Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

I just finished reading the story of Jekyll and Hyde. Before I get started, I want to warn you that I am going to give away the plot, so if you have been living under a rock somewhere and don’t know the story, and don’t want it ruined, you can stop reading until you have read the book. It is a pretty short book, so it shouldn’t take too long.

Okay, so you’re back already? Well, on to my review. I already knew the story, so I wasn’t expecting much out of the experience of actually reading the book, but I was pleasantly surprised. Before now, I had no idea why Dr. Jekyll would keep taking that potion that basically separated all of his good traits and got rid of them, leaving him without a conscience or remorse until it wore off. However, I think I can relate, a little bit, to his dilemma.

How many of us have heard, “The loto jackpot is $20 million!” and have wished, just for an instant, that we could by a ticket, but knew that it was wrong? I can kind of see the draw of not knowing that something is wrong to do. On the surface, it seems like it would be liberating to just be able to do whatever you want with no guilt. Fortunately, we know better, and know even without reading this book, that there are consequences even if you don’t feel guilty.

Another lesson we can take from this story is how Dr. Jekyll became so used to being Mr. Hyde, that he found himself becoming Mr. Hyde without the potion. That evil part of him became so strong that he could not keep himself from changing whenever he slept, and later, at random times during the day. This illustrates the effect that giving in to these worldly urges has on us. Like any bad habit, it is easy to fall into but very difficult to stop.

So that’s my insight for the day. “Don’t make bad choices.” If you didn’t know that already, I would suggest you go get some help. Or maybe chase some ducks.