Identity

Author's Note: After completing the Novel Jekyll and Hyde for class I thought a good topic to take from the story was the importance of identity.

Two eyes, a nose, a mouth and two ears; it's the identity for which the average person is recognized. A simple combination of biology creating a face that we are all seen and known by. However; identity doesn't end at the face but rather flows through the soul and integrity of an individual, encompassing character, values, lifestyle and much more. To some they may be identified by a number. A simple stopping place in the infinite world of numbers. Whether they be a famous sports star or a lowly inmate at the prison that number defines them and gives others the ability to identify that person. If you were to get close enough to a person you may learn about their past, their influences and childhood that is still defining and changing them today. Identities change the farther you travel into an individuals life.
                 A clear example of the power of identity can be found in the life of Henry Jekyll. He found himself in the predicament of being the owner of multiple identities after he changed his life forever by indulging in the magical powers of his secret potion. He discovered what it was to live a life of evil and darkness and found it entirely addicting. He took the blow of the consequences head on and even Jekyll himself wrote "I was slowly losing hold of my original and better self"(114). Such is a testament to the destructive nature of such a life.
                 If a man himself does not know who he is and what he stands for deep down and has defaced himself beyond recognition what does he retain? For a fugitive on the run it may mean freedom but to what do you return? Your identity is your connection to the rest of the world and without it one might as well be asking for complete loss of their mind. Who you are and are known for depends on you retaining the proper identity. When evil oozes through the cracks in the barriers that we all put up, some might simply eliminate it over and over. However; if you become covered in that black slime it is very difficult to return to a life of hope and a future. The worst case of the above is found in selling one's soul to the devil for the unknown knowledge. There is no going back to the clean life you were once known for. Identities are forever changing and growing as decisions are made and views are changed.