Comparing Anxiety and Drug Use in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...

Anxiety and Drug Use in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Sign of the Four The life experiences and writings of the Victorians are peppered with anxiety. External influences such as sweeping change or fear of change can produce unease, as seen in the their anxious attitude toward Darwinism and colonialization, which greatly influenced the political, spiritual, and psychological landscape of nineteenth century England. However, for Sir Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes and Robert Louis Stevensons Dr. Jekyll, anxiety springs from an internal source: the human mind and its many urges. For Jekyll, the anxiety is fueled by a desire to set free his evil urges; for Holmes, the catalyst is his proclaimed boredom with everyday life.†¦show more content†¦Further, his anxiety also stems from an internal inability to create intellectually stimulating situations for himself. Jekylls anxiety is also internal but more psychological in nature. The doctor comes from an established family and thus must conceal his bad qualities. He perceives the duality of man within himself, both good and bad, but as a member of societys elite, Jekyll has no room in his life for immoral or socially unacceptable behaviors and urges. As he realizes that man is not truly one, but truly two, (Stevenson, 43) Jekylls anxiety stems from an internal inability to create a consciousness that can accommodate his urges. It is interesting that both the well-educated Holmes and Jekyll, one being an intellectual elitist, the other a social elitist, would turn to the dangerous world of drugs to ease their anxieties. But desperation often forces man to make unsound decisions. Jekyll sees drugs as an antidote for guilt; Holmes, as an antidote for boredom. In desperation to alleviate anxiety, two people who should know better choose a dangerous path. While Holmes and Jekyll choose similar paths, their desired outcomes are very different. Holmes resorts to intravenously injecting either cocaine or morphine to escape from his anxiety of boredom, while Jekyll faces his anxietyShow MoreRelatedDr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1887 Words   |  8 Pages â€Å"Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† is the story of an addict whose inebriated self just happens to have a different name. It does not matter what the solution he drinks for his transformation is supposed to represent, whether alcohol, opium, heroin, or some other substance—he checks off every box for addictive and self destructive behavior. There can be no clearer interpretation of â€Å"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† than that it is a polemic against the prevalent usage of drugs and alcohol in EnglandRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagespermission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturersRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pagesâ€Å"general-purpose† technology. For example, car and truck companies now use information Feigenbaum−Feigenbaum: The Power of Management Capitol 1. New Management for Business Growth in a Demanding Economy Text  © The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2004 13 CHAPTER 1 NEW MANAGEMENT FOR BUSINESS GROWTH IN A DEMANDING ECONOMY 13 technology as the basis for the telematics of the communications products installed for driver and passenger use in their cars and trucks and for the management of their supply