The Fall from Grace of Dr. Jekyll in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a Book by Robert Louis Stevenson

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a story based on the psychological science of Dr. Jekyll's mind. Dr. Jekyll is stuck in between wanting to be someone he's not; choosing between evil and good. Stevenson repeatedly revisited the duplexity of humans and the cloaked evil that lies deep within all of us. Mr. Hyde is referred to by Jekyll as pure evil. (108 Stevenson) Throughout the book Dr. Jekyll gradually declines from life's balance, his fate determined by his last minute decisions and aspects of his character that force him to continue on with his experiments.

Dr. Jekyll was a man of science and creation. In stages of time, he became radically different, declining from normality. The first indication of Jekyll's fall from grace was described by his disconnected friend Lanyon. Lanyon said, "But it is more than ten years since Henry Jekyll became too fanciful for me. He began to go wrong, wrong in mind; and though, of course, I continue to take an interest in him for old sake's sake as they say, I see and I have seen devilish little of the man, such unscientific balderdash." (47 Stevenson) Henry Jekyll is described as "wrong In the mind". Everyone at that point around Henry Jekyll became concerned and looked into this idea with uncertainty of an outcome. Another indication that Jekyll was losing balance was when he became very conserved and private with himself and everything that was revolving around him. The standoffish attitude was starting to present itself when Utterson wanted to know more about Hyde, Jekyll said in reply, "this is a private matter, and I bed of you to let it sleep." (58 Stevenson) The most crucial evidence of his imbalance was when he confessed his madness in the last chapter. Dr. Henry Jekyll explained in great detail how he and mankind are not just one, but two good and evil. He conducted the experiment which pulled out his evil, he liked it at first then in time he began to hate it. He tried to reverse it, with many failed attempts. The experiment broke him emotionally. He had said he won't ever feel the same.

Henry Jekyll made decisions which led to the becoming of Henry Jekyll's fate. His choice of ongoing the pursuit in his scientific research was the turning point of his while existence. This also lead to the disconnect between himself and his longest known friend Lanyon. Jekyll wrote a will, in case he was to "disappear or die". His will was concerning to Mr. Utterson, though Jekyll decided not to ask for any help in his situation. Jekyll could not even explain his condition all he said to Mr. Utterson was, "... You do not understand my position." (57 Stevenson) The last decision he made was to go back to the Henry Jekyll everybody knew. Though the decision was not easy and it took a bit of time to heal itself he finally fixed the double personality. Though, not all was healed. Henry Jekyll, "I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end."

Henry Jekyll's character was described in the novel as valued and proper. Though, as we get deeper into the novel we begin to notice his hypocritical behavior. It all started as a scientific experiment, which Jekyll devoted his time to allow himself a release from the respectable appearance of Dr. Jekyll. He wanted to badly to be someone other than Henry Jekyll; whom everyone had known. The thought and experimental outcome got the best of him. His alter ego Edward Hyde would arrive taking over Henry Jekyll's body without warning. At this point Henry Jekyll knew this was now becoming more of a danger rather than being any good. The fear that Edward Hyde could possibly take over forever, drove Jekyll to continue with his experiments to reverse the evil he had created.

In Conclusion, Henry Jekyll's fall from grace was mostly shown to the reader by the other characters that resided around Mr. Jekyll. It was prominent that he was changing radically throughout the novel. The last minute decisions and fearful events that occurred in the timeline of Jekyll and the experiment determined his fate. The mindset of his character and the events that pulled out fear forced him to continue on with his experiment to reverse all he had already done.

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