The Combinations of Two Great Minds...

P.S: The two great minds of Indi and Harm... well, depending on whether you deem us worthy of being 'great' minds. But to us, we will always be 'great' to each other in our hearts. :P

And presenting to you, today's English homework: a literature essay, whereby we were supposed to discuss for the main points, but Indi and I ended up discussing too much that we contributed half and half of the actual essay, therefore ending up with basically roughly the same essay:

In what ways has the novel, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde affected you/your life?

The novel Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, written by Robert Louis Stevenson has affected me in many ways. Among them are crime does not pay.

In the novel, Mr Hyde has done many despicable acts of cruelty, such as the trampling Edie and murder of Sir Danvers Carew. Eventually, Hyde gets what he rightfully deserves. This is shown in the novel when Mr Utterson finds Mr Hyde's corpse on the laboratory floor. From this, I learn that crime does not pay. This reminds me that no matter how good it feels to commit negative deeds, it always doubles back on us. For example, we should not treat others cruelly as others may treat us badly in return.

Besides that, I have learned not to be a two-faced hypocrite. On one hand, Dr Jekyll lives the life of a respectable and reputable man of science in the eyes of the community, whereas on hte other, Mr Hyde is a cruel, heinous and sadistic man that basks in the pain of others. In relation, I have learnt that we should not say one thing and do another the next, because if news should get out of our two-faced duality, our names and reputations will be tainted. Therefore, we should always practise what we preach, and not the exact opposite. A prefect, for example, is supposed to set a good example for other students. However, it is often the case that they put on the face of the dutiful pupil in front of the teachers, but they act the worst in class when the teacher is not present. They often contribute the most to the noise in the classroom. Also, while confiscating prohibited items from other students, they themselves bring the said objects, such as handphones and CDs. Nevertheless, through the novel, I have realised that I should not follow their lead and be a two-faced hypocrite.

Finally, the novel has also affected me in a way where it has taught me to be loyal to those around me. Eventhough Dr Lanyon disagrees with Dr Jekyll on many things, he still remains loyal and helps Jekyll out in his dire time of need. This is shown when Dr Lanyon agrees to assist Jekyll with the passing of an ingredient for the latter's potion, although it has been a while since Lanyon and Jekyll have agreed on a single thing and been in contact. Therefore, eventhough we may disagree and argue on many subjects, we should remain loyal and faithful to our friends, because true friends only come once. Just because friends may argue and bicker over certain disputes, it should not be enough to break the pure and strong friendship in between as we must remain loyal to them. This is because friendship is a valuable connection that is important, especially in our social life. Being unloyal may cause many people to shy away from us as they cannot trust us.