Dr Jekyll Themes Flashcards
How is appearance vs reality shown
This is shown through chapter 1 (the story of the door). Enfield state that ‘the fellow had a key’ (Hyde) he is able to transcend balance between appearance and reality..
This is also shown though ‘shady lawyers’ ironic since lawyers are meant to serve justice however ‘shady’ connotes a sinister description.
Hyde is ‘none the less natural’ to Jekyll both van be evil. Stevenson refuses to tell us what Hyde looks like to not focus on the evil appearance but evil actions (questions society).
‘The large handsome face of Dr Jekyll … there was a blackness about his eyes-Stevenson uses
How is duality shown in the humans
Steveson presents both Jekyll and Hyde as two juxtaposing characters and later on reveals that they are the same person (shocks Victorian London) ‘man is not truly one but truly two’- Jekyll
‘All humans beings ,,, are commingled out of good and evil. The word ‘commingled’ merges the word ‘combined and ‘ mingled’ to emphasise how it is impossible for humans to be only good or evil.
Dr Jekyll and Hyde is then most obvious form of duality. Stevenson uses juxtaposing imagery in ‘child of hell’. The noun ‘child’ displays innocene whereas ‘hell’ shows evil.
Hydes maid had an ‘evil face … but her manners were excellent’-duality of good vs evil bound within one person
‘Polar twins’ evil and good can’t be removed - they exist together.
‘Solution of bonds of obligation’- Becoming Hyde frees Jekyll of the restrictions created by society
‘Braced and delighted me like wine’-being Hyde seen as being sinful (addiction) by the victorian audience however Stevenson believes that acting only your temptaions is justifiable
How is duality shown in settings
Theme of duality on Victorian London. It is divided between reputable areas which are close to areas of poverty. This is shown by the city havin ‘an air of invitation’ juxtaposed by the ‘sinsiter block of buildings’.
‘Wore a great air of wealth and comfort though it was now plunged in darkness’-metaphorical personificstion for the house wearing ‘wealth’ however is plunged in evil ‘darkness’
Third person narrator and perspectives of Jekyll and Lanyons adds to not only the horror but also the idea of duality (mutiple ways to look at everything)
How is friendship shown
Steven showns that true friendship is admirable and presents Jekyll as a welcoming sociable man.
‘friendships seemed to be founded in a similar catholicity of good nature’- verb ‘founded’ connotes security and longevity and ‘catholicity’ has religiousn connotations which adds to the readers impression of Utterson’s morality
‘Henry Jeykll became too fanciful for me’- Stevenson uses temporal deixis ‘became’ emphasises the extent of their disagreement and suggests the distance grew over time
Stevenson wants to express to society to be more open (less taboo: decline of christianity and homosexuality)
Stevenson shows that friendship is more important then societies values (reputation,religion)-society of friendship would be better
How is good vs evil shown
‘fell out of me, as it falls with so vast a majority… I choose the better part’- Stevenson dissgrees with the views of society. He believes the temptations which Hyde can do freely is good and that society views are unatural
How is religion shown
Religion was universal in society and especially in Victorian London.
Gothic fiction has religious references which serve to highlight immoral events.
Biblical allusions such as ‘really like Satan’, ‘Cain’s heresy’ used.
Stevenson refers to the biblical Cain and Abel story where Cain kills Abel due to jealousy. The two brothers is symbolic of duality in Jekyll and Hyde (evil is intrinsic to human nature)
In Jekylls confession he refers to the ‘law of life’. Connotations of justice in ‘law’ juxtaposed with ‘life’ implies that he sees society to be at odds with God.
Stevenson could be interpreted to mock religion shown by his hyperbolic descriptions in ‘usurp the offices of life’ and Hydes evil ‘the slime of the pit’. He wants to display how he believes christianity is wrong (for science)
How is repression shown
Homosexuality is taboo in Victorian society- Utterson seen as homosexual since he has a dream of Jekyll ‘lay[ing] asleep’. All male characters are single and possibly homosexual- Stevenson believes repression in society is wrong and people shouldn’t be demonsied for different beliefs.
Restrained formal tone to express violence ‘man trampled calmly’ and ‘something displeasing’ due to Victorian society views- reader forced to imagine. However this is contrastes by the murder of Carew e.g auditory imagery ‘audibly shattered’ to displsy the immense violence Hyde has erupted from Jekylls repression
‘Worst of my faults … has made the happiness of many’- repression is a societal issue not just personsal to the character
How is science shown
Stevenson looks at the theme of evolution (Darwin’s theory of evolutionj) - humans have id thought (animal like)
Victorians believe that our id thoughts are part of our character. The evil is akin to our ancestors.
Steven potrays Hyde to attack God shown through ‘ape-like tricks’ and writes ‘blasphemies’ to God which shocks the Victorian audience. However, he kills of Dr Jekyll (evil) and leaves behind Utterson who is evil and good
Both relgion and science are seen to clash shown by Lanyon describing Jekylls work as ‘unscientific bakderdash’-highlighting the conflict between Lanyon (religion) and Jekyll (science)
How is supernatural shown
Stevenson creates his own gothic creature by showing Hdye. However , makes him even more terrifying shown by the representation of him as both supernatural and human.
Hyde’s acts of violence are seen to be supernatural. They are all unprovoked and devoid of emotion shown by ‘trampled calmly over the child’s body’ aggressive verb ‘trampled ‘used with the adverb ‘calmly’ shows Hyde’s deatachmenr from his actions
Pathetic fallacy used to emphasise the supernatural aspect of the text. The sinister setting is highlighted by the unatural weather and setting ‘the fog still kept on the wing about the drowned city’ -sibilance also reinforce the sinister setting. Addironslly, the streets of Victorian London seen to be a ‘labyrinth of lamp-lighted city’ (unatural greek mythological maze)
Hyde is also seen to have an unatural effect on others shown by his actions resulted in women to act as ‘wild as harpies’ ‘ Sawbones turned sick and white with the desire to kill him’- his purely evil nature brings out the worst in people
How is hypocriscy/secrecy of reputation shown
Characters in the novella are potrayed to keep sercrecy in order to avoid damaging their reputation.
Stevenson uses olfactory imagery in the metaphor ‘ make his name stink from one end of London to the other’ to show Jekylls reputation could be tarnished.
Utterson- ‘it turns me cold to think of this creature stealing like a theifmto Harry’s bedside’- metaphor ‘turn me cold’ and animalistic connotations of ‘creature’ highlights the criminality of the act (need for secrecy)
Jekyll has given up on his secrecy ‘I wish you to judge me entirely .. I have lost confidence in myself’-no longer cares about retaining his reputation
How is violence shown
Stevenson creates the victims of Hyde to be innocent to display Hyde’s act as barbaric to the Victorian audience.
‘The man trampled calmly over the child’s body’- shown as a passive disregard for human life
Hyde’s murder of Carew shows a disregard of upper class society dhown bybthe metaphor and auditory imagery in ‘this will make a deal od noise’- Stevenson critical of society
Chapter4- ‘All of a sudden he broke out in a great flame of anger’- ‘all of a sudden’ show the quick to change of Hyde’s aggression the adjective ‘broke’ connotes how his anger was entrapped perhaps Stevenson is trying to suggest that reputable people should have a way to relieve themselves without being going against societal rules. ‘Great flame of anger’ metaphor to emphasise his violence (spreading/overpowering)
Women acted as ‘wild as harpies’ and ‘Sawbones turned sick and white with the desire to kill him’- Hyde causes others to be violent from his actions
Maid and young girl fit the gothicncharcter archetype of the innocent female- ‘trampled’ girls (women seen to be reduced) and ‘stresming tears’ emphasises irrational women. Stevenson either criticises feminity in society or is being critical towards women in society
How is femininity shown
Women are excluded as main characters
Chapter 8- ‘never bad she felt more at peace with all men- cynical and satirical description of the maid viewing the murder (she is delighted by it). Stevenson accuses women audience to be bloodthirsty reinforced by the brutal imagery used during the murder ‘body jumping upon the roadway’
Women are seen to be just like men (dual nature) ‘manners were excellent’ although ‘had an evil face’. Addirionally , ‘a flash od odious joy’ appeared on the womens face when Hyde is in trouble. Stevenson mocks the female reader
How is addiction shown
In victorian England drug taking was legal (opium)
Jekyll seen to be addicted to Hyde ‘ever day … twide … thrice in the same day’ and even knew well that he would ‘risk death’ if it controlled his identity.
Stevenson wants to point out dangers of addiction. However , ‘fotress [ holy] of identity’ can be interprted as a myth and Stevenson accepts drugs since it helps to facilitate creative thinking.
