Analysis of Robert Louis Stevenson's book Is Man Good or Bad? This is the recurring theme in Robert Louis Stevenson's books The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Treasure Island and Kidnapped. In all three books, Stevenson explores both possibilities. For Dr. Jekyll in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Evil seems natural and addictive, but only when it is too late does he realize that Evil is wrong. For Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island, Good is the way forward, but there are certainly Evil obstacles to overcome. In the end, he discovers that, although there will always be Evil, Good will always prevail. Finally, in Kidnapped, David only knows Good because he has to fight Evil. However, he perseveres and earns his share of the fortune. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay All of these concepts can be applied to our lives. Is it human nature to be good or do we tend to be bad? Just because the evil way is easier doesn't make it right or right. Even though it's a rocky road, Good always comes out on top. First of all, Dr. Jekyll was having a hard time during the book The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. On page 99, he states, "It was the horror of being Hyde that tormented me." Dr. Jekyll had devised a complicated potion that allowed his body to take on the shape of someone else. Jekyll chose Hyde because he was already hated by society and could get away with irrational things in the form of him. Jekyll says, on page 83, “It seemed natural and human,” referring to the release of his anger in the form of Hyde. “I have yet to believe that (evil) is the lethal side of man.” Jekyll knows what he was doing wasn't right, though. When he hurt the little girl in the street, Jekyll admits, "My pleasures, to put it mildly, were undignified." (Page 85). This shows us that although Jekyll enjoys inflicting pain, he at least realizes that it is wrong. He tries to change his ways, but keeps returning to Hyde. Although he was oblivious to the rest of the world when he was Hyde, Jekyll realized that he was the "cave in which he hides from pursuit" (p. 91). By this, Jekyll is saying that this is where he goes to protect himself from Hyde. If he needs to protect himself from his other self, what he's doing must be really bad. Jekyll says the same thing on page 94: “Jekyll was now my city of refuge.” Hyde was the devil. If it came out even a little, the whole world would throw up their hands in fear. Jekyll initially thought of it as a way to vent his anger. However, Jekyll soon realizes that the situation is getting out of hand. He tries to escape from Hyde, but this only gets him into even more trouble. Hyde had been in the cage long enough and came out roaring. As Jekyll gradually loses control of the situation, he realizes that his time is limited. He “embraces natural life” (p. 94). What does this show us about our lives? We all have a Hyde in us. It's not a question of whether there is one; the question is whether we let it out or not. On page 94, Jekyll muses, “if only Hyde would peep out for an instant, and the hands of all men would be lifted up.” This is what we cannot afford to do. If Hyde gets out, there will be no stopping him. Stevenson is giving us a warning. Everyone is born Jekyll, but it is our decisions that can and will turn us into Hyde. In the book Treasure Island, Jim Hawkins is an unsuspecting boy who is on a journey to the so-called Treasure Island to find an old pirate's treasure map. Little does he know that he is about to enter a world of piracy, scams and much more. Thisbook is not so much about good versus evil as it is about greed. The antagonist, Long John Silver, plays a role that appears to be helpful and friendly, but once Jim gets to know him, he discovers him very differently. On page 83, when Tom confronts Long John Silver about Alan's murder, he bursts into a fit of rage and kills him as well. Silver did it out of greed. He realized that with more people there, the less treasure he would get. This is the evil part of him. Evil is defined as “immoral and malevolent”. Malicious means wanting to cause harm to others. He's trying to swindle everyone else out of the treasure. It is not only trying to scam them, but also the rightful owners. Jim turns to the good side, but only to protect himself. What would have happened if Jim had been selfish? If you look at it this way, Jim didn't turn to his good side to save himself. He went the other way to save himself. What if he had to somehow save himself from the good guys? Would he resort to the negative side? Both of these are examples of selfishness, which can easily turn into malevolence. In the end, the good side ends up winning and protecting the treasure from the bad side. This book shows that you can get carried away by greed very easily, but good will prevail. It may not be easy, but it's what's right. Finally, the Kidnapped book is a bit of a step up from Treasure Island. It's greed to the next level. David Balfour's uncle is trying to steal all the inheritance left to him by his father. Not only that, but he tries to kidnap him and sell him into slavery. David abolishes both of these plans because he can outsmart his uncle. This book focuses more on the fact that Good will conquer Evil. It's not exactly a walk in the clouds, but if you work at something, good will win. Stevenson reassures us in this book. He is telling us that there will be bumps in the road, but we can overcome them. These obstacles are the evil of the world. While David's uncle is trying his best to harm him, David perseveres and ultimately fights his way through and exposes his uncle. Not only does he get back to where he was before the whole ordeal began, but he overcomes it and makes a fortune as the rightful owner of ? of the Shaws estate. This shows us that with effort, good will triumph over evil. The key word is commitment. Stevenson shows us this in the character of David. He was a victim of evil, everything was taken from him, he was almost killed and thrown onto a ship bound for slavery. This, however, did not disturb him. David knew he could do it. It was his attitude that got him through, along with his motivation and perseverance. On page 217, he reflects: “This positive change in my case has destroyed more than all the previous evil changes.” In this book, Stevenson still focuses on the fact that there will always be bad apples, but instead of getting away with it like Long John Silver did in Treasure Island, he adds that with extra effort, the good apples will always emerge victorious . Even though it is natural for us to be pessimistic, we can come out on top. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, Robert Louis Stevenson has created three novels that explain to us not only the adventure of a little boy or a mad scientist, but human nature in general. He writes about greed, selfishness and the war between good and evil. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, he shows us that the nature of man is to be evil. Later, in Treasure Island, he shows us that good will win, but evil may get away with some of it. Finally, in Kidnapped, it shows that if you put in the effort, good will come out and better than before. All these concepts don't leave you when you close the book, but they should stay with you.”