Friendship and Loyalty Flashcards
-lies and deciet/ isolation
-Gay favouritism
-Repression and Respectability in Male Friendships
-Conflict between morality and loyalty to secrecy
In Jekyll and Hyde, Stevenson subtly explores repressed homoerotic desire through Utterson’s intense attachment to Jekyll, which seems to surpass his relationship with Lanyon and appears rooted in admiration for Jekyll’s charm and appearance. This quiet obsession reflects the emotional secrecy expected of Victorian men, particularly in a society where homosexuality was criminalised (under laws like the 1885 Labouchere Amendment) and considered morally deviant. Stevenson, who lived a Bohemian lifestyle and often challenged conventional norms, may have used Utterson’s loyalty and fascination to critique how Victorian repression distorted natural affection between men.
Appearence:
Lanyon: “Hearty, healthy, dapper, red-faced gentleman, with a shock of hair prematurely white” chpt 2
Jekyll: “Large well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty”, “large handsome face” chpt 3
Treatement:
-“Fire”, “Laying his hanf upon the other’s arm” jekyll to Utterson chpt 3
-“Deep-seated terror of the mind”
-“Jekyll is ill too… have you seen him”
-“In God’s name go, for I cannot bear it” chpt 6
not defo quotes
In Jekyll and Hyde, Stevenson presents male friendships, particularly between Utterson, Jekyll, and Lanyon, as emotionally restrained and governed by the Victorian ideals of repression and respectability. Loyalty is expressed not through open affection but through discretion, silence, and the prioritisation of a friend’s reputation — mirroring the Victorian gentleman’s code and the societal fear of scandal. Stevenson critiques this emotional suppression by showing how such rigid expectations damage genuine human connection and enable dangerous secrecy.
Need for respectability and secrecy:
-“I inclain to Cain’s heresy” chpt 1
-“I am ashamed of my long tongue. Let us make a bargain never to refer to this again” Enfield chpt 1
Rare affections+ deep rooted loyalty:
-If he be Mr. Hyde… I shall be Mr. Seek” chpt 2
-“-you could see by his looks that he cherished for Mr. Utterson a sincere and warm affection.” chpt 3 Jekyll
In Jekyll and Hyde, Stevenson presents the breakdown of friendship as a consequence of secrecy and deceit, particularly in Jekyll’s withdrawal from both Utterson and Lanyon. Jekyll’s isolation reflects how Victorian expectations of repression and maintaining reputation led individuals to hide their true selves, ultimately damaging the very relationships that could have saved them. This tension critiques a society that valued appearance over authenticity, revealing how loyalty was undermined by the lies men told to protect their respectability.
Isolation:
-“He began to go wrong, wrong in the mind” chpt2
-“The door was shut against the lawyer.” chpt 6
Lying: (by ommision)
- “I cannot tell you.” Lanyon chpt 6
-“You must suffer me to go my own dark way” chpt 6 (in a letter to utterson by jekyll)
-“I concealed my pleasures.” chpt 10
In Jekyll and Hyde, Stevenson presents the inner conflict between loyalty to friends and a higher moral responsibility, especially through characters like Utterson and Lanyon. While Utterson remains loyal to Jekyll despite growing suspicions, Lanyon ultimately chooses moral truth over friendship, highlighting the tension between Victorian values of reputation and loyalty.This conflict reflects Stevenson’s critique of a society that prioritised outward respectability over confronting deeper moral truths — a society still shaped by rigid codes of honour and public image
Jekyll chooses friendship over victorian morals of respectability and secrecy:
-“This is a private matter, and I beg of you to let it sleep” jekyll chpt 3
-“If he be Mr. Hyde… I shall be Mr. Seek” chpt 2
Lanyon chooses morals over friendship:
- “Unscientific balderdash” chpt 2
-“I beg that you will spare me… whom I regard as dead.” lanyon chpt 6
