Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde functions as a psychological study of internal division.
Read through psychoanalytic theory, the novella illustrates how repression of undesirable impulses does not eliminate them but instead intensifies their destructive potential.
Dr. Jekyll’s attempt to separate his darker desires from his moral identity ultimately results in the creation of Mr. Hyde, a figure who embodies those suppressed impulses in uncontrolled form.
Carl Jung’s theory of the shadow provides a useful framework for understanding this process. Jung describes the shadow as the unconscious part of the psyche that contains rejected traits, stating that “the shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality.” Jekyll’s refusal to integrate this aspect of himself leads directly to psychological fragmentation.
Jung further argues that “one does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious,” suggesting that Jekyll’s downfall stems from avoidance rather than confrontation of his inner self.
Freud’s model of the psyche further clarifies this conflict. The superego, shaped by Victorian morality, dominates Jekyll’s public identity, while the id—containing instinctual desires—finds expression through Hyde. Freud’s observation that “the ego is not master in its own house” reflects Jekyll’s gradual loss of control as the ego fails to mediate between these forces. Instead of integration, Jekyll pursues separation, which destabilizes his entire sense of self.
This internal struggle is made explicit in Jekyll’s own confession. He acknowledges the duality of his nature, stating, “man is not truly one, but truly two.” This admission reflects the central psychoanalytic tension in the novella: the coexistence of opposing drives within a single identity.
Jekyll further describes Hyde’s emergence with fear and fascination, noting, “I felt younger, lighter, happier in body.” This line reveals the seductive appeal of repression being lifted, even as it signals moral danger.
As Hyde gains autonomy, Jekyll’s control diminishes. He observes that “I was slowly losing hold of my original and better self,” illustrating the weakening of the ego under pressure from unchecked impulses. Eventually, the separation becomes irreversible, and Jekyll admits, “I have lost my identity.”
This final recognition marks the complete breakdown of psychological unity, where repression has replaced integration with fragmentation.
