Self As A Person s Self - 1907 Words

Self is defined as, â€Å"a person’s essential being that distinguishes them from others, especially considered as the object of introspection or reflexive action†, so it is interesting that often times society seems to place boundaries and limitations on said self, deeming what the appropriate and acceptable sort of â€Å"self† is, does and has (Oxford Dictionaries). Granted, to some extent it makes sense that a person’s self would be monitored by society; up to the point that we all must exist in this world together and to the degree that we wish to feel safe and operate in a functioning society, control becomes necessary. However, in many ways, this type of social forbearance and control over who a person chooses to be can become harmful. Over†¦show more content†¦With two selves, a person must be able to come to terms with both selves in order to fully understand one’s own self. Nevertheless, this can can be a complicated and potential ly dangerous matter; destructive if done impulsively and without care, yet fulfilling if a careful balance manages to be struck. This incredibly complex dynamic between the selves, the struggle for balance between the two halves and the potential risks and payoffs of striking said balance between the two, can however, be clearly seen in the texts of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontà «. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, it is clear that Jekyll has discovered the two halves of himself early in his life though he does not accept them until near the end of the novel. Jekyll states, â€Å"It was on the moral side, and in my own person, that I learned to recognize the thorough and primitive duality of man; I saw that, of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness, even if I could rightly be said to be either, it was only because I was radically both; and from an early date . . . I had learned to dwell with pleasure, as a beloved daydream, on the thought of the separation of these elements† (Stevenson 1709). Not only has Jekyll discovered both parts of himself at what he claims to be an â€Å"early date†, thus giving him timeto grapple with the inevitable