Analysis of chapter 8 Flashcards
The last night
Why does Poole come to visit Utterson?
A. He needs a lawyer
B. He thinks something bad has
happened to Jekyll
C. He fancies a long chat
D. He has a message for Utterson
from Jekyll
B. He thinks that Jekyll has been the victim of “foul play”
Give an example of Poole’s behaviour in this chapter which emphasises his fear.
He doesn’t drink the wine that Utterson gives to him, leaving it “untasted on his knee”. He could be too nervous or distracted to drink.
True or False? The streets are busy when Utterson and Poole go to Jekyll’s house.
False. Utterson thinks he has “never seen that part of London so deserted”
What effect do Stevenson’s descriptions of nature and the weather have on the mood of this chapter? Use examples in your answer.
Stevenson sets the events of this chapter on a “wild, cold, seasonable night”. this creates an ominous mood, as the “wild” weather hints that something wild is about to happen. The moon is also personified as “lying on” its “back” as if it has been upturned. This suggests that the world is about to be turned upside down, which further reinforces the ominous atmosphere.
Poole and the other servants are openly afraid. What effect does this have on the reader? Explain your answer
The servants’ open expressions of fear, such as the housemaid’s “hysterical whimpering”, increase the tension as it makes the reader want to find out what it is that has scared so many people. In Victorian times, it was usually frowned upon for anyone to express their emotions freely, so the fact that the servants are entirely ignoring social norms would have emphasised that the situation was very serious to a Victorian audience.
How has Jekyll been communicating with Poole to ask for “medicine”?
He writes “orders on a sheet of paper”, then throws them onto the stairs.
Why doesn’t Poole believe the person in the mask can have been Jekyll?
Poole says that the person in the mask is too small to be Jekyll. He says that Jekyll has a “tall fine build”, while the person in the mask was “more of a dwarf”.
What does Jekyll / Hyde do which shows he is in great distress?
A. He writes letters to Utterson
B. He is heard weeping
C. He eats a whole pizza
D. He stays in bed all day
B. Poole hears him “Weeping like a woman or a lost soul”.
Give an example from this chapter where Utterson takes charge.
He takes control when he comes up with the idea to break down the door and organises Jekyll’s servants. He gives orders such as “Call Bradshaw” and “Pull yourself together, Bradshaw” — these show that he is in charge of the situation.
Poole says that the pacing up and down in Jekyll’s cabinet must be caused by someone with “an ill-conscience”. What does this mean? Do you think Poole is right?
If someone has “an ill-conscience” they feel guilty about something — Poole believes that the person in the cabinet is pacing because they are guilty about having done something terrible. Poole is probably wrong about this — Hyde (the person pacing) is described as “pure evil”, which suggests he doesn’t feel any guilt. His restlessness is actually caused by his desperation to get the potion, which he needs so he can transform back into Jekyll and avoid the law.
Which of these best describes the cabinet when Utterson and Poole break in?
A. ordinary
B. creepy
C. modern
D. chaotic
A. The room is described as being “the most commonplace” in London.
How can Utterson tell that Hyde died by suicide?
He has a “crushed phial” in his hand. There is also a “strong smell of kernels” (seeds) in the room. These clues indicate that he has taken cyanide, a type of poison.
True or False? Utterson is eager to read the letter from Jekyll immediately.
False. Poole asks why Utterson hasn’t read the letter, and Utterson says it is because he’s afraid.
What change does Utterson discover that Jekyll has made to his will in this chapter?
Jekyll names Utterson as heir to everything he owns instead of Hyde.
How does Stevenson make the events of this chapter seem horrifying? Talk about the language he uses in your answer.
- The character’s exaggerated
reactions to what is happening make
the events of the chapter seem more
horrifying. For example, the maid
breaks into “hysterical whimpering”
and the Cook cries “Bless God!”
when Utterson arrives. Their
reactions suggest something scary
and unnatural has occurred. - The description of Hyde’s body as
being “sorely contorted” is horrific —
it’s an unpleasant image and it
emphasises the pain he was in
before he died. The ordinary
description of Jekyll’s cabinet makes
the dead body seem more horrific by
comparison.
