Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Id, Ego and Superego
In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Robert Louis Stevenson uses three main characters to represent Freud’s theory of the Superego, Ego and the Id to warn readers of the dangers of not playing by society’s rules. Freud’s theory talks about the three parts of personality: id, ego and superego. Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde and Mr. Utterson are the three main characters and they represent the three parts of personality.
The superego is the policeman of the personality. In the story, Mr. Utterson is a great lawyer and he is finding the secret between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Stevenson uses Mr. Utterson as the superego to shows the moral values and human conscience in society and also to contrast the good and evil sides of a person. In the beginning Mr. Enfield tells the story of Mr. Hyde runs over the girl, Mr. Utterson is obsessed like a detective with finding the truth. When Mr. Utterson and his guest are looking at the two papers that have Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’s handwriting on them, they find the handwritings are identical. He says “Henry Jekyll forge for a murderer!” (39) Mr. Utterson says Dr. Jekyll is making fake evidence for the murderer, which is Mr. Hyde. Even though Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Utterson have been friends for a long time, he is still suspicious of Dr. Jekyll and wants to find the truth.
Another example is after Carew’s death when Mr. Utterson continues finding the secrets, even though he is in a dangerous position. At the end of the novel, Mr. Utterson finds the secret, which is really surprising. Stevenson uses Mr. Utterson to shows the superego against the Ego and Id.
Stevenson uses Mr. Hyde as the Id. He is the pure evil side of Dr. Jekyll, Stevenson describes him as looking like an animal. In Freud’s theory, the Id is like a spoiled child, selfish, without control. “Hyde broke out of all bounds and clubbed him to the earth… with ape-like fury.” (28) That’s what the maid sees when she is standing near the window.
In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Robert Louis Stevenson uses three main characters to represent Freud’s theory of the Superego, Ego and the Id to warn readers of the dangers of not playing by society’s rules. Freud’s theory talks about the three parts of personality: id, ego and superego. Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde and Mr. Utterson are the three main characters and they represent the three parts of personality.
The superego is the policeman of the personality. In the story, Mr. Utterson is a great lawyer and he is finding the secret between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Stevenson uses Mr. Utterson as the superego to shows the moral values and human conscience in society and also to contrast the good and evil sides of a person. In the beginning Mr. Enfield tells the story of Mr. Hyde runs over the girl, Mr. Utterson is obsessed like a detective with finding the truth. When Mr. Utterson and his guest are looking at the two papers that have Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’s handwriting on them, they find the handwritings are identical. He says “Henry Jekyll forge for a murderer!” (39) Mr. Utterson says Dr. Jekyll is making fake evidence for the murderer, which is Mr. Hyde. Even though Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Utterson have been friends for a long time, he is still suspicious of Dr. Jekyll and wants to find the truth.
Another example is after Carew’s death when Mr. Utterson continues finding the secrets, even though he is in a dangerous position. At the end of the novel, Mr. Utterson finds the secret, which is really surprising. Stevenson uses Mr. Utterson to shows the superego against the Ego and Id.
Stevenson uses Mr. Hyde as the Id. He is the pure evil side of Dr. Jekyll, Stevenson describes him as looking like an animal. In Freud’s theory, the Id is like a spoiled child, selfish, without control. “Hyde broke out of all bounds and clubbed him to the earth… with ape-like fury.” (28) That’s what the maid sees when she is standing near the window.