An essay on an Freudian approach to the Jekyll and Hyde by Robert L. Stevenso

" The unconscious is the true psychical reality; in its innermost nature it is a much unknown to us as the reality of the external world, and it is as incompletely presented by the data of consciousness as is the external world by the communication of our sense organs." --Sigmond Freud (Rieff 32) In Robert L. Stevenson's novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the reader encounters Dr. Henry Jekyll, a well-known and respected …

…a drug that split up his superego and id and divided up his ego. Acting separately the id murders, lies, cheats, and steals and only feels pleasure. Without his id and half of his ego, Jekyll becomes reclusive because of the shame now strongly and constantly inflicted upon him by his superego. Jekyll's wanting to get in some "kicks" without the shame and guilt that comes with them left him dead. Was it worth it?