General

Question 1

Discuss the title

Answer 1

• The title foreshadows what is going to happen in the novel.
• The name of the protagonist (Dr Jekyll) and the antagonist (Mr Hyde) are placed close to each other. It is further suggested that there is a class diference between the two: Dr Jekyll belongs to the middle class and Mr Hyde belongs to the lower class.
• The conjunction ‘and’ indicates that the two characters are in some way connected.
• The word ‘case’ suggests a scientifc experiment and the title of Dr Jekyll further enforces the idea that science is going to be important.
• The word ‘strange’ suggests that the supernatural will also play a role

Question 2

What is the setting of the novel

Answer 2

The novel is set in London at the end of the nineteenth century.

Question 3

Discuss the importance of the 2 main settings

Answer 3

• DR JEKYLL: lives in a fancy townhouse in a street with similar houses. The house has an ‘open fre’ in the front hall, not only in its main rooms. This suggests his wealth and his warm and inviting personality. Jekyll’s reputation is very important to him and his living conditions refect this. The laboratory is also associated with Jekyll. The laboratory is described as ‘sinister block of buildings’, in an alley street, where the windows are covered and the door has not been cleaned. Jekyll uses the back door to enter his house, when he has transformed into Hyde.
• MR HYDE: lives in Soho, a down market part of London, that was infamous area for robbers,
  poor people and prostitutes.

Question 4

Discuss the use of nature in this novel

Answer 4

• Nature is also used to create atmosphere.
• There is often mention of the fog that comes rolling in and literally hiding some of the characters.
• In the fnal chapters the fog becomes a horrible storm.
• This adds to the sense of evil and mystery when Poole takes Utterson to the house of Jekyll.

Question 5

What type of narrator/s is used in this novel

Answer 5

The novel is written from Mr Utterson’s point of view, except for the last two chapters. The narrator is anonymous and speaks in the third person.

Question 6

What is the tone of the novel

Answer 6

The tone is formal and fts with the theme of respectability.

Question 7

What is the mood of the novel

Answer 7

The mood or atmosphere is created by descriptions of the surroundings, especially referring to the fog and the moonlight.