Comparing Knowledge and Power for Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Jekyll :: comparison compare contrast essays

Knowledge is Power for Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Jekyll Living in the 21st century is very exciting. The ever-changing world of technology is proof of that alone.   Still, if you examined the last 20 years of history you would find examples of enormous changes in technology and the use of power in our world.   The Cold War came to an end resulting in the fall of the Soviet Union, and the crumbling of the Berlin Wall are examples.   Looking beyond the last 20 years we have seen wars come and go, governments topple, economies change, and the assassination of world leaders.   Power can be an enormous thing.   If used right it can have an overwhelming positive influence.   Used incorrectly it can have disastrous effects. Science and technology has advanced like never before.   We have seen new medical vaccines to cure such horrific ailments as Polio, Small Pox, and further progression in the fight on AIDS.   Medical procedures have advanced also, incorporating the use of science and technology to perform difficult surgical procedures, and other complicated calculations.   The Human Genome is another exciting advancement.   Creating a human road map and having the understanding of how and why things happen is invaluable.   Just imagine walking into the Hospital and in exchange for a drop of blood you would receive information about what ailments you will see in your lifetime, what disease you might die of, and when.   This kind of study has advanced our interest in cloning.   With such successes as Dolly the sheep, and human embryo testing, scientist have seen enough success to continue advancing this exciting new field. Advancements like these in science and technology have to begin somewhere. Wielding this kind of power in the 21st century begins with a certain type of individual. A person like this probably has some characteristics of the fictional characters being studied in the 19th century.   Power can be more than just form of knowledge, and control; it can be a way of life.   Characters such as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Henry Jekyll are proof of this.   Two individuals, who would seem so different, are more alike then one might think.   The similarities between the two are undeniable.   Both Characters are from England and from roughly the same period. The two characters may live differently but require the same fulfillment.   First you have Dr. Jekyll whose a pillar of his community, a well-regarded man of wealth and proper upbringing, the host of many social functions, competitive, and is described as " a large, well made, smooth faced man of fifty, with something of a stylish cast" (12).