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Michelle Smith
Mrs. Petty
English 102
March 18, 2014
The Strange Case of Dr. Science and Mr. God
Spirituality and science have not always coincided, which leaves some people to the
difficult task of choosing to side with either logic or faith. There have been many examples of
this issue in ancient times, modern times, literature, and everyday life; science and religion will
always contradict each other. For example, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by
Robert Louis Stevenson deals with this topic by detailing the events that Dr. Jekyll experiences,
as well as some of the other characters. There is a direct relationship between how the characters
practice their religion and the way they view science. This is proven by the actions taken place
within the novel, and in some cases being religious can interfere with performing scientific
experiments. The most prominent example of this is Dr. Jekylls risky experiment to transform
into Mr. Hyde and how his peers react to his revelations. In the gothic novel The Strange Case of
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, there is a confliction between those who perform experiments to
achieve knowledge in the field of applied sciences and the belief in Christianity that all natural
beings are made by God and should not be tampered with.
Because some procedures were not understood during the Victorian era, new scientific
practices were seen as acts against God. In The Strange Case, Dr. Jekyll makes a point to hide
his research from the public and his close childhood friends. In order to avoid being seen by
those who might ask questions, Dr. Jekyll uses an entirely different building to perform his
experiments in; while he is in the form of Mr. Hyde, he uses a separate entrance. Jekyll locked
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himself in his laboratory to hide his transformations from his servants. His close friend, Dr.
Utterson, is allowed visitation only through a window at one point in the story. It is likely that
Jekyll did not trust Utterson to understand the scientific research that was motivating him.
Instead, Jekyll thought that Utterson would assume that he was a madman who had lost his faith
in God. When Utterson utters God forgive us (Stevenson 33), it is because he is looking for a
familiar feeling to comfort him in the face of a sight so unknown to him. Utterson is still a
religious man, which Jekyll can see, and he does not want to risk ridicule from a close friend. He
only seeks those who can stay retrospective to his situation. At this point, Jekyll is slowly losing
the grasp of his true person, so he feels the need to surround himself with those who have a
background in applied science, but Utterson would only find what was immoral with Jekylls
procedures. The only way for Dr. Jekyll to avoid the prodding of people was by keeping up with
appearances. When Utterson tries to discuss with Jekyll about why he had such a close
connection with Mr. Hyde, Jekyll becomes very unsettled, but manages to keep his composure,
this is very good of you, and this is downright good of you I beg of you to let it sleep
(Stevenson 19). Jekyll understands the importance of hiding Mr. Hyde because of the damage
that he has done, but Jekyll does not want to reveal the whole truth by acting on impulse and
defending his alter ego too exuberantly. However, to continue his hands on research, Jekyll must
rid himself of any evidence of a dual life. If one was to see this man turn to monster, it would be
seen as an unnatural creature, thus an ungodly creature. In the eyes of Jekyll, his experiments are
purely for scientific purposes.
Even Galileo was attacked by the Catholic Church while he was researching the before
stated theory of the heliocentric model (Laderman 81). However, due to the preconception that
God made the planets revolve around the Earth, both Nicolaus Copernicus, the original founder
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of this model, and Galileo were seen as nonreligious fiends. During their time, the areas that they
lived in were predominantly Christian, so they had no solace to turn to when they were
persecuted for their ideas. Like Galileo, Dr. Jekyll is also a scientist, but because his research is
so out of the ordinary he has to hide it from society or risk being condemned.
Citizens who were not strict Christians often took to their God for peace when there was
none. It is never blatantly said that Mr. Utterson is an irreligious man, but it seems that he keeps
his practices to a minimum. That is why it makes more of an impact when he calls for God when
Dr. Jekylls expression turns into that of one that is frightening. Utterson runs away from what he
does not understand and fills his mind with thoughts of God to ease his discomfort (Stevenson
33). By examining Uttersons immediate reaction to what he saw through the window, one can
see that Utterson is not ready to objectively understand Jekylls findings. Considering the
circumstances, the way that Utterson approached this disturbance was apt, but proved that he
relies on God to an extent. On the contrary, there are those who have completely lost their faith
because the internal battle was won by science- Mr. Enfield, for example. When Utterson spoke
to God, Enfield only nodded his head to respectfully recognize Uttersons faith, not his own
(Stevenson 33). In the end, one can see who is truly devote to Christianity, and who worships
God only when it is necessary.
Whenever the knowledge that was readily available during the time was not sufficient
enough to explain an odd occurrence, people assumed that it was a divine interference. It was
much easier to accuse God of both the good and bad events that took place (Laderman 83). That
explains why when people who are not earnestly religious spontaneously rely on praying to God,
it is because they need to find consolation where there is none.
Nearly everyone during the Victorian era practiced some form of Christianity, so the
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people who were more in tune with logic were afraid of the derision they would receive because
of their opinions. This is why they would only seek information from others who were also more
logical. Jekyll went to Lanyon instead of Utterson because he knew that Lanyon would stay
impartial. It is easier to trust someone with a background in science when the topic regards new
and unheard of drugs. In this scene, Hyde, who is about to transform into Jekyll, proclaims a
new province or knowledge and new avenues to fame and power shall be laid open to you and
your sight shall be blasted by a prodigy to stagger the unbelief of Satan (Stevenson 50).
Essentially, Hyde was looking for someone who he could relate all of his discoveries to without
the backlash of religious morality. Lanyon is the most unbiased person in the novel, making him
the best candidate to relate to. Considering that those of a lower class were cast aside based on
appearances, insanity can also destroy a persons reputation among their community regardless
of his or her class. Concurrently, if one was insane it was possible that the lack of sanity was due
to his or her defiance of God. When Lanyon receives the letter from Dr. Jekyll, he is surprised by
the urgency and the terror laced throughout it, so Lanyon assumes that Jekyll might have lost his
sense (Stevenson 46). Jekylls experiments were not ordinary, so his only option was to find
those who were less likely to shun him for his deviance from Christianity.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a primary example of the complications
that arise between trying to practice Christianity while attempting to explore scientific oddities
by using hands on methods. Experiments were often too risky, and in some cases went against
peoples Christian beliefs during the time, so experiments were kept secret until they proved safe
enough to become public. Those who were not exclusively religious used religion for solace in
their time of need because it was the only source to turn to; therefore, if a section of science was
not understood, is was attributed to an act of God. People who are more prone to logic do not go
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to those who are spiritual for fear of rejection because of their absence of spirituality, which is
what Dr. Jekyll suffered from throughout his experiments. Anyone can manage to persist to be a
good Christian while remaining logical; however, there is still, and will always be, the
confliction of these two subjects and their ideas.



















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Works Cited
Laderman, Gary, and Arri Eisen. Science, Religion, and Society: An Encyclopedia of History,
Culture, And Controversy. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe, 2007. eBook Academic Collection
(EBSCOhost). Web. 4 Mar. 2014.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Tales. UK: Oxford
University Press, n.d. Print.