Two Chairs/Conversation Part 2 by Ralph Kim (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – A Metaphor)
This piece is intended to portray the internal dialogue between our conscientious self-restraint and moral self-release. The straitlaced and utilitarian chair represents our conscience — the side of our personality amicable to an orderly society much like Dr. Jekyll. However, my idea is that this chair will be precariously built one such that it will require quite a balancing act on part of the sitter to remain upright. When the sitter fails to remain on the chair, it will immediately spiral into utter chaos. On the other hand, the sinister chair representing the Mr. Hyde of our personality consists of a restraint, built-in dildo, and an anti-religious symbol. The dildo and the symbol were chosen to represent moral turpitude within the context of Victorian society, when the novel was written. The restraint is there just as we constantly oppress our darker urges; yet despite this, this chair is more sturdy than the other. I chose the chemical engineering lab to reflect the setting of the novel, but I am reconsidering the setting to be less specific to the story.
Notes for improvement: make the normal chair more deliberately collapsable. Make weird chair completely stable. Make both chairs about the same size. Make weird chair look more sinister and less like a baby chair. Change groove sizes to fit better. Change setting.
