The duality of man

The keystone of Jekyll and Hyde is the text’s exploration of the duality of man. With this theme, Stevenson posits that man “is not truly one, but truly two,” made up of contradicting emotions and impulses. The figures of Jekyll and Hyde symbolise these warring natures, the “incongruous” twins as Jekyll describes them, which are forced to co-exist within one mind and body. Through his narrative, Stevenson asks the reader to consider the consequences of repressing the truth of our natures and whether this is even possible.