Alcohol, Poor Life Decisions, and Dr. Jekyll
The story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has been retold in a multitude of avenues. Later adaptations have developed Mr. Hyde into a monster of incredible proportions but, when referencing the original from 1886, it was in reality quite tame by comparison. The truth is that Hyde initially causes the town’s collective monocle to pop out due only to the sheer audacity of him running around bumping into kids, knocking them down, and strolling off without apologizing. There had to have been more to it. By the town’s reaction, you would have thought he had also treated a woman as an equal.
Well, I say!
Regardless of the version you are exposed to, it is clear that Jekyll lets Hyde loose upon the world by taking a large swig of a drink he had created. This drink would take a regular guy with perfectly normal human thoughts like shyness and reservations of actions, and turn him into a carefree man about town no longer afraid of social pressures to behave in a respectable manner. Given this knowledge, the real story starts to come to the foreground. This whole tale must in fact be a retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s greatest drunken night through fictitious eyes.
Following a crazy night in 19th century London, one is most likely going to be stumbling around without a care in the world for what is in their direct path. Jekyll had been drunk off his balls and now was just trying to get home. He didn’t care that he just plowed through a kid, he was hung the fuck over and was trying to get to a couch. That justifies the town’s reaction much better, because honestly who has not seen someone practically crawling home and been absolutely appalled by their actions? No worries Robert, we have been there too.
Stevenson spends an extensive amount of time explaining how Jekyll was locked away pursuing a formula to separate good from evil, but all people with an addiction create a cover story. I see through this facade. Scientist my ass Jekyll. It is pretty clear that this is a man out on the drinking bender of a lifetime. You know damn well that he had a fully stocked bar and was doing his alcoholic thing while calling it science.
Hooray science!
Jekyll prefaces the night by explaining how much he enjoys the freedom that comes with unleashing Hyde into the world. He comments how liberating it is to be able to just act without fear of the repercussions and he starts to crave this feeling more often. This is the same feeling everyone starts to talk about around 4:00 PM on each Friday. Jekyll knows it too — the weekend is almost here and it is game time.
It is almost as if when he drinks that formula that his inhibitions are lowered in some magic way that makes him more willing to do and say as he honestly feels. Clearly, that must mean that he has created a way to separate the good from the evil in himself right? Or it could just mean he is now pants shittingly drunk and ready to dance.
Time to get my grind on.
If you still require further proof that Jekyll is just like you getting your Friday on, you need to look no farther than what he complains about while acting as this Hyde character for a night. Jekyll seems to have a hard time remembering everything that happened, he is impulsive and unconcerned about society’s perception of his actions, and he goes outside and beats a dude with a cane.
Just own up to it Jekyll, we have been there too. It sounds like someone got into the Jack Daniels, blacked out and got a little feisty, then drunkenly assaulted the third guy to tell him it was adorable the he and his friend had matching shirts.
That’s it! Someone’s getting a cane up the ass!
The next morning Jekyll is scared out of his mind as to who he had become, but I will admit that I am impressed as to how hard the guy goes out. To me, it just sounds like a shitshow of a night. I was even thinking I could wingman this kind of master of the drink. Hell, the dude is a doctor, it would be a lethal combination. Yes, this is absolutely happening.
Though, after all of this ensues, he wakes up completely mortified at what he had done. This Hyde character that he had become was ruining his life and he was ashamed of the acts he had committed as Hyde. Jekyll actually spends most of the morning trying to right the wrongs he has committed while raging as Hyde. Anyone who has had a bit too much to drink one night can sympathize to this feeling. Those are the mornings you wake up and start checking through texts, trying to find your dignity, and apologizing to the completely mortified and unsatisfied person you woke up next to. These are standard operating procedures.
Someday.
The story ends with Jekyll regretting the awesomeness that he had just unleashed upon the world the previous night and decides to never again let that monster out into the world. Robert Louis Stevenson must have written the final draft while seriously hung over, following his rowdy Friday night, because Jekyll vows never to drink the formula again to unleash Hyde into the world. This must have been the author’s message to the world – Do not follow me down my path of hangovers and bad decisions.
But come on. Don’t be so dramatic Robert. You just documented one Hell of a night and I am envious. I am sure many of you all feel the way Robert did and are thinking of locking it all away and staying in tonight, but you have overlooked a key component of trying not to take the formula tonight. What happened is already in the past. Besides, it is Saturday and you have to work Monday.
Now go let your Hyde free.
But not this. This Hyde is never allowed out again.
Musings of the Certifiable 
Brilliant.
You know Stevenson died young, of alcoholic complications, right?
I do. He died without regrets for the way he lived life though. It does seem like this story was his view into the life he struggled against. However there is nothing wrong with Hyde’s love for life, it is just better done in moderation.