analysis of quotes J&H Flashcards
man is not truly one but truly two
Chapter 10:
- Jekyll recognises that within every person there is a constant battle between the two sides of their nature
- ‘man’ is plural, this would have been shocking for a victorian audience as it showed how all reputable men had a darker inside
- the adverb “truly” is almost biblical and adds a grave, serious tone to what Jekyll says, shows how religion is overcome by science
My devil had long been caged and it came out roaring
Chapter 10: metaphor
- the possesive pronoun “my” shows how Jekyll takes possesion over Hyde and recognises that he is part of him
- the reference to Hyde as “devil” shows his evil nature and how he is connected to hell
- the verb “caged” refers to the Victorian obsession with reputation and suppression and links it to the ultimate result: terror and crime
- the adjective “roaring” connotates with predators like lions to show the bloody and aggressive conseuence of suppression-he has hit his breaking point, resulting in an outburst of anger
Satan’s signature upon a face
Chapter 2:
- the alliteration “Satan’s signature” is full of sibilance creating a hissing sound like a snake or serpent creating onomatopoeia for Hyde’s devilish nature
- the use of the noun “signature” shows how Hyde is made by the devil adn signed, alomst owned by him
- this ironically presents Jekyll as the devil as he made Hyde, this is even more ironic as he did so to be less evil and almost export his temptations
If he be Mr Hyde, I shall be Mr Seek
Chapter 2:
- links Utterson to the role of a detetive making the “strange case” a criminal rather than a medical case
- the verb “shall” shows his determination to protect his friend Jekyll
trampled calmly
Chapter 1:
- oxymoron
- shows how Hyde is “calm” whily committing crimes implying his relaxed conscience and removal of social pressures
- this juxtaposition creates tension and absolute abjection towards Hyde as he carries out the deed unaffectedly
hardly human
Chapter 2:
- alliteration od respirational h-sound creates heavy breathing which tricks a reader into thinking they have been exercising or running away from something almost forcing them to believe Hyde is something to run away from
- the adverb “hardly” suggests that Hyde is almost on the border as if he was almost too uncivilised
- the adjective (in this context) “human” refers to Darwin’s theory of evolution and the racial superiority of human beigns
It was Hyde, after all, and Hyde alone that was guilty
Chapter 10:
- repetition of “Hyde” reinforces the idea of his guilt in the reader’s mind
- the adjective “alone” emphasises this
- Jekyll draws a clear distinction between his and Hyde’s actions
- the adjective “guilty” links to the theme of responsibility and blames Hyde
He was wild when he was young
Chapter 2:
- the alliteration gives a nostalgic but also dramatic tone to the phrase the phrase “when he was young” adds to this effect
- the adjective “wild” can be interpreted in multiple ways: one might see it as the generel revolt against social standard another might see it as a reference to homosexuality, which is later expresses through Hyde
- in context of the Chapter this is the ground on whih the belief of blackmailing is founded
The ghost of some old sin, the cancer of some concealed disgrace
Chapter 2:
- the noun “ghost” reders to something mortifies and suppresses but still there in almost a transparent for shadowing over the behaviour. This might refer to our primitive, ape-like roots linking to Darwin’s theory of evolution or Freud’s id.
- “ghost” also connotates woth death giving the phrase a sinister tone linking it to hell
- the adjectives “some old” create a distance between the deeds and the current self. The repetition of the quantitative adjectove emphasises this.
- the noun “sin” links to the day of judgement and hell, again bringing a sinister tone. This links to the “chief of sinners” and suggests an evil deed
- the noun “cancer” has connotations with both a terminal disease and a zodiac sign. the terminal illness again links the phrase to death but also to a parasitic tumor one cannot get rif of, something that grows inside without one knowing like the “concealed” emotions of Vitorian gentlemen. The people born with the zodiac sign “cancer” are said to be very intuitive contrasting the suppressed emotions of the Victorian gentlemen.
- the adjective “concealed” with is sibilance creates a sharp cutting sound almost cutting open a wound and spilling those emotions. It refers the the suppressed emotions of the Victorian upper class and has connotations with covering up flaws
- the noun “disgrace” has connotations with something impure and out of place, which needs to be hidden
I concealed my pleasures
Chapter 10:
- the adjective “concealed” with is sibilance creates a sharp cutting sound almost cutting open a wound and spilling those emotions. It refers the the suppressed emotions of the Victorian upper class and has connotations with covering up flaws
- the noun “pleasures” suggest the suppressed emotions of Victorian gentlemen but might explicitly link to sexualit or even homosexulity to corform to society
- the possesive pronoun “my” shows how Dr Jekyll takes ownership and almost reconciles hiself with his past
Last good influence in the lives of downgoing men
Chapter 1:
- this foreshadows Jekyll’s tragedy
- being the “last good influence” displays Utterson as a reputable gentleman
- the plural “lives” suggests a rgularity presenting him as charitable and good
- the adjective “downgoing” suggests a decsent in status or reputation which would have been terrifying for a Victorian audience
and yet somehow lovable
Chapter 1:
- the adjective “lovable” suggests affection for Utterson initiating him as a good character with heroic
- the adverb “yet” creates a sense of implication and conclusion of logical reasoning
- the adverb “somehow” personalised that conclusion to ever reader almost creating a personal realtionship to the character
“morbid sense of shame”
Jekyll’s hidden desires cause him to feel guilt, so he tries to repress these desires and he feels a “morbid sense of shame” - this shows how he feels he has dishonoured the society that he lives in, and he feels embarrassed of his secret activities.
“to a profound duplicity of life”
His engagement with science, and his guilt thereafter, is often linked to the rigorous Christian ideals that citizens were expected to uphold, causing guilt and shame for those who did not conform to the Victorian ideals prescribed to them.
As a result of his dual interests, Jekyll finds himself committed “to a profound duplicity of life” which is why making a potion to split his two sides appeals to him so much, and he pursues the transformation into Hyde as a result.
“Duplicity” means to be disloyal, or to be unfaithful- so this implies that Jekyll is disloyal to the Christian upper-class community he lives in.
“Both sides of me [good and evil] were in dead earnest; I was no more myself when I laid aside restraint and plunged in shame
Jekyll writes in chapter 10 how his experiments have failed, and he is ashamed of his failures.
His former self cannot be recreated, because we cannot exist without having both good and evil within us:
