dr lanyon Flashcards
summary of the character of dr lanyon
he provides the voice of scientific skepticism which balances out the wild and experimental attitudes of Dr Jekyll. He is also the first person to witness Jekyll’s transformation into Hyde. He serves as the voice of tangible, material science rather than the metaphysical science which Dr Jekyll practices.
his research is able to coexist with religion and spirituality
, Lanyon sticks to his beliefs and morals and distances himself from Dr Jekyll after discovering his experiments with Hyde. This demonstrates his dedication to reason and how much he values rationality and integrity
‘i felt bound to do as he requested’
‘welcomed him with both hands’
This shows Dr Lanyon is a faithful friend to Jekyll, despite falling out over scientific differences.
‘bound’ - sense of ongoing respect
Suggests his character is kind and respectful and symbolic of a Victorian gentleman. It also shows him to be a warm character.
jekyll became too fanciful for me
-jekylls relationship with lanyon
“Jekyll became too fanciful for me” ● Hints that Dr Lanyon is traditional and remains stanch in the reason, rationale and integrity of traditional science.
He is used to demonstrate the extremes that exist in the realm of scientific research. His role within the text is as a foil to Jekyll and he is used to highlight the absurdities in some of Jekyll’s experimentation.
It also foreshadows the end of the novella, when Hyde becomes all-consuming and Jekyll can no longer control him. The fricatives employed in “fanciful” creates a harsh tone to his rejection of Jekyll.
- Lanyon and Jekyll had a disagreement over the “unscientific balderdash” Jekyll begins to experiment with (which results in the creation of Hyde) and their friendship never recovered. They are both scientists, however Lanyon evidently prefers materialistic science, whereas Jekyll dabbles in a more metaphysical side of the topic.
