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Emily Hu
Mr. Weaver
AP Literature
27 March, 2015
The Struggle Between Superego and the Id: Are Jekyll and Hyde Separate Beings?
Freud divides a persons consciousness into three levels: the id, the ego, and the super
ego. The id is usually characterized by animalistic actions and driven by impulse. Essentially,
the id is a hedonist; however, the superego is very self-aware. It is heavily affected by the
opinions others hold of it and strives to be the egos ideal self. It is self-critical and highly
introspective.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde each exhibit the characteristics of the superego and the id
respectively. Some critics claim that Jekyll and Hyde are two independent portions of the
same person- that they are in no way related. For example, Saposnik, a critic, claims that the
contrast between them isn't just limited to their physical appearance and suggests that its
application goes beyond a simple antithesis ofphysical component (716). However, Jekyll
and Hyde are mutually dependent. In addition, as the novel progresses, readers begin to
notice that Jekyll might even be subject to Hydes control. Eventually, Hydes presence
becomes too difficult to suppress. His need for recognition starts affecting Jekylls mental
and physical health.
Furthermore, Jekyll struggles to maintain his image in society, just as the super ego
does; however, the animalistic urges of Hyde, the id, show that Hyde does not have the
patience to play [societys] game of sociality, according to the critic, Irving Massey (61). In
addition, critics such as Cohen comment on how Hyde refuses to comply with societys norm
of men. In fact, Hyde seems to represent Henry Jekylls concealed pleasures, essentially
the id of Jekylls superego character (193). The way Hyde can abruptly intrude upon Jekylls

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life shows their dependence upon each other, and the gradual degradation of Jekylls sanity
shows the id slowly overtaking the superego. The idea of dual-brain theory, suggested by
the critic, Anne Stiles is proven to be false as Jekyll and Hyde do not act with an unchecked
life of [their] own (885). They are conscious of the other half existing and do their best to
overpower the other. As Wright states, Hyde is not other than Jekyll; he is Jekyll (255). He
claims that the drug that Jekyll takes acts as a catalyst to Hydes eventual takeover of the
superego; essentially, the drug simply gives the id power over the superego, allowing it to be
the main conscious body.
The argument that Jekyll and Hyde are actually separate beings only holds true if
viewing them on the surface. The novel contrasts Jekyll and Hyde as the peak of evolution
and the lowest point respectively (Stiles 884). Although Jekyll, the superego, is shown as a
smooth-faced man and stylish and Hyde, the id, is seen as pale and dwarfish, this
does not prove that they are in fact, of separate mind- only of separate body (Stevenson 20;
25). Neither can exist while the other is present or in control, physically or mentally.
Consequently, when Lanyon and Utterson, on many occasions, make way to Jekylls house
only to find Hyde within the vicinity, readers note the strange coincidence of Jekylls absence
but Hydes strange appearance. Furthermore, when Lanyon and Utterson see Jekyll on the
balcony, Jekyll is suddenly interrupted by Hydes consciousness trying to take over. They
cannot exist simultaneously; rather, one must give up its control for the other one to have
momentary freedom. The critic Massey warns that evils triumph is not the worst case
scenario; instead, he believes that losing both sides of a personality, the id and the superego,
is (58). Essentially, Jekyll should not fear the ill intentions that Hyde has planned; instead, he
must acknowledge that if Hyde does takeover, he may never regain his own consciousness
again.
The eventual takeover of Jekyll by Hyde can only be blamed on societys norm that

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Hyde encountered. The novel opens with a crowd forming around Hyde, who had just
stepped on a little girl. To appease the crowd, he pays those taking part in it handsomely;
however, he explicitly states that the money is for gentlemen who wish to make a capital out
of this accident (Stevenson 7). Hyde refuses to play the social game. The only time he takes
part in interacting with others was to escape a growing crowd and ensure his own wellbeing.
First and foremost, Hyde represents the unspoken lusts and desires that Jekyll has that would
consequently destroy his reputation and the image he had built of himself. As Wright has
noted, the drug that Jekyll takes to undergo the transformation not only grants Hyde a
window of freedom, but also gives him more power and facilitates his eventual coup of
Jekylls consciousness. He constantly states that he can be rid of Mr. Hyde (Stevenson 27).
However, as he becomes more and more reliant on the drug and on Hyde, the readers can see
the growing dependency Jekyll has on Hyde. He is in denial of his addiction, much like those
who are addicted to actual drugs. His refusal to admit to the addiction ultimately shows that
this flaw affects not his physical self but attacks his ethics, his morals (Cohen 255). This
suggests that Hyde is Jekylls ultimate flaw; Jekylls real flaws are hidden underneath the
surface of his sophisticated and refined demeanor and ultimately lead to his downfall.
Jekyll and Hyde may look like they belong of separate body and separate mind;
however, they are very conscious of the existence of the other. Both struggle for the control
of a physical vessel so that they may carry out their needs and desires. Jekyll and Hyde are
the perfect example of the idea that all men have two sides: the good and the evil (Saposnik
715). Although critics like Anne Stiles believe that they are two separate beings, even she
admits that they do represent two halves of the same brain, that they are still essentially in
one mass. These two personalities depend heavily upon each other. Jekyll relies on Hyde for
the release from the pressure that society inflicts (ie. the gender roles of men, the pressure to
play the social game), but Hyde relies on Jekyll for attention and the feeling of dominance.

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As seen through the numerous times that Hyde interrupts Jekylls life, the readers can see that
Hyde is nothing more than a suppressed personality that Jekyll no longer has control over.
Drugs and pressure give Hyde the strength and power to dominate the conscious, leaving
Jekyll trapped in his own subconscious.

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Works Cited
Cohen, E. D. Hyding the Subject?: The Antinomies of Masculinity in The Strange Case of
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. A Forum on Fiction 37.1/2 (2003-2004): 181-199. Jstor.
Web. 5 March 2015. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/30038535>.
Massey, Irving. The Third Self: Dracula, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and
Mrime's Lokis. The Bulletin of the Midwest Modern Language Association 6.2
(1973): 57-67. Jstor. Web. 5 March 2015. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1314725>.
Saposnik, Irving S. The Anatomy of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Studies in English
Literature, 1500-1900 11.4 (1971): 715-731. Jstor. Web. 5 March 2015.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/449833>.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Public Domain,
1984. EPUB file.
Stiles, Anne. Robert Louis Stevensons Jekyll and Hyde and the Double Brain. Studies in
English Literature, 1500-1900 46.4 (2006): 879-900. Jstor. Web. 5 March 2015.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/4127513>.
Wright, Daniel L. The Prisonhouse of My Disposition: A Study of the Psychology of
Addiction in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Studies in the Novel 26.3 (1994): 254-267.
Jstor. Web. 5 March 2015. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/20831878>.