I'm going to be honest - the main reason I decided to read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was because it was short, I needed more classics and I'm behind on my book count. However, I'm glad that I did. Growing up, we've all heard someone referred to as acting like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The major misconception though, is that it's a trait that can't be helped. But in reality and in the novel, Dr. Jekyll was curious what it would feel like to live without consequence and made himself transform into Mr. Hyde. The uncontrollable and nasty personality that emerges is not some curse that Dr. Jekyll has to bear - instead it was desired by him.
The novel follows Mr. Utterson, a lawyer and a friend of Jekyll's, as he tries to uncover who Mr. Hyde is and where he is hiding out. Lo and behold, he discovers that Jekyll and Hyde are one in the same, and tries to do everything in his power to prevent the change from happening. Eventually Jekyll realizes that having his alternate personality isn't all he thought it'd be and tries to take an elixir that stop Hyde from emerging. But it's too late, and the evil personality ends up taking over and erasing Jekyll forever.
This novel touches upon some very real desires of the human condition; to be able to act freely and not have to worry about repercussions. And it also provides a very real lesson as to what happens when you feel above the law - sometimes you're not able to transform back into your better, former self and live within societal norms again. Perhaps it's worth keeping in mind; that sometimes it's better to just be yourself and be happy with the life you have, instead of wishing for something entirely different.
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