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One theme in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is the message “Evil can never truly hide itself. Which event best connects to this theme? Mr. Enfield and Mr. Utterson see Dr. Jekyll while they are walking. An axe is used to break down the door into the doctors laboratory. Mr. Hydes dead body is found in Dr. Jekylls laboratory. Mr. Utterson takes documents home to read and understand.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
correct Answer: Mr. Hyde’s dead body is found in Dr. Jekyll’s laboratory.
In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, one of the central themes is the idea that “evil can never truly hide itself.” This theme is most clearly illustrated when Mr. Hyde’s dead body is found in Dr. Jekyll’s laboratory. This moment serves as the climax of the novel and the ultimate revelation of Jekyll’s dark secret—that he and Hyde are the same person. Throughout the novel, Dr. Jekyll tries to separate the good and evil parts of his nature, believing he can indulge in evil as Mr. Hyde without consequence or discovery. However, as the story progresses, the boundaries between his two selves blur, and he loses control over the transformation.
Hyde’s death in Jekyll’s private space—the laboratory—symbolizes that the evil he tried to confine and conceal within Hyde could not remain hidden. It surfaced not just metaphorically, through Hyde’s violent behavior in public, but literally, in Jekyll’s own space. Despite Jekyll’s efforts to distance himself from Hyde’s actions, evil eventually invades and consumes his life, leading to tragic consequences. This discovery confirms to the other characters and the reader that the evil within Jekyll could not be permanently suppressed or separated.
The other options, while part of the narrative, do not connect as directly to the theme. For example, Mr. Utterson reading documents or Mr. Enfield and Mr. Utterson seeing Jekyll are moments that build suspense or uncover parts of the mystery, but they do not directly confront the central truth of the novel. Even the act of breaking down the door symbolizes a physical and metaphorical entry into the truth, but it is the discovery of Hyde’s body that truly reveals the hidden evil.
Thus, Hyde’s dead body being found in Jekyll’s laboratory best illustrates the theme that evil, no matter how deeply hidden, will eventually come to light.