Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - Plot Summaries + Structure

Question 1

Give an overview of the entire plot

Answer 1

1. Enfield tells Utterson about a young being trampled by an evil looking man, Mr Hyde
2. He later finds out that Dr Jekyll is friends with Hyde
3. Utterson visits their mutual friend, Lanyon to ask for his opinion. Lanyon says that he no longer speaks to Jekyll over scientific differences
4. 1 year later, a maid witnesses Carew be beaten to death by Hyde in an unprovoked attack
5. Lanyon gives Utterson a letter to not be opened before Jekyll is dead, Lanyon soon dies from shock soon after
6. Poole visits Utterson and they decide to break down the door of Jekyll’s laboratory. They find Hyde’s body along with a letter written by Dr Jekyll to Utterson
7. Lanyon’s letter says that Hyde came to his house and drank a potion causing him to transform into Jekyll
8. Jekyll’s letter contains his confession that he made a drug causing his transformation into his evil side. He found that he was less able to turn back into Jekyll and later ran out of his drug. He knows that after writing the letter he will no longer be able to turn back.

Question 2

What does Scene 1 do?

Answer 2

First introduction to Hyde so shapes perceptions of him and introduces key themes

Question 3

How does Scene 1 introduce duality?
(‘the street shone out…’)

Answer 3

• ‘the street shone out in contrasts to its dingy neighbourhood’. (theme of duality). Links to the interpretation of the novella as a metaphor for the division seen in Stevenson’s contemporary Edinburgh. The sibilance’s used in ‘street shone’ implies that the presence of this duality poses an underlying threat

Question 4

How does Scene 1 introduce Mr Hyde?
(‘some damned…’, ‘something displeasing…’, ‘a strong feeling…’

Answer 4

• ‘some damned Juggernaut’. The satanic connotations ‘damned’ are juxtaposed against the omnipotent connotations of ‘Juggernaut’. This implies that Hyde is unrestricted by conventional ideas of religious morality
• ‘something displeasing, something downright detestable’ The repetition of ‘something’ implies that Hyde is more of a thing than a being.
• Described as giving ‘a strong feeling of deformity’ - The ambiguity created by ‘feeling’ establishes an impressions of uncertainty surrounding Hyde.
• Stevenson’s characterisations of Hyde as mysterious is a detective novel convention he has ‘borrowed’ in his work of gothic fiction

Question 5

What does Scene 2 do?

Answer 5

Stevenson creates a sense of foreboding by introducing Dr Jekyll in the context of his will

Question 6

How does Scene 2 introduce Dr Jekyll in his will?
(‘all his possessions were to…’

Answer 6

• ‘all his possessions were to pass into the hands of his ‘friend and benefactor Edward Hyde’ ‘ - Links Hyde and the death of Jekyll from the outset, foreshadowing Jekyll’s ruin
• By giving all of Jekyll’s qualifications in his will, his high rank and respectability are shown. He can be aligned with conventional expectations of the Victorian gentleman.

Question 7

What does Scene 3 do?

Answer 7

Lanyon reveals his opinions of Jekyll, further intriguing Utterson as well as the reader

Question 8

How does Scene 3 present Lanyon and Jekyll?
(‘Cavendish square…’, ‘tramps slouched…’, ‘unscientific…’, ‘little spirit…’)

Answer 8

• Lanyon is presented as a reliable source through him living in ‘Cavendish square, that citadel of medicine’ contrasting the earlier description of Jekyll living closer to less reputable part of London (‘tramps slouched into the recess’)
• Lanyon refers to Jekyll’s ‘unscientific balderdash’. As Jekyll and Hyde was written in 1885 and Darwin’s theory of evolution was published in 1859, people’s scientific views were a contentious issue at the time so despite Utterson’s dismissal of their argument as a ‘little spirit ol’ temper’, a contemporary reader would be aware of the significance of Lanyon’s distaste towards Jekyll.

Question 9

What does Scene 4 do?

Answer 9

Although the trampling of the girl is horrific, the murder of Carew is the first act of evil that the reader ‘witnesses’ creating more horror

Question 10

How does Scene 4 present Hyde and reputation?
(‘ape-like..’, ‘this will make…’)

Answer 10

• ‘ape-like fury’. This simile has animalistic connotations and alludes to Darwin’s work
• The police officer states that ‘this will make a deal of noise’ this use of metaphorical language shows how Hyde has disregarded Carew’s high status in his act of violence. It shows Victorian society preoccupation with rank

Question 11

What does Scene 5 do?

Answer 11

Stevenson gives the reader few details of the death of Lanyon, creating mystery and also implicating Jekyll further

Question 12

How does Scene 5 present gothic conventions?
(He has his death-warrant…’, ‘Utterson could not…’)

Answer 12

• ‘He had his death-warrant written legibly upon his face’ - fatalistic connotations create an impressions of foreboding, a metaphor too which fulfils gothic convention
• ‘Utterson could not trust his eyes’ - the idea of characters being betrayed by their sense is a typical gothic trope and adds to the mysteriousness of the scene. It is significant that it is Utterson who experiences this as he previously represented rationality

Question 13

What does Scene 6 do?

Answer 13

This scene 6 is the climax of the novella, all of the reader’s fears and suspicions are relieved at this point, creating a feeling of catharsis

Question 14

How does Scene 6 create fear in the reader?
(‘A dismal screech, as of mere…’, ‘the body of a man sorely..’)

Answer 14

• ‘A dismal screech, as of mere animal terror, rang from the cabinet’ - the auditory imagery of ‘screech’ connotes an owl, an animal commonly featured in gothic literature. ‘Mere animal terror’ reduces both Jekyll and Hyde to a creature of instinct, leaving this as their legacy
• ‘the body of a man sorely contorted and still twitching.’ - the hard consonants in ‘contorted’ as well as the use of continuous verb ‘twitching’ shows his discomfort in death and sits uncomfortably with the reader

Question 15

What does Scene 7 do?

Answer 15

The first scene in which the true identity of Hyde is revealed

Question 16

How does Scene 7 present Jekyll?
(‘like a man restored..’, ‘my soul…’)

Answer 16

• ‘like a man restored from death - there stood Henry Jekyll’ - the religious connotations of resurrection contrast with the previous scenes which emphasises the amoral content of the novel. This a key feature of the fin de siècle gothic genre.
• The horrific consequences of Jekyll’s revealment to Lanyon is further shown through the alterative sibilance in ‘my soul sickened’

Question 17

What does Scene 8 do?

Answer 17

Whilst the rest of the novel can be seen as a detective case, this chapter acts as a confessions by Jekyll, it is arguably the most significant chapter as all of the unknowns of the rest of the text are finally explained

Question 18

How does Scene 8 present repression, Hyde and isolation?
(‘compound man’s…’, ‘Edward Hyde, alone…’,)

Answer 18

• ‘compound man’s dual nature’ - this links to theme of repression and shows Jekyll’s awareness of the duality present in human nature
• ‘Edward Hyde, alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil’ - shows that Hyde is the embodiment of all the evil in Jekyll’s character, ‘alone in the ranks of mankind’ links to the theme of theme of isolation and suggests that Jekyll felt isolated in his role as the stereotypical Victorian

Question 19

How is the novella overall structured?

Answer 19

• The reader is disclosed information at the same time as Mr Utterson, adding mystery
• Follows a conventional dramatic structure, the intensity increases and decreases:
  1. Exposition: Intros the main characters and setting (Enfield tells Utterson the tale of Hyde trampling the girl)
  2. Rising action: Events of the story increase in intensity and more conflict is introduced (contents of Jekyll’s will and Utterson confronts him)
  3. Climax - Carew murdered and Jekyll’s lab door is broken down
  4. Falling action - Characters deal with the events (Lanyon’s narrative reveals Hyde)
  5. Denouement - Truth revealed and conflict is solved (Jekyll’s letter)

Question 20

How does the fact it is a detective fiction affect the story?

Answer 20

• The title alludes to the story being a detective fiction but it revolves around people’s lives and friendships, subverts the reader’s expectation
• The form is similar is a conventional detective novel. Crime is committed at the beginning, and a trial of clues are left, is then solved.
• Stevenson manipulates the genre by revealing the name of the criminal from the outset but leaving his true identity a secret. Most contain a plot twist, like Jekyll’s confession

Question 21

How does the narration perceptive affect the story?

Answer 21

• Chapter 1-8 focus’s on Utterson, acting as the detective. These are written in the 3rd person, creating the impression that he is reliable (reinforces by his characterisation)
• Chapter 9 is a letter by Lanyon in first person. As this is the 1st chapter in 1st person it indicative of an unreliable narrator and foreshadows the forthcoming irrational events, defying the readers expectation
• The text ends in 1st person letter by Jekyll, summarises all event from is viewpoint. This is the resounding impression left on the reader, creating sympathy towards Jekyll. The letter also emphasises the non-linear narrative of the novel

Question 22

How does the novel being in the epistolary form affect the story?

Answer 22

• By including the letter in the narrative, Stevenson adopts the epistolary form. His use of documents (wills and letters) increases tension by adding to the impression of the book being an investigation. Epistolary form is often used in other works of gothic literature, like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
• The documents cause the reader to question Utterson’s narrative, e.g. Jekyll’s testimony could be seen as more trustworthy than Utterson as they are documented. The ‘officiality’ of documents is enforced as they concern 3 reputable members of society.