From the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Dr. Jekyll comes to realize that he is “an incongruous compound of good and evil.” His bad nature is holding back his good nature, he believes. He can aspire to do things, but he cannot follow through on them. Therefore, he comes up with a portion that he can separate out his two natures. His hope is that his good self, which will come out during the day, will be free from the influence of evil and will be able to realize its goals. However when he takes the portion one night and his bad side comes out, he is far more evil than he expected.”I knew myself, at the first breath of this new life, to be wicked, 10-fold more wicked, sold a slave to my original evil, and the thought in that moment, braced and delighted me like wine…(Edward Hyde’s) every act and thought centered on self.”Once Jekyll realizes that he has this capacity for evil acts, he decides to clamp down heavily on this terrible self-centeredness and pride at the core of his being.

In a sense, he “gets religion”. He seldomly resolves not to take the portion anymore. He devotes himself to charity and good works, partially as atonement for what Hyde has done, and partially as an effort to simply smother his selfish nature with acts of unselfishness. However one day Dr. Jekyll sitting on a bench in Regents park, thinking about all the good he has been doing and how much better a man he was despite Hyde, than the great majority of people.”I resolved in my future conduct to redeem the past; and I can say with honesty that my resolve was fruitful of some good. You know how honestly, in the last month of the year, I labored to relieve suffering; you know how much that was done for others… But as i smiled, comparing myself with other men, comparing my active good will with the lazy cruelty of the neglect… At the very moment of that vain-glorious thoughts a qualm came over me, a horrid nausea and the most dreadful shuddering…I looked down…I was once more Edward Hyde.”For the first time Jekyll becomes Hyde involuntarily, without the potion, and this is the beginning of the end.