Repression and Identity Crisis in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: A Psychoanalytic Perspective

Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ (1886) has long been hailed as a fascinating exploration of duality, morality, and the complexity of human identity. From a psychoanalytic perspective, the novella can be interpreted as a profound study of repression and identity crisis. Through the character of Dr. Jekyll and his transformation into the malevolent Mr. Hyde, Stevenson presents a narrative that explores the tensions between the conscious self and the unconscious desires that threaten to disrupt one’s identity. Drawing on the emerging psychological theories of the time, particularly those related to repression, the novella offers an early exploration of the mechanisms by which individuals seek to suppress their darker impulses—and the psychological consequences of this repression.

Repression: The Mechanism of Denial

In Freudian psychoanalysis, repression is a defense mechanism by which the mind unconsciously blocks out thoughts, memories, or desires that are deemed unacceptable or threatening to the individual’s sense of self. For Freud, repression is central to the development of neuroses and other psychological disturbances. It occurs when the mind attempts to keep socially and morally unacceptable urges from entering consciousness, thereby maintaining psychological equilibrium.

In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll’s creation of his dark alter ego, Mr. Hyde, serves as a direct manifestation of repression. Jekyll, as a respected doctor and gentleman, embodies the moral, disciplined identity expected of a Victorian man. However, Jekyll harbours a deep inner conflict—he is unable to fully embrace the darker desires and impulses that reside within him. Rather than confronting and integrating these impulses, Jekyll represses them, striving to remain the ideal Victorian citizen.

However, this repression is not without consequence. In his attempts to suppress these aspects of his psyche, Jekyll finds himself gradually losing control over his transformation into Hyde. At first, Jekyll can voluntarily switch between identities, but over time, the transformation becomes uncontrollable. This loss of control reflects the psychoanalytic notion that repressed desires, once forced into the unconscious, will inevitably seek expression. In Jekyll’s case, the more he attempts to repress Hyde, the more powerful and autonomous Hyde becomes, ultimately taking over Jekyll’s mind and body.

The Creation of Hyde: A Split Personality

From a psychoanalytic perspective, the transformation of Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde can be seen as the emergence of the repressed unconscious. In Freud’s model of the psyche, the mind is divided into three parts: the id, the ego, and the superego. The id represents primal desires and impulses, while the superego embodies moral values and societal rules. The ego, as the conscious part of the mind, attempts to mediate between the two.

Jekyll’s decision to separate his darker impulses into an entirely different persona—Hyde—can be viewed as an attempt to create a psychological compartmentalization between his id and ego. Jekyll, through his scientific experiment, attempts to isolate his darker instincts (the id) from his moral self (the superego). In doing so, he hopes to maintain control over both sides of his psyche, but this partition only deepens his internal conflict.

Jekyll’s increasing difficulty in controlling Hyde’s personality reflects the psychoanalytic concept of the “splitting” of the personality. In Jekyll’s case, the division is so extreme that it leads to a total collapse of his sense of identity. The more Jekyll represses his darker desires, the more Hyde—his repressed alter ego—dominates, eventually leading to the disintegration of Jekyll’s sense of self. This split personality, where Jekyll and Hyde exist as distinct entities, underscores the psychological dangers of repression and the risks of ignoring the complexity of one’s inner world.

The Return of the Repressed

One of the central themes of psychoanalysis is that the repressed cannot remain hidden forever; it will eventually return, often in unexpected and destructive ways. In the case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this theme is played out in Jekyll’s inability to control his transformation into Hyde. Initially, Jekyll uses a potion to shift between his identities, but over time, the transformations become more frequent and uncontrollable. Jekyll’s repression of his darker urges—his id—leads to an identity crisis that ultimately causes his downfall.

From a psychoanalytic point of view, the return of the repressed in Hyde represents the inevitable consequences of denying parts of oneself. Jekyll’s efforts to repress his desires, rather than integrating them into his conscious identity, result in the emergence of a violent and uncontrollable alter ego. This return of the repressed is not only a psychological crisis but also a moral and existential one. Jekyll’s descent into madness and his eventual destruction at the hands of Hyde can be seen as the result of his refusal to confront the darker, unconscious parts of himself. By attempting to separate these elements, Jekyll condemns himself to a life of inner turmoil and loss of self-coherence.

The Identity Crisis: Fragmentation of the Self

Jekyll’s transformation into Hyde also serves as a metaphor for the broader identity crisis that can occur when individuals are unable to reconcile different aspects of their personality. In psychoanalysis, an identity crisis often arises when the ego fails to integrate various parts of the self, leading to fragmentation. In Jekyll’s case, his attempt to create a clear distinction between his moral, rational self (Jekyll) and his darker, instinctual desires (Hyde) ultimately leads to the fragmentation of his identity.

The novella illustrates how repression can fracture the self. Jekyll’s internal conflict grows as his two identities become increasingly autonomous. Hyde’s actions—violent, immoral, and unrestrained—stand in stark contrast to Jekyll’s outward persona, but they are nonetheless parts of the same person. Jekyll’s failure to integrate these aspects of his identity results in a breakdown of his psychological coherence, a loss of self-mastery, and an overwhelming sense of despair.

Also Read: Penny Dreadful’s Jekyll: A Monstrous Makeover Gone Wrong?

Stevenson’s narrative can thus be interpreted as a powerful commentary on the consequences of attempting to deny or compartmentalize parts of one’s identity. The inability to reconcile the conscious self with the unconscious desires results in a profound identity crisis. This fragmentation of the self can lead to an eventual breakdown of both personal identity and moral integrity.

Through Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson explores themes of repression, identity, and psychological fragmentation in a way that anticipates many of the ideas later developed by psychoanalytic theory. Jekyll’s tragic story illustrates the dangers of repressing parts of the self, the inevitability of the return of the repressed, and the psychological consequences of an unresolved identity crisis. From a psychoanalytic perspective, the novella reveals the fragility of the human psyche and the destructive consequences of failing to integrate the darker, unconscious aspects of our personalities. In the end, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde offers a haunting reminder of the complexity of the human mind and the perilous effects of denying our true selves.

–Silviya.Y