Something about an Allegory - 1630 Words

The well-known novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, describes a monster created by science. Dr. Jekyll concocts a potion in attempt to isolate the good and evil sides of human nature. When he drinks the concoction, he is transformed into a human with a beastly nature. He becomes all that we can imagine as evil and physically appears just as misshapen. In the narrative we find the ghastly appearance a symbol for something more. This creature referred to as Mr. Hyde acts in ways that others consider monstrous. Mr. Hyde tramples a little girl and beats an old man to death with a wooden cane. At the end of the story, our main character is hunted down and found on the floor of his lab having†¦show more content†¦This creature is horrible in its thoughts and actions; a connection that is plain from reading. Stevenson hopes that we will not allow ourselves to fall into this base form of living. The appearance and actions of Mr. Hyde could be symbols in Stevensons allegory. The message to be gathered from all this information is that we must closely regulate our thoughts and actions, or risk becoming that which we despise. In Stevensons novella we find direct elements which point towards the consequences of acting out animalistic urges. While a young woman is musing by her window, she recognizes Mr. Hyde and elderly gentleman stopping to talk in the pathway. The gentleman appeared to bow and graciously allow Hyde to pass, while the other pedestrian remained stoically fierce. Then, very suddenly, â€Å"Mr. Hyde broke out of all bounds and clubbed him to the earth. And next moment, with ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot and hailing down a storm of blows, under which the bones were audibly shattered and the body jumped upon the roadway. At the horror of these sights and sounds, the maid fainted† (22). It is fairly simple to see the intense violence of the subject. Hyde comes across a man in his way, and beats him to death. What the story doesnt explain directly is the meaning behind this action. Why would the author put thisShow MoreRelatedThe Allegory Of The Cave1086 Words   |  5 Pagesallegorical significance(s) of the cave in Plato’s Republic. How is the cave an allegory of Plato’s philosophy? How is the allegory of the cave an allegory for enlightenment or philosophical education? How and why are most human beings like prisoners in a cave? Who are the puppeteers? What does the world outside the cave represent? What does the sun represent? Etc. What is Plato’s Theory of the Forms? What is a Form? How does the allegory of the cave express Plato’s Theory of the Forms? How is philosophy theRead MoreEnlightenment Vs. 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The writers drew from Platos classic because it is such a universal story and is something that everyone can relate toRead More Essay on Symbols, Symbolism, and Allegory in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown726 Words   |  3 PagesSymbols, Symbolism, and Allegory in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Symbolism is a literary technique that is used to clarify the authors intent. Sometimes it is used to great effect, while other times it only seems to muddle the meaning of a passage. In Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses objects and people as symbols to allegorically reveal his message to the reader. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses different people as symbols throughout Young Goodman Brown. The largest symbolic