll and Hyde as an important element in facilitating the understanding of how individuals struggle between good and evil between them. Jekyll and Hyde are similar individuals that manifest as two different sides. The doppelganger represents the tension of losing control over an individual's identity and actions. Jekyll unleashes a monster (Wright.pp257) that he has limited control over hence the dark side with no consequences. The author heightens the horrific part of the story by creating an environment full of uncertainty and disquietude that makes a reader uncertain about what will occur next due to the confusing aspect of Jekyll's duality. The duality heightens suspense, creating a sense of instability and the transformation of Jekyll into an individual involved in the dark side. The transformation of Jekyll into a monstrous character seems impossible due to his good known part; however, the transformation to an evil person becomes unpredictable but becomes a reality before our eyes (McCrystal.pp1). McCrystal, the author of "Hyde as the Monster Villain," questions every inner evil and monster everyone finds challenging to control. Stephenson also uses the doppelganger motif in “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” to create a context of societal fears and anxieties. The author reflects on the concern of Victorian society that was suppressed by their true desires and impulses. A sense of discomfort created by societal expectations and impulses led to internal personal conflict. The doppelganger concept depicts the consequences (Totaro, 1998) of inner turmoil by exposing individuals’ negative impacts of the monstrous dark side. Individuals’ fear of losing control of their darker side creates a universal fear that is still relevant today. The author mentions that every individual in society experiences darker impulses that create some sense of fear within; however, the doppelganger enhances fear and safety in a more controlled manner.   The doppelganger concept remains intriguing to contemporary readers for various reasons. Doppelganger allows for exploring the darker and monstrous aspects of the humans in society. The author creates a monstrous alter ego hence delving in topics like primal instincts and violence. Questions arise about the evil nature of the darker side of humans, as seen in Hyde, if it forms part of humans or occurs due to environmental factors. The context of the evil nature of humans captivates audiences since it indicates a fractured identity and duality of humans. It creates suspense in the audience, reflecting on individuals having different sides of good and bad as they struggle with inner conflicts. A sense of suspense and mystery is created in the duality that keeps the audience engaged. The duality of Dr. Jekyll creates a blurring of reality and imagination that enhances a psychological image of the story's reality that generates unease that is both compelling and unsettling (Wright.pp257). The doppelganger explores the darker aspects of human nature that facilitate most individuals questioning their evil sides versus good, leaving them in suspense and mystery, hence continuing to captivate and offer insight into the human psyche. Dr. Jekyll's inner conflict with Hyde creates a sense of caution concerning the dangers of suppressing an individual's darker inner impulses. The readers are ultimately left in suspense on which character will ultimately prevail in an individual between good and evil. Doppelganger is quite unsettling since it challenges the comprehension of self (Totaro, 1998), and the other version is hidden and potentially monstrous. The reader is forced to confront their fears and has complete control of the sense of personal identity to unleash the negative side that individuals may not be aware of. For instance, Dr. Jekyll’s evil nature creates a terrifying cognitive perspective that makes him lose his identity as a good person; hence Stevenson challenges individuals to understand their identity. Wright (p261) indicates that humans have limited control over their evil or darkest part since they do not want to confront and understand themselves and their dark side. Individuals are expected to confront and tap into their deepest fears and desires, effectively controlling any fears or dark sides in human nature. Doppelganger remains an intriguing monster for the audience due to its ability to explore identity, duality, and (Totaro, 1998) mental health among individuals. Despite the story being written 100 years ago, Stevenson’s work is still considered relevant in the modern day, which creates a sense of understanding about the complex human nature (Phillips and Witchard.pp9). Doppelganger explores the different facets in a more tangible way, which reflects the reality of the human experience. Stevenson argues humans are not fixed hence constantly evolving in the sense of identity. Doppelganger allows the exploration of ideas through a creative and provoking approach. The concept of monstrous duality (McCrystal.pp60) creates an intriguing aspect that involves anxieties and fear of human's inner unknown evil nature. Despite humans indicating a sense of good nature, they are in limited control of the deeply unsettling (Koehn.pp7) instincts concerning their evil nature hidden in them. Based on the story, Doppelganger opens the human mind through liberation realization while encouraging individuals to embrace their complexity and accept the diverse facts of their personalities. The frightening realization of fears and anxieties around the unknown highlights the aspects (Asma.pp1). For over a century, readers have been captivated by human nature's deepest fears and desire...