Freud, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at how in the "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", Robert Louis Stevenson discusses the danger involved in the separation of the two halves within a person. The paper examines how Stevenson describes the life of a proper and logical doctor, Jekyll, who learns how to scientifically divide himself into two different aspects of his mind. The first aspect remains the good-natured doctor while the other turns out to be an evil, passion-driven man, Mr. Hyde, who eventually takes over Dr. Jekyll. In particular, the paper examines how Stevenson's characters parallel the theories that Sigmund Freud proposes in his essays on psychoanalysis and how Dr. Lanyon, Dr. Jekyll, and Mr. Hyde represent pure forms of Freud's divisions of the psyche.

From the Paper:

"Lanyon, containing only the superego, lacks an id to satisfy his innate needs and an ego to help him cope with reality, and, thus, he dies. The first piece of evidence that reveals Lanyon as the superego is his fall out with Jekyll. Lanyon states that, "it has been more than ten years since Henry Jekyll became too fanciful for me. He began to go wrong, wrong in mind; and thought of course I continue to take an interest in him for old sake's sake"(Stevenson 14). As the superego, Lanyon is jealous that Jekyll has indulged his id by practicing "fanciful", or perhaps immoral, scientific experiments. However, Lanyon continues to "take interest" in Jekyll, because, as the superego, he feels the need to morally advise him. Another piece of evidence stems from Lanyon's interactions with Hyde, or the id. As previously states, the superego directly opposes the id, and for this reason, Lanyon attempts to correct Hyde's etiquette when they meet. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Freud, Sigmund. "An Outline of Psycho-Analysis." The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud XXIII(1964): 116.
• Freud, Sigmund. "New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis." The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud XXI(1932): 43-48.
• Freud, Sigmund. "The Ego and the Id." The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud XIX(1923-1925): 19-27.
• Stevenson, Robert Louis. Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York, NY: W.W Norton and Company, 2003.

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