The kind of feeling I got from reading over these chapters was that Dr. Jekyll has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Due to the switch in character between the time of when Hyde was gone to when some time had gone by and Jekyll happened to completely change to a different person.
“Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a mental disorder defined by the presence of more than one personality state within an individual (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). People with this disorderVrather than possessing one integrated consciousness, memory, and identityVexhibit multiple selves.” (Boysen and VanBergen) In addition to the idea that each personality takes over the body and has control over the following; voice, appearance, behavior, and mannerisms.
Dr. Jekyll the one Mr. Utterson knows well.
“To this rule, Dr. Jekyll was no exception;and as he now sat on the opposite side of the fire—a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty, with something of a slyish cast perhaps, but every mark of capacity and kindness—you could see by his looks that he cherished for Mr. Utterson a sincere and warm affection.” (44)
“The death of Sir Danvers was, to his way of thinking, more than paid for by the disappearance of Mr. Hyde. Now that that evil influence had been withdrawn, a new life began for Dr. Jekyll. He came out of his seclusion, renewed relations with his friends, became once more their familiar guest and entertainer;and whilst he had always been known for charities, he was now no less distinguished for religion. He was busy, he was much in the open air, he did good; his face seemed to open and brighten, as if with an inward consciousness of service; and for more than two months, the doctor was at peace.” (54)
Dr. Jekyll the one Mr. Utterson didn’t understand.
“Mr.Hyde shrank back with a hissing intake of the breath.But his fear was only momentary.” (40)
“Mr. Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation, he
had a displeasing smile, he had borne himself to the lawyer with a sort of murderous mixture of timidity and boldness, and he spoke with a husky, whispering and somewhat broken voice; all these were points against him, but not all of these together could explain the hitherto unknown disgust, loathing and fear with which Mr. Utterson regarded him.” (41)
“On the 12th, and again on the 14th, the door was shut against the lawyer. “The doctor was confined to the house,” Poole said, “and saw no one.” On the 15th, he tried again, and was again refused; and having now been used for the last two months to see his friend almost daily, he found this return of solitude to weigh upon his spirits.” (54)
Realization of the possible disorder by Mr. Utterson
“Utterson was amazed; the dark influence of Hyde had been withdrawn, the doctor had returned to his old tasks and amities; a week ago, the prospect had smiled with every promise of a cheerful and an honoured age; and now in a moment, friendship, and peace of mind, and the whole tenor of his life were wrecked.” (56)
“Your master, Poole, is plainly seized with one of those maladies that both torture and deform the sufferer; hence, for aught I know, the alteration of his voice; hence the mask and his avoidance of his friends; hence his eagerness to find this drug, by means of which the poor soul retains some hope of ultimate recovery—God grant that he be not deceived!” (64)
Sources:
Robert Louis Stevenson. The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde. (1885).
Guy Boysen and Alexandra VanBergen. A Review of Published Research on Adult Dissociative Identity Disorder. (2013). file:///home/chronos/u-e21622bed896dc199a148c25879b57a12f2f1562/MyFiles/Downloads/A%20Review%20of%20Published%20Research%20on%20Adult%20Dissociative%20Identity%20Disorder.pdf
