Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Strangers on a Train, and Fight Club Questions

Brandon Ong 11/17/14

Mr. Waddell B Block

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Strangers on a Train, and Fight Club Questions

CP respond to three, Honors respond to four.

Jekyll and Hyde

3) What ultimately compels Jekyll to unleash Mr. Hyde and what compels him to continue this deadly game?

Dr. Jekyll is compelled to unleash Mr. Hyde as a result of an innate urge to take on his “evil” identity as Mr. Hyde, which he states is a form which he enjoys being in as it is the opposite of his “good” side. In this form as Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll can break free from the constraints of society and commit crimes, such as the trampling of the girl and even murder. Indeed, also his good side, Jekyll, attempts to suppress Hyde, Hyde ultimately begins to take control, causing him to transform into Hyde unwantedly, compelling him to continue this deadly game. Even through medicine and his own will to stop transforming, Hyde overpowers and Jekyll finds himself losing control over his dual identity.

4) What does Jekyll mean when he says that man is “truly two” and that “in the agonized womb of consciousness, these polar twins should be continuously struggling”? Is Jekyll’s struggle, in fact, a human one?

While Jekyll himself makes use of his concoctions to transform into Hyde, it can be argued that this continuous struggle between “polar twins” is a human one. For instance, when making a decision, one is governed by their rational thinking as well as what they truly desire. The nature of decision making demonstrates and explains what Jekyll means when he describes the continuous struggle between one’s “polar twins.” All throughout our life, we are continuously struggling to make the rational decision, and compromising for what we truly desire.

5) Discuss Jekyll’s changing feelings in his relationship with Hyde. In particular, what transformation occurs as it relates to how Jekyll feels about Hyge- and vice-versa?

Initially, Jekyll treats Hyde as his source of breaking free from the constraints of society and doing things which his status and image doesn’t permit. Yet, as Hyge grows more and more violent and becomes more powerful, Jekyll begins to fear Hyde. This is especially notable after Hyge commits the murder, resulting in Jekyll wanting to suppress Hyde. On the other hand, Hyge, representing Jekyll’s id, feels compelled to commit all the things which Hyde wish he could do, without any regard as to the responsibilities of his “good” identity.

6) Discuss TWO questions that best exemplify Hyge as a manifestation of Jekyll’s id.

a) “evil besides had left on that body an imprint of deformity and decay.”(44-45)

The description of Hyde, as told by Jekyll, shows that Hyde is physically different from Jekyll, demonstrating the idea that Hyge is purely Jekyll’s id, “evil” and showing “deformity and decay.”

b) “doing the good things in which he found his pleasure, and no longer exposed to disgrace and penance by the hands of his extraneous evil.”(43)

Here, it is described that Jekyll is able to do the things which he found pleasure in, taking part in what his id desires, in the form of Hyde, without any “disgrace and penance.”

Strangers on a Train

1) Make the case that Guy’s character is ultimately given everything that he wants by the end of the film - and thus is better off at the end because of Bruno.

All in all, while Guy was seemingly in an fatalistic conflict in which Bruno has made it impossible for Guy to not kill his father for him, Guy is ultimately given all that he desires. The major obstacle impeding Guy was that of his wife refusing to get a divorce and even threatening him with a pregnancy he wasn’t responsible for. With Bruno killing Guy’s wife, Guy’s goals to marry the Senator’s daughter and ascend to political ranking is unimpeded. Thus, he is better off because of Bruno.

3) Make the argument that this is actually a love story involving a strange love triangle in the film.

It can be argued that there is a love triangle between Bruno, Guy, and Anne, in which both Bruno and Anne are pursuing Guy, as it can even be argued that Bruno is a homosexual, supported by scenes where he clothed suggestively to support this idea. Anne is pursuing Guy out of love, while Bruno can be argued as pursuing Guy because of his desire to have Guy be involved in his plan to have him kill his father while he, Bruno, kills Guy’s wife.

6) Make the argument that this movie is about Bruno’s ability to help Guy climb higher on the social ladder.

It is without a doubt that this movie is about Bruno’s ability to help Guy climb higher on the social ladder, for Bruno solves the one obstacle impeding Guy from pursuing his goals: killing Guy’s wife. By doing so, Guy can now marry Anne, and through this marriage, become powerful politically with Anne’s father by his side. With Bruno’s help, Guy is able to ascend the steps of the social ladder.

5) Make the argument that this movie is, in fact, a dark comedy.

It can be argued that this movie is a dark comedy, as Hitchcock chooses to have particularly otherwise dark scenes be depicted in a comedic manner. Most notably, the scene in which Bruno and Guy are in a heated fight on the merry-go-round has many comedic moments. For one, the old man crawling underneath the merry-go-round to stop the machine offers a strange relief to the tense situation. Next, the children enjoying the ride and their screams as they realize they are in danger serves as a strange reaction to the fight which otherwise should be tense. Finally, the overall idea that they are fighting on a merry-go-round going at a crazy speed is comedic enough already.

Fight Club

2) Should we see Tyler as a more positive or negative manifestation of Jack’s unconscious mind?

Tyler begins as a positive manifestation of Jack’s unconscious mind, permitting Jack to break free from the constraints of society and pursue things which he otherwise wouldn't. However, as Tyler’s motives and actions become more and more radical, Tyler becomes a negative manifestation. It gets to a certain point where Jack fears for the safety of Marla, as well as what Project Mayhem and Fight Club has become, resulting in him shooting himself in the face to stop Tyler’s influence.

4) Name with examples three aspects of modern society that Tyler is rebelling against.

Tyler is rebelling against materialism - his speech to Jack, telling him that he is not what he owns, like the Ikea furniture, or the clothes he wears, even going as far as to blow up stores selling electronics and of course, the credit card companies.

Tyler is rebelling against social classes - by creating Fight Club and Project Mayhem with the grand plan of exploding all of the credit card companies, Tyler is achieving the goal of having everyone be at zero debt, which means everyone is equal.

Tyler is rebelling against social order - again, with the exploding of the credit card companies, there will nonetheless be mass chaos as people struggle to find order within society as everyone, following the event, will be regarded as equal.

5) Is Tyler’s subversion of the social order a just one? Support your answer.

Tyler’s subversion of the social order is not a just one. Through all the crimes he commits, they all seem to be a result of Jack’s id. They are simply the result of his sporadic desires, without any justification other than built up angst. From peeing in the food as a waiter, to Project Mayhem, they are all results of his innate desire to rebel, without any hint of justification or reasonable explanation

7) Does Tyler’s Fight Club really offer an identity to lost, confused, or angst-ridden men?

Rather than offer an identity to confused, lost, or angst-ridden men, it seems that Fight Club offers an opportunity to release all the stresses and angst built up as a result of following the norms and being constrained by the rules set by society. In Fight Club, the fights serve as a physical and mental release for the members.