Free English Literature Dissertations - Eliminating Ego, Dr. Jekyll Evokes Horror, When He Is Engaged In
Eliminating ego, Dr. Jekyll evokes horror, when he is engaged in uncontrollable pleasures and desires; as he himself claims, My devil had been long caged, he came out roaring21. Although Dr. Jekyll tries to suppress id, his superego does not succeed in this suppression and the character finally destroys his personality. To some extent, Jekyll’s split of personality is inspired by the existing social norms; as Dr. Jekyll experiences powerful inner desires, he realises that he should suppress them to save his good reputation. The character’s natural instincts contradict the established patterns of behaviour, and, suppressing these instincts, Dr. Jekyll wishes them more and more until he becomes obsessed with evil. As he states, I concealed my pleasures; and that when I reached years of reflection, and began to look round me and take stock of my progress and position in the world, I stood already committed to a profound duplicity of life22.
As society creates the standards of good and evil and makes people adhere to them, people destroy their true selves, suppressing their desires and depleting ego. Freud considers that initial satisfaction of natural desires is good for people, but uncontrollable constant desires result in inner horror and pain. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde can be compared with Shelley’s Frankenstein. Similar to Dr. Jekyll who suppresses his powerful desires, Frankenstein, also a scientist, creates a monster for himself to achieve inner freedom and prove his power. As a result, both scientists isolate themselves from the real world, instead living in dreams and illusions. Frankenstein is so obsessed with his idea that he abandons his fiancée; as he claims, My journey had been my own suggestion, and Elizabeth, therefore, acquiesced; but she was filled with disquiet at the idea of my suffering23. Like Dr. Jekyll who kills a young innocent girl, Frankenstein’s creature kills a brother of the scientist; however, both the Creature and Jekyll apply to this cruel action because of constant social pressure and humiliation.
Although Shelley’s Creature learns to speak and act, like human beings, he claims that I am full of fears, for if I fail there, I am an outcast in the world forever24. As the Creature continues to kill people close to Frankenstein, the scientist starts to realise that it is his dark nature that transforms the Creature into a murderer that reflects his own hidden negative emotions towards society he lives in. Frankenstein is horrified with these murders, as he states after his friend’s assassination, Have my murderous machinations deprived you also, my dearest Henry, of life? Two I have already destroyed; other victims await their destiny25.
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