A Discussion of the Final Chapter of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay Example for Free

A Discussion of the Final Chapter of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay In the final stages of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, there are many ways in which the author, Robert Louis Stevenson, both explores human nature, and also creates a sense of sympathy on the part of the reader for Dr Henry Jekyll, which could be said to extend to Mr Edward Hyde as well. In reference to the authors exploration of the nature of humanity, the settings of the story itself are very important. Previous to the writing of this story, there had been a firm tradition of horror stories being set exclusively in rural areas, perhaps due to the fact that only a minority of people lived in these areas, and so to those elsewhere it would have seemed far more remote and exotic. Stevensons thriller was ground-breaking in that it focussed its plot in an urban setting, by name London, but also with extraordinary resemblance to Stevensons home city of Edinburgh. This setting reflects the idea of urban expansion into the countryside, but more importantly the more modern appearance of this particular horror story. Because a large majority of the readers of this book would have been living in the city, it brings the story closer to them, and allows them to become more involved in the events of the plot. Stevensons use of the city as the setting for his story also is also representative of early manifestations of writers of this era moving towards using the city as a representation of fear and darkness, rather than its previous role as a deeply romanticized place. In terms of Stevensons investigation of human nature, the proximity of Jekylls laboratory and his fine house is very significant. The laboratory represents, in my opinion, the hidden, secretive side of his life, involving his work, as well his life as Mr Edward Hyde. The fact that this laboratory is so close to Jekylls expensive and upper-class house, representing his professional and social life as a doctor and a well-respected member of society, signifies the proximity of the two parts of his character, in fact their intricate relationship, intertwined and connected in so many different aspects. This idea is also mentioned by Jekyll himself in the final chapter, in his account of events, emphatically saying; It was the curse of mankind that these two incongruous faggots were thus bound together-that in the agonized womb of consciousness, these polar twins should be continuously struggling. I have decided to quote this sentence because I believe it is very revealing about the thorough and primitive duality of man explored in the text. Jekyll talks of incongruous faggots being bound together, meaning that the two elements do not combine, but that they are still as one. The phrase polar twins, is almost a contradiction in terms, and shows that the two elements of Dr Jekylls psyche are both united in their existence, but also that they are totally opposite. The phrase duality of man, used earlier in this chapter, also expresses the idea of two parts to every mind or conscience, an ego and a superego. Mr Edward Hyde is the ego, an utterly self-absorbed being, merely concerned with and conscious of themselves. Dr Jekyll, however, is the superego, the element of the character which socialises the entirety, enabling it to interact with others. No man is complete without both of these parts, and neither can truly exist without the other. However, Jekylls apparent desire to appear arid and utterly professional externally, and his recognition of his chief fault as a certain impatient gaiety of disposition seems to have forced him into a desire to separate the two parts of his character, the superego and the ego. This, in his mind, would allow him to live as two men, but his failure to predict the nature of these two individual characters leads to his suffering and isolation. In the final chapter, his retrospective account, he concedes, all human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil: and Edward Hyde, alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil. Stevenson himself shares some parallels with the character of Jekyll. Born into a strictly religious, part of the Calvinist movement, Stevenson grew up with the belief, although possibly inescapable, that there was an underlying and constant presence of sin in everything; every action and every person. This is shown in the character of Henry Jekyll, and the underlying evil that is personified by Edward Hyde. In Jekylls earlier life, he was forced to conceal his pleasures from his family, becoming rebellious against his father, just as Jekyll himself feels urged to do in the story, and from which the beginnings of his familiarity with a double-life or, as he says a profound duplicity of life, can be traced. The context of the story is also important in terms of the sympathy created by the author for Hyde. The period in which the book is set was one of enormous scientific progress and discovery, and in my opinion, this adds a further element to the reasons for a feeling of sympathy for Henry Jekyll. Jekyll himself cites a burning ambition inside himself as being a key reason for his unquenchable thirst to discover the true nature of humanity, and thus his desire to become Hyde. The intensity of the scientific world of the period, and the temptation which face Jekyll after his first experience of the transformation both appear to contribute towards his inability to stop himself becoming Hyde. Jekyll himself seems to realise the responsibility of these factors towards the end of the book, in his account of events. One particular example of this is; Strange as my circumstances were, the terms of this debate are as old and commonplace as man: much the same inducements and alarms cast the die for any tempted and trembling sinner; and it fell out with me, as it falls with so vast a majority of my fellows, that I chose the better part and was found wanting the strength to keep it This clearly shows Jekylls impotence to stop himself from leaning towards the temptation of his new life, and also that this was not a vice exclusive to him as an individual, but that it was something unavoidably and unquestionably natural for mankind. This creates a sense of sympathy on behalf of the reader, because it emphasises Jekylls lack of power and control over his actions, as well as explaining to the reader that the evil which is brought out of Henry Jekyll is not something that he is to blame for, instead that he is a victim of his own ambition and daring, as well as the ambition and aspirations of the society in which he lived. Another remark which shows this idea is, It was thus the exacting nature of my aspirations, than any particular degradation in my faults, that made me what I was, expressing the feeling of blamelessness in Jekyll, and thus the sympathy in the reader for him. Another way in which the reader is led to sympathise with Jekyll is the way in which Jekyll is tempted to become Hyde by his feelings of restriction and his desire to find pleasure, whilst keeping his life as Dr Henry Jekyll separate from this. In his account, Jekyll explains that, in becoming Hyde, he is free from the bonds of obligation and is able to, like a schoolboy, strip off these lendings and spring headlong into the sea of liberty. These quotations clearly show the immense need for freedom that Dr Jekyll faces, and the extent to which he is prepared to act in order to obtain this freedom. There seems, to me, to be a certain resemblance to the idea of sin and temptation in this element of the story. Jekyll clearly feels restricted by, and in, the world in which he lives, and the fact that he is aware of a way out of this world causes his inability to resist the temptation of taking the path to freedom. When he has experienced the freedom for the first time, he is unable to st op himself from using the potion in order to free himself from the burdens of society. The sympathy induced by Stevenson is not, however, limited to the character of Dr Jekyll. To a certain extent, Mr Hyde is worthy of some pity himself. The main way in which this applies is in relation to Hydes death and disappearance. Hyde commits suicide because he is afraid of being caught, and subsequently punished for his violent actions. If we are to believe that Hyde is evil incarnate, and that he possesses no element of good in his character, then the fact that he is unable to forgive himself his wrongdoings, and that he makes excuses for his actions, would seem to suggest that he cannot be seen as utterly ruthless, and thus in a sense he is weak. This inability to ignore his conscience, means, in my opinion, that he is not in fact entirely evil, and that the relationship between good and evil, and between Dr Henry Jekyll and Mr Edward Hyde, is not as defined as one might think, that there are shades of grey to be considered. I believe that this creates sympathy for Hyde, making him appear wretched and pitiful. Indeed, Dr Jekyll himself creates and expresses a certain degree of pity for Hyde, admitting that he cannot wholly condemn his actions, because he himself envies the way in which Hyde embraces his freedom. He says, But his love of life is wonderfulI find it in my heart to pity him The fact that even Jekyll feels pity for his wretched inner self merely serves to encourage similar feelings in the reader. In conclusion, I believe that Dr Henry Jekyll bravely sacrifices his own life in order to prevent the evil Edward Hyde from being free. In this sense, I feel that he shows another side of human nature which is almost entirely exclusive to Jekylls superego, the conscience. Jekyll shows an ability to consider the situation of others above himself, and importantly, an ability to recognise between good and evil.

Procrastination :: essays research papers

Perhaps there are a few things you inevitably procrastinate about. For me, it is sending condolence letters and sorting and filing those ever-growing piles of paper that, had I tackled them when the piles were short, would have been much less forbidding. But perhaps your tendency to procrastinate is more pervasive, affecting many or all spheres of your life and keeping you from realizing your dreams and potential. You may come up with a seemingly logical excuse for delaying tasks, like "I do my best work under pressure" or "I can't do this job until I feel like doing it." You may even joke about it being too much to ask of a "lazy" person like you. But in your heart you know you are failing yourself and probably others as well. And in your heart you know there are some tasks you will never get around to, despite their importance and promises you have made to yourself and others. Whether you are a minor or major procrastinator, putting off what you know you should be doing can eat away at you, robbing you of a sense of confidence and mastery and filling you instead with anxiety and dread. No matter how deep-seated your tendency to procrastinate, psychologists insist you can be cured of this all-too-common ailment. There are a host of techniques, many of which have been tested on some of the nation's most egregious procrastinators, to help you overcome the tendency to postpone or ignore tasks you find forbidding, offensive or just plain disagreeable. Chronic procrastinators often fail to recognize or acknowledge their problem, an essential first step in overcoming it. There are at least six styles of procrastinators, says Dr. Linda Sapadin, a psychologist in Valley Stream, N.Y., who with Jack Maguire has written a new book, "It's About Time" (Viking Penguin, $15.95): PERFECTIONISTS tend to become overly preoccupied with details or fear starting or finishing a project that may not meet their high standards. They want things done their way and so have difficulty delegating tasks. DREAMERS have grandiose ideas about what they would like to do but rarely get going on these projects. They wait for opportunities to present themselves instead of just digging in. They tend to do what they feel like doing at the moment, despite previous plans or priorities. They expect great things from themselves that never seem to happen. WORRIERS tend to paralyze themselves before starting a project with a series of "what if's.

Strategic Options Available To Coast4Life For The Upcoming Fiscal Year

This report outlines the strategic options available to Coast4Life for the upcoming fiscal year. Through my research, I have identified the current situational analysis that is necessary to be considered for the options that will be provided in this report.Current situational analysis:Vision: Coast4Life cruise will be the first choice for vacationers who are seeking a safe, enjoyable and unique cruise experience in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. Mission: Coast4Life meets the needs of vacationers by offering safe, enjoyable and unique cruises along BC coast at affordable prices and at a high quality of service. Coast4Life strives to minimize the safety effects of cruising on ecology and maximize the safety of customers, staff and marine life by ensuring ships are well maintained and environmental and safety regulations are exceeded.Preferences:The Board of Directors(BOD) preference is to be profitable and maintain a positive net income in light of upcoming economic downturn. The Gene ral Manager of the Fraser dry dock believes it defines the reputation on BC Coast for Coast4Life safety. Constraints: Cash available on hand is $10,461,000 and an after tax rate of return on 16%.Key Success Factors:Coast4life cruises wants to provide high quality services to the passengers. Refer to the passenger/crew ratio in comparison to industry averages(see Appendix 3-1).Current Financial Analysis(See Appendix 1- Financial Ratios): Ongoing increase to Coast4life’s abilities to meet its short-term obligations. In light of the slight increase of acquiring additional assets, our revenue streams still continues to outmatch this on a steady basis; however, the incremental revenue is declining with each year. Our service offerings grow; generating incremental income each year; nevertheless, Coast Native and Natural Splendour gross margin’s are the same, and each offers different services. Company’s ability to cover interest is growing over the years, and our debt s are declining. Coast4Life’s ability to convert investments into profit has increased. Strategic Options: To cut costs.Option#1: Divesture of the Fraser dry dock Pro(s): Gain on sale of $7,274,000; in favour of BOD preferences and in line of providing the necessary funds to maintain incremental financial targets for upcoming economic downturn(see Appendix 3- 2).Con(s):Against general manager’s preference, as can affect the reputation of the company – the quality of safety regulations the company adheres to. Option #2: Registering Coast4Life’s ships in LiberiaPro(s):Wages&Salaries will be cut by 30%; In favour of BOD’s preference to cut costs – $1,423,530 would be saved by outsourcing from Liberia(see Appendix #3- 3).Con(s): Affect quality of service provided by the crew; be against the mission statement Hiring unskilled labour can potentially increase management expenses(Additional Training). Minor options: For materiality purposes with res pect to revenue sources the following are minor options to generate additional revenue: Option #1: Switching customer target marketsPro(s): By targeting 40-60 year olds, revenue streams will increase by 20%, which could also increase all financial ratios by the same rate and, thus be in line with the vision statement. This target group can afford a more unique  experience given industry annual family income of $78,000. For ages 40 -60 Industry is higher by 8% so we have space to grow and target this age group (see Appendix 3-4).Con(s):By changing target there is no guarantee that revenues will be maintained throughout the downturn in the following fiscal year even with growth in tourism industry in Canada.Option #2: Implement a web-based booking systemPro(s): Can potentially save the company up to $1,341,250 [($2,146,000Ãâ€"10% reduction)/16% after tax rate of return] in travel agent commissions over the life of the company and assist in further increasing the company’s ac tivity ratio Can be paid off in less than 4 months. The payback formula proves that no cash is needed to be spent, as through the incremental savings this investment will be recouped(see Appendix 3-5).Cons:Decrease word of mouth advertising via travel agents. Increase global competition due to the online presence.RecommendationGiven the uncertain future ahead, it is best to be conservative and in line with the current mission statement for company objectives. It would be best that Fraser dock would be divested and web-based booking system would be implemented. This would cut costs and increase revenues via savings that can be earned without risking the reputation of the company or established revenue stream. With this consideration, the company will still have enough resources to maintain its financial position.

Changing the Teenage Pregnancy Stigma - 1336 Words

Pregnancy during teenage years has long been considered a â€Å"mistake† by society. Girls are told this mistake will ruin their lives and will prevent them from achieving self-reliance or success. However, as John Wooden would see it, perhaps this mistake is just one step in the progress of a greater achievement. Teenage pregnancy no longer must carry the stigma of failure. Comprehensive support programs, like those offered at Footsteps provide the necessary services for young women who become pregnant to achieve educational and professional accomplishment. As the economic environment fluctuates, government spending cuts can be felt most detrimentally by the population of people in poverty. If assistance programs continue to increase in demand, the budget will not be able to appropriately sustain the needs of welfare recipients. However, as the gap between the very rich and very poor enlarges, climbing the ladder to the American Dream proves to be impossible for marginalized populations. Footprints programs function to assist participants in achieving self-reliance and life course stability. Previous Research on Self-Reliance and Life-Course Stability of Pregnant Teens Previous literature concerning the poverty rates of teenaged mothers include an analysis by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy titled â€Å"Socio-Economic and Family Characteristics of Teen Childbearing.† This study attempted to apply empirical evidence concerning the opinion of mostShow MoreRelatedSimilar to quantitative research, the concern of money is also mentioned as a stress factor,1500 Words   |  6 Pagesas a stress factor, however, majority of teenage parents designate stigma as the most influential contributor. 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This includes friends, families, and society. There is a stigma when it dealing with society/adults and teenagers. On one account, society/adults have a yearning to prevent teens from repeating any past sexual mistakes. On the other hand, most teenagers are already experimenting with sex. It appe ars very difficult to prevent a nature act of having sex once the teenage individual biological hormones become active. The major dilemma is the fear of giving condomsRead MoreThe Determinants of Teenage Pregnancy Using the Seedhouse Grid Diagram (1986).2460 Words   |  10 Pagesmain determinant of teenage pregnancy is commonly seen to be poor or lack of sexual education, but this essay will outline and explore further options such as social and economic issues including the involvement of education via both schooling and the media on sexual attitudes influencing adolescent sexual behaviour. 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