Analysis of chapter 2 Flashcards
Search for Mr Hyde
What does Jekyll’s will say should happen if he disappears for more than three months?
The will says that if Jekyll goes missing, Hyde should “step into the said Henry Jekyll’s shoes”. This means Hyde will inherit everything Jekyll owns.
Why does Utterson go to visit Lanyon?
Utterson hopes that Lanyon may know more about Jekyll’s relationship with Hyde. He thinks that “If anyone knows, it will be Lanyon”.
What reason does Lanyon give for his disagreement with Jekyll?
Lanyon says that he and Jekyll are no longer close because of their different approaches to science - Lanyon thinks Jekyll “became too fanciful”.
How can you tell that Utterson is affected by Enfield’s story about Hyde? Give examples in your answer.
Utterson can’t stop thinking about Hyde - the text says his imagination is “engaged or rather enslaved” by what he has heard about him. The word “enslaved” emphasises how affected he is, as it suggests he can’t escape his thoughts. He is so affected by the story that he is kept up at night thinking of Hyde and is “haunted” by nightmares of him.
How does Stevenson build tension in this chapter leading up to Utterson’s first meeting with Hyde?
Utterson’s nightmares about Hyde build tension. They show that Utterson is disturbed by the story of Hyde, which emphasises Hyde’s frightening nature and makes the reader concerned about what he will do next. This tension is reinforced by the setting just before Utterson meets Hyde. It is night-time and London is described as being “very silent”. This creates an eerie atmosphere for the meeting that follows.
Why doesn’t Hyde believe Utterson’s explanation on how he knows Hyde’s name?
Hyde is actually Jekyll, so he knows that Jekyll hasn’t told Utterson about him.
Give an example that shows Utterson is confused after he meets Hyde.
He puts his hand to his brow after meeting him “like a man in a mental perplexity.”
Utterson describes hide as “troglodytic closed”. What does this mean?
Utterson is comparing height to a troglodyte — troglodytes are people who live in caves, especially in prehistoric times.
True or false? Poole says that Hyde often dines at Jekyll’s house.
False. Poole tells Utterson that Hyde never dines at Jekyll’s house.
What evidence is there in this chapter that Utterson is a moral person?
Utterson’s past is described as being “fairly blameless”, but he feels “humbled” by the bad things he has done. This shows that he has a strong moral compass, because even though he hasn’t done anything particularly bad, he is strongly affected by the few bad things he has done.
Utterson claims Hyde’s secrets would make Jekyll’s worst secrets look “like sunshine” . Explain why this is ironic.
This is ironic because Jekyll and Hyde are the same person. Jekyll’s worst secret is that he is Hyde, so Hyde’s secrets would make him seem worse, not better as Utterson thinks.
