Henry Jekyll Flashcards
In what ways is Dr Henry Jekyll a pillar of society
- appears to be good and respectable as he’s “well known and highly considered” because of his charitable work
- he’s sociable and friendly with “every mark of capacity and kindness” holding dinner parties and such forth
- he carries his “head high” in public and is fond of the respect” people give him
What does Jekyll worry about because of his respectable appearance
he worries about his hidden desires - he thinks they are far worse
What does his guilt of his hidden desires make him do
his guilt of leading a “double life” makes him create a “deeper trench” than most people between his good side and his bad side, hiding his desires with an “almost morbid sense of shame”
His guilt make him create what
a potion that splits his two sides which as a result committed him to a “profound duplicity of life” but “relieved [him] of all that was unbearable”
How does Jekyll’s guilt criticise Victorian society
Jekyll’s excessive sense of guilt for what he sees as his “faults” may be a criticism of the pressures Victorian society placed on people to appear respectable
What evidence is there to show Jekyll is a man of science
Jekyll’s experiments in “transcendental medicine” show that he’s a brilliant scientist. However, his research is controversial - he’s lost respect of Dr Lanyon because of his “unscientific balderdash” which was similar to many Victorian scientific studies that challenged religious beliefs, as Jekyll uses science to lead a life free from sin.
Something to note
Jekyll name may reflect his shortcoming in the book as Je in French means I and kyll kill, becoming I kill.
