Question
What internal conflict is implied by Lanyon’s illness?
Lanyon struggled with the burden of the information he had about Jekyll.
Lanyon struggled with the burden of the information he had about Jekyll.
Answers
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Lanyon's illness in "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" can be interpreted as a manifestation of his internal conflict stemming from his encounter with the disturbing truths about Jekyll's experiments and the duality of human nature. Lanyon, a rational and scientific man, represents the Victorian ideals of respectability and reason. When he witnesses the transformation of Jekyll into Hyde, he is confronted with the limits of his scientific understanding and the horrors of Jekyll's unorthodox pursuits.
This conflict between his rigid beliefs and the shocking reality he faces leads to an existential crisis. Lanyon's illness symbolizes the psychological trauma that arises from grappling with the dissonance between his established views of science and the moral implications of Jekyll's experiments. The confrontation with the monstrous side of humanity ultimately overwhelms him, highlighting the theme of the struggle between the rational mind and the darker instincts that reside within us all. Lanyon’s deterioration reflects the toll that such a revelation takes on one’s psyche, suggesting that knowledge can be as burdensome as it is illuminating.
This conflict between his rigid beliefs and the shocking reality he faces leads to an existential crisis. Lanyon's illness symbolizes the psychological trauma that arises from grappling with the dissonance between his established views of science and the moral implications of Jekyll's experiments. The confrontation with the monstrous side of humanity ultimately overwhelms him, highlighting the theme of the struggle between the rational mind and the darker instincts that reside within us all. Lanyon’s deterioration reflects the toll that such a revelation takes on one’s psyche, suggesting that knowledge can be as burdensome as it is illuminating.