Tim C.

Life at all costs is a very prevalent theme throughout the Robert Louis Stevenson novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  Dr. Jekyll dedicates his scientific career to perfecting the human conscious. He tries to create two separate persons out of himself, one being purely good, and one being inherently evil.  He is able to freely transform between with two personalities with a potion he developed for himself until he is unable to locate one of the ingredients of the crucial antidote.

Due to this error Dr. Jekyll is forced to remain in the body of Mr. Hyde for the rest of his life. Dr. Jekyll's greed to achieve the best of both worlds (good and evil) turns against him.  Dr. Jekyll comes to terms with his mistakes at the end of the story: "...Hyde will tear it to pieces; but if some time shall have elapsed after I have laid it by, his wonderful selfishness and circumscription to the moment will probably save it once again from the action of his ape-like spite" (Stevenson 78).  He writes the letter to Mr.Utterson signed Dr. Jekyll but in the form of Mr. Hyde.  He sees that Hyde's life is ruined by his mistakes and that now that he cannot transform back to Dr. Jekyll, his life as Dr. Jekyll is over as well.

Cloning in today's society is a very similar issue.  Many scientists these days with exponentially growing technology are putting all their efforts into cloning humans.  This practice can potentially be monumentally earth shattering to not only the science world but rest of the human race.  Similar to Dr. Jekyll's studies, these scientists are attempting to bend the laws of physics and life which could be disastrous.  They do not comprehend the potential cost in their pursuit of life at all costs.