Enfield

Question 1

Enfield quotes:

Answer 1

• “I was coming home from some place at the end of the world, about three o’clock of a black winter morning”
• “The more it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask”

Question 2

What themes does the quote “I was coming home from some place at the end of the world, about three o’clock of a black winter morning” link with?

Answer 2

• Duality
• Repression
• Appearance vs reality
• Friendship + loyalty

Question 3

Analyse “I was coming home from some place at the end of the world, about three o’clock of a black winter morning”

Answer 3

• Enfield, though appearing as the epitome of respectability, possesses a concealed duality that subtly parallels the extreme dichotomy of Jekyll. The setting of “three o’clock of a back winter morning” implies secrecy or scandal as the early hours of the morning are typically reserved for more undignified activities. Juxtaposed against Utterson’s adherence to the curfew dictated by the church bells, Enfield breaches his respectability in subtle ways.
• Stevenson, through his subtle contrast, introduces the novella’s central theme: the duplicity inherent in the Victorian ideal. The seemingly upstanding gentleman, often possesses a hidden, potentially scandalous side, shattering the myth of unwavering respectability

Question 4

What themes does the quote “the more it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask” link with?

Answer 4

• Duality
• Repression
• Appearance vs reality
• Friendship + loyalty

Question 5

Analyse “the more it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask”

Answer 5

• “Queer street” serves as a colloquial expression, accentuating the camaraderie and shared understanding between Utterson and Enfield through informal language
• However, even as Enfield dismisses his curiosity, the phrase hints at the perpetual facade of sanitised camaraderie among Victorian men, where propriety constantly impedes genuine connections
• The euphemism “Queer street” hints at a deliberate avoidance of confronting the truth and acknowledging the gravity of the atrocities he has witnessed
• Enfield subtly vilifies curiosity, insinuating that Utterson’s investigative nature may defy societal norms. Despite his nuanced duality evidenced by his early morning strolls at “three o’clock in the morning”, he remains bound to upholding Victorian conventions