As I mentioned in the previous video …

One of the primary issues I have with adaptations of Jekyll and Hyde is that they leave out so much of what makes this story interesting and some of the best aspects of that include the relationship between Utterson, Lanyon, and Jekyll and how that deep friendship is destroyed by Jekyll’s selfish doings. In many ways it feels like trying to be friends with an addict or someone with mental illness and it’s a shame that no adaptations truly address the heartbreak and betrayal and conflicting feelings that go along with being friends with someone in a self destructive spiral.

This video goes into depth about how the story mirrors so much of the reality of addiction spirals, dealing with the breakdown of friendships, and trying to find your role in a relationship with a friend who has descended into a dark and downward spiral. Chapter 6 and 7 are so sad and so upsetting for me on a personal level, but I don’t think I’m the only one who reads these chapters this way. This is very obviously Stevenson’s intention because the wording, the reactions, and the feelings are all there clearly in the text.

Where are the discussions of these underlying themes? Why is there only a focus on Jekyll? Why do people find the selfish, destructive nature of addicts and the mentally ill so fascinating? What about all of the bodies, hearts, and souls left behind in the wake of their death spirals? What about the true victims?

Elaine Is Reading Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde > Chapters 6 and 7 - Part 2

I decided to do these two chapters together because they are two of my favorite chapters and because the are very similar in feeling and foundation. They greatly shift the tone and focus of the story from slightly confusing and creepy to my fucking god what the hell is happening.

One of the primary issues I have with adaptations of Jekyll and Hyde is that they leave out so much of what makes this story interesting and some of the best aspects of that include the relationship between Utterson, Lanyon, and Jekyll and how that deep friendship is destroyed by Jekyll’s selfish doings. In many ways it feels like trying to be friends with an addict or someone with mental illness and it’s a shame that no adaptations truly address the heartbreak and betrayal and conflicting feelings that go along with being friends with someone in a self destructive spiral. It’s such a great disservice to the story. Jekyll and Hyde is ultimately a story of loyalty, male friendships, and addiction.

So much could have been learned and discussed for many years if the final chapter of this story hadn’t been included and people weren’t so obsessed with the absolute worst character in the book.

Elaine Is Reading Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde > Chapters 6 and 7 - Part 1

Most people who make movies and adaptations about Jekyll and Hyde focus solely on the final chapter of the book. They don’t care about the entire story or any of the other chapters. I don’t think anyone reads them or even cares about them. The ONLY thing that seems to interest anyone is Jekyll’s diary, Jekyll’s manifesto, Jekyll’s viewpoint. I think the ENTIRE story is interesting and without it there would only be a book of just Jekyll … and that’s boring AF.

I think the story should have ended with Dr Lanyon’s letter.

The story of Jekyll and Hyde is not just the final chapter. That is just the explanation of the story. The entire story is about Utterson, about Dr Lanyon, about all the people who were hurt and who died and who suffered as a result of Jekyll’s selfishness and madness.

Remember Glenda Cleveland’s perspective of Jeffery Dahmer? There is more than just the victims, the cops, and Dahmer himself … there are other people in the world … there are other viewpoints … there are other perspectives that are powerful and worth knowing. Jekyll and Hyde is similar … if you don’t care about other people and are only interested in centering the lunatic, you’re missing an entire part of the story … you’re missing the true heart of it.

Try caring. Try considering other people.

Elaine Is Reading Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde > Chapter 5 - Part 2