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Creativity. Imagination. Ingenuity. These qualities are the foundation for knowledge, discovery, and excitement. However, creativity may not always lead to something good. The relationship between the “creator” and his or her “creation” might help us learn what differentiates something good from something evil.
Take it to the Texts
A few texts help illustrate the ideas about morals and ethics regarding creativity:
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Stevenson – A fantastic reflection of Gothic Literature, the story shares the life of Dr. Jekyll who struggles against his evil ego Mr. Hyde. With a sip of a potion, Dr. Jekyll can change back and forth between Mr. Hyde and himself. Eventually, Mr. Hyde takes over Dr. Jekyll forever.
“Our Monsters, Ourselves” by Timothy Beal – a scholarly article describing the monsters in our society, people’s fascination with horror, and a connection between horror and religion. The text invites readers to discover what monsters have to teach us, and to discover the evils hidden within ourselves.
Who The Creators Are
“Our Monster, Ourselves” asks about the ultimate creator, God. “Is God not the author of evil as well as good?” (Beal 3). Without getting into too much religious conversation, this idea is meant to show that whatever creates good must also create evil. It also opens up ideas about choice, and if monsters are inevitably cursed with cruelty. Perhaps, there is always the choice about what to do as the “creation” whether you wanted to be created or not, and how you handle the outcomes of your actions or of someone else’s.
Dr. Jekyll was a creator. He concocted a potion to help control his transformations. However, he used the potion as a form of escape from Mr. Hyde’s evil actions. The potion helped disguise and cover up the malicious murders, pains, and evils caused by Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll justifies his situation, “Henry Jekyll stood at times aghast before the acts of Edward Hyde; but the situation was apart from ordinary laws and insidiously relaxed the grasp of conscience.” (Stevenson 117). However, his situation is not apart from the ordinary, because he also believes that all men have a struggle between the good and evil sides of themselves. Henry Jekyll chose unethically to use his creation of the potion as a disguise for his terrible acts and for his personal benefit of safety.
The Power of Choice
However, not all creators abuse their power. Think of your favorite superhero. Mine is Spiderman. I’ll refer to the most recent movie, The Amazing Spiderman. Peter Parker can be considered a “creator” and controller of his own power, after he discovers the spider in the lab has bitten him. (IMDB) Because he uses his new spidey-senses to chase murderers, defeat the Lizard, and save his friends, we consider him heroic.
But both Peter and Dr. Connors (who becomes the Lizard) had help from science to gain supernatural qualities. What makes Peter different than The Lizard villain is that Peter used his powers for “good” and Dr. Connor turned into a vicious monster and eventually the super-villain of the story. Once again, the choice between good and evil boiled down to what the characters did with their “creations”. But should they have tampered with science in the first place?
The principles of the “creator” and the “creations” apply to both the monsters and to those who defeat them. Maybe that is the true difference between good and evil, what you create and how you use it.
Sources:
Beal, Timothy. “Our Monsters, Ourselves.” The Chronicle Review 9 Nov 2001. Print.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York: Signet Classics, 2012. Print.
“The Amazing Spider-Man.” IMDb. IMDb, 2012. Web. 14 Sep 2014.
Take it to the Texts
A few texts help illustrate the ideas about morals and ethics regarding creativity:
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Stevenson – A fantastic reflection of Gothic Literature, the story shares the life of Dr. Jekyll who struggles against his evil ego Mr. Hyde. With a sip of a potion, Dr. Jekyll can change back and forth between Mr. Hyde and himself. Eventually, Mr. Hyde takes over Dr. Jekyll forever.
“Our Monsters, Ourselves” by Timothy Beal – a scholarly article describing the monsters in our society, people’s fascination with horror, and a connection between horror and religion. The text invites readers to discover what monsters have to teach us, and to discover the evils hidden within ourselves.
Who The Creators Are
“Our Monster, Ourselves” asks about the ultimate creator, God. “Is God not the author of evil as well as good?” (Beal 3). Without getting into too much religious conversation, this idea is meant to show that whatever creates good must also create evil. It also opens up ideas about choice, and if monsters are inevitably cursed with cruelty. Perhaps, there is always the choice about what to do as the “creation” whether you wanted to be created or not, and how you handle the outcomes of your actions or of someone else’s.
Dr. Jekyll was a creator. He concocted a potion to help control his transformations. However, he used the potion as a form of escape from Mr. Hyde’s evil actions. The potion helped disguise and cover up the malicious murders, pains, and evils caused by Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll justifies his situation, “Henry Jekyll stood at times aghast before the acts of Edward Hyde; but the situation was apart from ordinary laws and insidiously relaxed the grasp of conscience.” (Stevenson 117). However, his situation is not apart from the ordinary, because he also believes that all men have a struggle between the good and evil sides of themselves. Henry Jekyll chose unethically to use his creation of the potion as a disguise for his terrible acts and for his personal benefit of safety.
The Power of Choice
However, not all creators abuse their power. Think of your favorite superhero. Mine is Spiderman. I’ll refer to the most recent movie, The Amazing Spiderman. Peter Parker can be considered a “creator” and controller of his own power, after he discovers the spider in the lab has bitten him. (IMDB) Because he uses his new spidey-senses to chase murderers, defeat the Lizard, and save his friends, we consider him heroic.
But both Peter and Dr. Connors (who becomes the Lizard) had help from science to gain supernatural qualities. What makes Peter different than The Lizard villain is that Peter used his powers for “good” and Dr. Connor turned into a vicious monster and eventually the super-villain of the story. Once again, the choice between good and evil boiled down to what the characters did with their “creations”. But should they have tampered with science in the first place?
The principles of the “creator” and the “creations” apply to both the monsters and to those who defeat them. Maybe that is the true difference between good and evil, what you create and how you use it.
Sources:
Beal, Timothy. “Our Monsters, Ourselves.” The Chronicle Review 9 Nov 2001. Print.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York: Signet Classics, 2012. Print.
“The Amazing Spider-Man.” IMDb. IMDb, 2012. Web. 14 Sep 2014.