Character Development and Dual Nature
Dr. Jekyll starts as your typical Victorian gentleman - wealthy, charitable, and highly respected in society. He's got the perfect upper-class lifestyle with a warm, respectable home that reflects his professional status. But there's always been something bubbling beneath the surface.
As the story progresses, Jekyll's behaviour becomes increasingly erratic and suspicious. He isolates himself from friends and society, clearly struggling with an internal conflict that's tearing him apart. This duality isn't just a character flaw - it represents the universal human struggle between our civilised exterior and our darker impulses.
Mr. Hyde represents everything Jekyll has been suppressing. Initially introduced through Enfield's account of Hyde trampling a child, he's immediately established as brutal and remorseless. What makes Hyde truly terrifying is how he gradually becomes stronger, eventually dominating Jekyll completely.
Key Point: Notice how Jekyll's language changes from referring to himself and Hyde as separate people to using "I" - this shows Hyde taking over his identity completely.
Stevenson uses physiognomy (judging character by appearance) to make Hyde appear small, deformed, and morally inferior. Rather than detailed descriptions, the focus is on how Hyde's presence makes others feel - uncomfortable, disgusted, and afraid.
