Duality Flashcards
Settings - Duality
Contrast between H’s neighbourhood and his house. U notes the “ragged children” and “slatternly passengers” as he goes through Soho. Rough and dilapidated buildings with women openly drinking gin and prostitutes loitering - bad image
H’s house is “elegant”, furnished with “Luxury and good taste”. Contrast between average working class victorian and a wealthy doctor like J who furnished H’s house. Two polar opposites can coexist in such close proximity.
Juxtaposition of J’s house. Front exudes a “great air of wealth and comfort”, back door has an air of “negligence”. - “Dingy” cabinet which is “windowless” - prison/trapped image. Inspo from John Hunter, a wealthy surgeon who snuck dead bodies in through his back door.
Repression - Duality
All characters in the novella have some aspect of duality to their character.
U - had done “many ill things” despite being a “good influence” now
E - “coming home from some place at the end of the world, about three o’clock”
L - despite his “genuine feeling”,he is shown to be angry and hold grudges - “Damon and Pythias”
Have to hide these parts of themselves to fit into society
Jekyll - Duality
J’s motivations to separate these 2 sides of him. Felt he needed a guilt-free outlet for all his secret fantasies that he had to hide his whole life. H would allow him to take part in this without consequence or conscience. Wanted the “unjust” to “go his way” whereas the “just” would “walk steadfastly and securely on his upward path”. J would continue to prosper while H committed crimes.
Also motivated by the desire to make a life changing discovery in “mystic and transcendental” medicine for other men who struggles with the restrictions of a morally right life. Shows J was so desparate to have an outlet for his sins that he “laboured” to create a drug that allows him to physically and mentally change so that he could freely be himself.
“I stood already committed to a profound duplicity of life.” - he was already indulging in these desires
Jekyll & Hyde - Duality
Hyde is described as “troglodytic” or “ape-like”, linking to Darwin’s theory of evolution. Stevenson fed into common victorian fears and portrayed the horror that an upstanding citizen like J came from an “animalistic” being, and that man’s true form is one of violence and sin.
Hyde is “despised and friendless” however when J is in H’s form he feels “younger, lighter” and “happier”.
J was “radically both” of these parts of him. Even though J’s life sounds more desirable to the reader, J is stuck between which side he should choose - very human struggle.
Hyde is id - lacking “balancing instincts” (eg when he “Mauled” carew and had a “song upon his lips”
J’s conscience is the superego - “gratitude and remorse”, forcing him to “smother” the “hideous images” - H has cursed his life but he still struggles between something so abhorrent and something so attractive.
