The names alone are sufficient to evoke rich imagery in the minds of nearly anyone in western society. Robert Louis Stevensen masterfully depicts the struggle between good and evil in his story of Jekyll and Hyde, and even though I could anticipate the outcome from a lifetime of hearing references to them, the read was still fascinating. (By the way, anyone who suggests that this story does not make moral statements is - I can't think of a nicer way to say this - deluding themselves.)
One thing that particularly struck me was how Mr. Jekyll laments that it is only evil that his potion can produce in purest form, not the good. Another profound thought Stevensen weaves into the tale is that the pull toward evil at once becomes increasingly compelling and increasingly detestable until it takes over and entraps and destroys a victim that no longer finds pleasure in its tentacles.
The story speaks a volume of truth to the nature of man. The first enticing tastes of wrongdoing draw out ever deeper passions and lusts. All too soon, though, the thrill of the forbidden becomes an addictive curse that overtakes every thought and action. Long after the enjoyment is replaced by bitter hatred, obssession remains.
O, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death?
The story plays out repeatedly in the lives of your friends and mine, perhaps even in you. Fortunately, there is a hope that can transform your very nature; it is the power of the Holy Ghost, and it is available for those who seek Jesus Christ in all his power and suffering.
Stevensen's story ends without such hope; nonetheless, it is a tremendous literary picture of good and evil, and one you owe it to yourself to read.
One thing that particularly struck me was how Mr. Jekyll laments that it is only evil that his potion can produce in purest form, not the good. Another profound thought Stevensen weaves into the tale is that the pull toward evil at once becomes increasingly compelling and increasingly detestable until it takes over and entraps and destroys a victim that no longer finds pleasure in its tentacles.
The story speaks a volume of truth to the nature of man. The first enticing tastes of wrongdoing draw out ever deeper passions and lusts. All too soon, though, the thrill of the forbidden becomes an addictive curse that overtakes every thought and action. Long after the enjoyment is replaced by bitter hatred, obssession remains.
O, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death?
The story plays out repeatedly in the lives of your friends and mine, perhaps even in you. Fortunately, there is a hope that can transform your very nature; it is the power of the Holy Ghost, and it is available for those who seek Jesus Christ in all his power and suffering.
Stevensen's story ends without such hope; nonetheless, it is a tremendous literary picture of good and evil, and one you owe it to yourself to read.
1 comment:
Bravo.
My dad just taught a series of bible studies on 'reasons not to sin.' This reminded me of it--'Sin seduces and then enslaves.....'
Keep it coming.
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