Ch 8 Quotes Flashcards
“Down with the door Poole!”
The imperative verb down and the short exclamatory sentence shows how Utterson takes command of the situation, creating a sense of urgency as the climax of the novel is reached. In an attempt to break the door down where Hyde is commiting suicide, Utterson here no longer represses his emotions, displaying the deep sense of duty he feels to protect his client, but most importantly his friend, Jekyll. Stevenson is suggesting that the honourable traits of Utterson, loyalty, is what should be valued in a Victorian gentleman, as friendship is more valuable than upholding a reputation.
“still twitching”
Hyde destroys both the physical and mental aspects of Jekyll. It is Hyde’s body left at the end, not Jekyll’s. This displays that the accumulation of repression inevitably results the superior dominance of Hyde. So arguably, Hyde does destroy Jekyll
“a masked thing like a monkey”
Poole refers to Hyde as this, creating a sense of de-evolution, as if Hyde is a lower form of human life. This simile evokes uneasiness in the Victorian reader, as The theory of evolution was very controversial as it threatened the teachings if the Church.
