In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson tells the story of a man with a split personality. Wanting to split the bad part of himself from the good, Jekyll develops a potion. However, when he drinks it, he is horrified to have taken the form of a monster named Edward Hyde. Luckily, he can switch between the two by drinking the potion again. Jekyll becomes almost addicted to using the potion, but one day, he goes to bed as Jekyll and wakes up as Hyde. Terrified, Jekyll stays away from the potion for a good two months, and all seems to be fine. However, Jekyll succumbs once again, and drinks the potion. From then on, Hyde would always pop out eventually, even when Jekyll didn’t drink the potion. Although many people seem to think Jekyll is the tragic victim of this book, Hyde is the true victim of all this mess. Firstly, Hyde has no choice but to commit atrocities, which cause him to be persecuted and eventually leads to the destruction of both him and Jekyll. Hyde is created by Jekyll as a monster, a being with no conscience. Because there is no part of him that holds himself accountable for committing crimes, the nature of humanity naturally tugs him towards said crimes. Although Hyde is the one who committed the crime, it was effectively Jekyll who “forces” Hyde to commit these crimes. As an analogy to Frankenstein, Jekyll plays the role of Frankenstein, and Hyde plays the role of Frankenstein’s monster in this book. It is quite clear in Frankenstein that the monster is the true victim, and thus in this story Hyde is the victim, because he is essentially forced by Jekyll to suffer punishment for committing crimes. In addition to this, Hyde is also not allowed to be free, as Jekyll keeps suppressing the Hyde inside of him. If Hyde is the victim, then quite obviously Jekyll is the corresponding culprit, for many reasons. Mainly, Hyde was born from Jekyll’s own moral faults and even a glint of greed. We have already established that the very existence of Hyde is a crime committed by Jekyll, and moreover, this crime is committed on the basis of moral faults and greed; Jekyll wants to be perfect, and thus wishes to separate his bad self from his good self. It’s easy to feel sympathetic for Jekyll, seeing as moral faults and greed are an integrated part of human nature, but the pain Hyde suffers is far worse. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Longman’s Green & Co., 1886. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
book review
Fantastic Mr. Fox, Reviewed by Elliott, 10
How far would you go to save your family from starving while people are trying to kill you? That is the conflict facing a clever, sly and brave fox in the entertaining book Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl. The main character, Mr. Fox, struggles to keep his family fed while three farmers named farmer Boggis, farmer Bunce, and farmer Bean are determined to kill him. Mr. Fox is outnumbered, but he is very clever and dedicated. Will it be enough to save his family and friends? Mr. Fox is a thief, but the three farmers that he steals from are described as mean and gross. The farmers have plenty of food, but they still won’t share with Mr. Fox. They want to shoot his head off. While the fox family and all their friends are starving and hiding underground, Boggis, Bunce and Bean are eating right above them. The author, Roald Dahl, creates a negative image about the farmers that makes the reader want to like Mr. Fox better than the farmers even though he is stealing from the three farmers. Farmer Boggis eats three chickens every meal time along with dumplings, making him really fat. The most disgusting of them all is Farmer Bunce, who is really short with a pot belly. He spreads mashed goose livers on donuts and eats them at every meal. Farmer Bean doesn’t eat, but he drinks a lot of apple cider. He is also mean. The reason that we think that they are all mean is that they are trying to kill Mr. Fox while starving him and his family and friends. Fantastic Mr. Fox is obviously a fictional story because the animals act like humans—they have tables, chairs, paintings and dining stuff in their den. Also, all the animals are friends, but in real life the foxes would have attacked the rabbits, badgers, moles and the weasels. I am also on the foxes’ and the other animals’ side because they are animals and they are struggling to feed themselves. Mr. Fox is stealing, but the law doesn’t apply to animals. By the time Mr. Fox and his family are starving, most readers would be on Mr. Fox’s side. The story makes me think about how far I would go to save my family from starving. In this case, Mr. Fox must succeed in outsmarting the farmers or he and his family will all perish. I highly recommend the book Fantastic Mr. Fox because it’s funny and it’s about the importance of never giving up hope. Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl & illustrated by Quentin Blake. Alfred A. Knopf, 1970. Buy the book here & support Stone Soup in the process!
Tiny Pretty Things, Reviewed by April, 13
From the outside, Manhattan’s most elite ballet academy is the epitome of perfection. Hundreds of girls masquerade in pink skirts and tight buns, their makeup heavy and smiles bright as they maneuver the many classrooms—arms graceful, legs light. People flock from far and wide to watch their esteemed seasonal productions. But, underneath the facade of beauty lies the dark side of ballet: the tear-soaked pillows, the bleeding feet, the spoons over eyes that have received barely an hour of sleep. For a few minutes under the spotlight, these young adults will do just about anything. But how far is too far? In Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton, three students from the ballet academy alternatively narrate a haunting tale of the things ballerinas do after dark. Bette is the first narrator. It’s fitting, really, since she’s been first her entire life—lead roles in all the ballets, a handsome boyfriend, a face that can charm, and a mouth that can manipulate. But then comes Gigi, the new girl at the academy. Optimistic and bubbly, Gigi brings Bette’s life crashing down when she lands the role of Odette in the fall production of Swan Lake. Suddenly, Bette’s pushed into the background along with June, the third narrator. Unlike Bette, June has always been the understudy, never good enough to land the best roles. But like Bette, she suddenly has reason to sabotage Gigi. If Gigi is taken down, Bette can gain back her pride, and June will gain the lead role she has always vied for. It’s time to sabotage their way to the top… As Bette, June, and a handful of other students scheme against Gigi, Gigi’s paranoia whirls out of control. She tries to maintain her composure, but when is it her turn to strike back? Swan Lake is drawing ever closer, and one ballerina must dance the part of Odette. Ballet isn’t just pointe shoes and pink lipstick—it’s about fighting your way to the top, no matter how many people you push aside on the way. Tiny Pretty Things was a truly addictive novel. From the lyrical writing style to the fantastic world-building, I couldn’t detach myself from the chaotic beauty of it all. What I loved most was that none of the characters were perfect—far from it—but the authors still managed to make me like them, despite their flaws. Especially Bette. She was vindictive, backstabbing, clingy, et cetera, et cetera, but heaven knows she was the most interesting character in the book. I also appreciated the heavier themes discussed in this novel. Situations involving racism and eating disorders, among others, were handled with care and awareness. Even just the competitiveness was admirable to me. It’s rare for a book to be so unfiltered and raw about negative human inclinations, yet this one depicted them perfectly. It’s certainly not pretty, but it’s real, which makes the book all the more fascinating to read. The one thing I would say is that, due to all the drama, the book moved at breakneck speed. There wasn’t much time for me to comprehend and react to the many sabotages, surprises, and romances. While it did amp up the intensity, it mostly had me scrambling to keep up with the events. Overall, however, this was an absolutely gorgeous novel brimming with action and emotion. If the premise of smiling, lipsticked ballerinas stabbing each other in the back (figuratively, of course!) isn’t enough to entice you, I hope the mention of multifaceted characters and moving writing will convince you to give this a try. Just make sure to brace yourself—especially for the cliffhanger at the end. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton. Halperteen, 2016. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
