In The Strang Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde, Mr. Utterson is very concerned with Dr. Jekyll's reputation as
Stevenson's novella moves toward the disgraceful conclusion. Dr. Jekyll is concerned for
his reputation to an extreme degree from the beginning of his career in medicine. In
Victorian England, indeed in much of the history of Western civilization, once a person
lost their reputation through some criminal act or some deep moral flaw or religious
failing, there was no way to reclaim it.
Now society honors
the idea of meritocracy: you rise or fall--and rise again--on merit. As a result,
someone who has failed in life can claim a second chance and do better and reclaim the
good and honorable public opinion that a virtuous person is rewarded with. In Victoria
England, such reclamation, such a second chance was not possible: regaining your good
standing as a person of worth and value in the community wasn't an available
option.
Take Oscar Wilde as an example, after serving his
sentence for his conviction, none but one friend made contact with him; he lived quietly
in Europe; and died ill, poor and alone. A person's reputation, which is comprised then
and now of moral values, trustworthiness, abiding by the law, providing financially for
oneself and family, meant being welcomed at social engagements, a wide circle of friends
and business associates, broader choices for a marriage partner, friends and
family.
For Dr. Jekyll, since he was involved in borderline
and then full-fledged criminal activity, loss of reputation meant public trial and
conviction and, after the grizzly murder, execution. Since religion was more universally
embraced in the Victorian era then now, reputation also included religious beliefs and
practices. Since much of what Dr. Jekyll did in his research and as Hyde was
irreligious, his reputation could also be doomed to a life with no medial patients,
family, friends or opportunities if he were denounced as a man devoid of
religion.
No comments:
Post a Comment