SH+2015+P4+Multiple-personality+disorder

Culture (Marissa Walker):

// How do cultural events influence the relationship between the author and audience? //

//The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde//, is based on the Edinburgh, Scotland legend; legend has it, Dr. Jekyll had another person essentially living inside him; that person is Mr. Hyde. While Dr. Jekyll is an outstanding citizen by day, Mr. Hyde goes on to commit awful, unspeakable crimes throughout the night. However, while most of the book correlates with the symptoms and habits of multiple personality disorder, the fact that, “the two split personalities in this novel...actually remember what the other person does,” (Psychology 2) makes this book most unique. In most cases of multiple personality disorder, it is not normal for one personality to remember the actions of another personality. In this book, Stevenson is trying to portray the effects of MPD and how it can affect the rest of the world. In today's culture, it is not as normal for a person with this disease to go walking around; back in 1880, however, it was normal for mind disorders to go unnoticed for months at a time. By putting a spin on this disorder and having Jekyll remember everything that Hyde does invites for much discussion and a new view on the disorder itself. Stevenson is trying to get the audience to see how damaging this disease can be and that makes the novella a very enticing treat for anyone.



"Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde." //Psychology2s Blog //. N.p., 30 Apr. 2010. Web. 02 Aug. 2015.

//What is the aim of the term?//
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==== Multiple personality disorder is a mental disorder that affects Dr. Jekyll from // The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde //. Multiple personality disorder is described as, “a disorder that is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct and complex identities or personality states each of which becomes dominant and controls behavior from time to time to the exclusion of the others and results from disruption in the integrated functions of consciousness, memory, and identity” (Merriam-Webster). Having more than one personality can affect someone both physically and mentally. Being a new person everyday can tire them out; not only because of the stresses of finding someone new everyday, but also because of the physical stress that it puts on their body. New questions come up everyday for a new personality, such as: what gender? Traits? Qualities? Opinions? It depends on the person, but there are endless possibilities of how many separate people someone could think they could be. Think about waking up everyday as a new person (and keep in mind that it may not always be a good person). Or how about when someone’s personalities hate each other? Having more than one person inside of someone’s head can be dangerous to their minds and bodies, and that’s why people call it an illness/disorder. ====

//Merriam-Webster//. Encyclopedia Britannica Company. 2015. Web. 1 Aug, 2015.
Historical: (Jessica Martzke) What is the historical impact of this term?



Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), has a long and complex history, and it seems to affect people differently. It is unclear who and when the first person was to be diagnosed. However, many claim that Eberhardt Gmelin, in 1971, was the first person to ever officially document symptoms of MPD. It is said that, “ Gmelin's 1791 account of "exchanged personality" is very important as the first account of multiple personality written about in great detail. (A History of Dissociative Personality Disorder). However, Eberhardt Gmelin was not the first to experience. In 1646, Paracelsus has documented a woman living in Stuttgart. The case involved a 20-year-old woman living in Stuttgart who began speaking perfect French and speaking German with a French accent. Tellingly, this case took place the year the French Revolution began. During this time many French aristocrats left France and fled to Stuttgart for safety. When she was the “French Woman” she remembered everything she did while she was the “German Woman”, but while she was the “German Woman” she denied knowing anything of the “French Woman”. (Dissociative Identity/Multiple Personality: Case studies and Presentations). The woman who lived in Stuttgart seemed to have two people in her head. During her time, many people believed that this was the work of demonic possession or some other cause, linked to “magical” or “extraterrestrial” ideas. However, much of those beliefs had been abandoned in today’s modern times and advanced technology.

//Possession and Exorcism//. A History of Dissociative Identity Disorder, 2015. Web. 2 Aug, 2015.

//Merriam-Webster//. Encyclopedia Britannica Company. 2015. Web. 2 Aug, 2015.

Audience (Leisey Trevillyan): Who is the intended audience of the term (How does the term affect the particular audience in mind)?



The intended audience for Strange Case of Mr. Jekyll and Dr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, is for the people of an older, more Victorian time. As it is pointed out, “ Today, we're far more [|laid back] , but it's important to realize that this book was written for a different time and place” (Shmoop). Back in the time that this was written, which was 1886, it was a much bigger deal to have manners and be proper. The idea of having multiple personality disorder was basically frowned upon by the people of that time. It was very important to be as proper and perfect as a person could be. The audience for this time must have found this novel very intriguing. Stevenson proved to people that, “ The work is decidedly of the "adult" classification, as it presents a jarring and horrific exploration of various conflicting traits lurking within a single person,” (bio.).  Stevenson's writing was different from the authors of that time. The audience of this novel was not as expecting and in touch with the idea of multiple personality disorder. Today, with the audience being much more in touch with mental disorders, it is not that big of a deal. Instead the book becomes a very fun read.

//Robert Louis Stevenson//. Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 02 Aug. 2015.

//Shmoop// Editorial Team. "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde What’s

Up With the Title?" Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov.

2008. Web. 02 Aug. 2015.