Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde Vs. A Christmas Carol
Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde Vs. A Christmas Carol - Good And Evil";"Good & Evil
Evilness and happiness are shown in both A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. In all beings both natures exist. In Dicken’s novel the good nature wins over the evil while Stevenson creates a character who allows the evil force to overcome the goodness. The symbols of the potion and the dream powerfully unleash the dark side of Jekyll and the bright side of scrooge. In their novels both authors present the conflicts that exist in man between good and evil.
Scrooge represents a man who struggles with the good and evil traits that affect his happiness. Although Scrooge himself is grim, most of the community is happy. The people that surround him are especially joyful during Christmas, reflecting the religious beliefs of the Victorian Era. Portrayed as a lonely and isolated man despite his wealth, Scrooge is miserable. Dickens uses a flashback in the form of a dream to remind Scrooge of his child-like happy self. The dream called Christmas Past symbolizes youth and innocence relating to Tiny Tim. Scrooge and Tiny Tim are parallel characters representing goodness. Through the power of the dreams, Scrooge can recognize the consequences of selfishness and generosity. “Assure me that I yet may change these shadows you have shown me, by an altered life.” (page 63). When Scrooge foresees his possible future as a wretched old man dying without love, he reforms. Scrooge overcomes evil by displaying kindness, generosity and compassion. Dr. Jekyll experiments with the balance of good and evil forces that lie within himself. Through the potion and experimentation, he crates a flesh and bones character who indulges in evil pleasures and doings. The potion created by Dr. Jekyll symbolizes evil. Dr. Jekyll must have some small amount of evil in him to cause a desire to create the potion. The potion, which sparks this seed of evil, creates the hideous Mr. Hyde. Every man, has a spot of evil in him, which is not always revealed. The evil character, which Dr. Jekyll creates, is pure in hatred. “Yes, I had gone to bed Henry Jekyll, I had awakened Edward Hyde.” (page 47). This character soon becomes too strong when Dr. Jekyll can no longer control him. The transition represents the weakness of man.
Despite the...