J&H Quotes

Question 1

This description of Utterson introduces a stereotypical 19th Century British gentleman - private and unemotional with a reserved personality

Answer 1

Chapter 1
“Cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary, and yet somehow loveable.

Question 2

Analysis
“Cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary, and yet somehow loveable.”

Answer 2

The alliteration of the “L” and “D” sounds are deep and heavy, mimicking the dull, tedious personality of Utterson

The adjectives used to describe Utterson emphasise the sort of life Jekyll later rejects - they have associations with boring, lacklustre lifestyle where the current way of life is never questioned

“Cold” and “embarrassed in discourse” highlight the value placed on privacy - it is this cloak of secrecy that allows Jekyll to experiment uninterrupted

Question 3

We have the first depiction of Hyde’s evil nature, and Stevenson deliberately inflicts it on a child to increase the reader’s fear of Hydes character

Answer 3

Chapter 1
“The man trampled calmly over the child’s body and left her screaming”
“it was like some damned Juggernaut”

Question 4

Analysis
“The man trampled calmly over the child’s body and left her screaming”
“it was like some damned Juggernaut”

Answer 4

The contrasting “man” against “child” is threatening, but the oxymoronic “trampled calmly” shows Hyde is naturally comfortable with violence

Referencing the “child’s body” dehumanises the victim, and the image of her “screaming” is a powerful sensual depiction of Hyde’s cruelty

“Damned” refers to Hyde’s sinful nature, with the image of “Juggernaut” suggesting a violent, powerful force surging forwards in an unstoppable manner

The adverb “calmly” displays how Hyde has no remorse for the girl and was so unforgiving which foreshadows how Hyde will become increasingly violent throughout the novel as his true nature shows from the very beginning

Question 5

Utterson contrasts with Jekyll, as he rigidly sticks to structure, order and rationality, maintaining a routine and socially acceptable lifestyle

Answer 5

Chapter 2
“A volume of some dry divinity on his reading-desk, until the clock of the neighbouring church rang out the hour of twelve, when he would go soberly and gratefully to bed”

Question 6

Analysis
“A volume of some dry divinity on his reading-desk, until the clock of the neighbouring church rang out the hour of twelve, when he would go soberly and gratefully to bed”

Answer 6

The heavy, dull alliteration of “d” in “dry divinity” refers to religious restrictions and lack of vibrancy that typifies Christianity in the 19th Century

Utterson’s reading material is a “volume”, suggesting many more volumes offering rules and restrictions as to how one should live

The church dictates when Utterson sleeps, which is without enthusiasm for a new day (“soberly”), and he is relieved that day is over (“gratefully”)

Question 7

Chapter 2
Hyde gave “an impression of deformity”

Answer 7

To a 19th century audience, he is seen as deformed as he is not of God’s creation but was instead created by the abuse of science.
Human beings were unable to imagine what an ungodly creature would like look and so therefore he only gave an “impression” of deformity.
This links to the theme of science vs religion as following the recently published Theory of Evolution, fear was created around this subject that the religious 19th Century audience may not have been created by God

Question 8

Jekyll’s cheerful and pleasant demeanour rapidly disappears when he is questioned about his will - the change from good to evil is disturbingly quick.

Answer 8

Chapter 3
“the large handsome face of Dr Jekyll grew pale to the very lips, and there came a blackness about his eyes”

Question 9

Analysis
“the large handsome face of Dr Jekyll grew pale to the very lips, and there came a blackness about his eyes”

Answer 9

The juxtaposition of Jekyll’s “handsome” face with his pale lips and dark eyes shows that man’s dual nature is not just a mental conflict, but also a physical one

“Pale” has associations with the death that comes later in the novel. The “blackness” of “his eyes” alludes to the darkness of Hyde’s soul.

Since Jekyll’s lips “grew” pale, and blackness “came…about” his eyes, the reader gets a sense of evil spreading over him uncontrollably

Question 10

Brutal, animalistic violence and evil fill this image - the almost inhuman destruction of another human life highlights the power of evil

Answer 10

Chapter 4
“The next moment”
“with ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot, and hailing down a storm of blows, under which the bones were audibly shattered”

Question 11

Analysis
“The next moment”
“with ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot, and hailing down a storm of blows, under which the bones were audibly shattered”

Answer 11

The simile “ape-like” gives Hyde strong animal characteristics but also suggests he has not yet evolved from animals, and as he inflicts a metaphorical “storm of blows” he is also seen as a brutal force of nature

Hyde’s victim becomes totally dehumanised - he is nothing more than “his victim” and “bones” rather than a person, and is “shattered”.

The swiftness of these actions is frightening - it all occurs in a “moment”

Question 12

Chapter 4
Stevenson describes the setting as a “chocolate pall, lowered over heaven”

Answer 12

“Pall” has a dual meaning of being a dense cloud or a shroud that is placed over someones face in the evnt of death. These two idea mirror that a violent death has just taken place and the movement of “lowered over heaven” reflects this death was untimely as Carew was murdered

Question 13

Jekyll inhabits a highly scientific environment, rejecting the simple pleasures of the old garden - he prefers the appeal of chemistry to the natural world

Answer 13

Chapter 5
“A yard which had once been a garden, to the building which was indifferently known as the laboratory or the dissecting-rooms”
“his own tastes being rather chemical than anatomical”

Question 14

Analysis
“A yard which had once been a garden, to the building which was indifferently known as the laboratory or the dissecting-rooms”
“his own tastes being rather chemical than anatomical”

Answer 14

This was once a “garden”, a natural, wholesome place of relaxation, but has been replaced by the scientific experimentation of “the laboratory”

Science was a threat to religion in the 19th Century as it often contradicted religious teachings. Jekyll’s “tastes being rather chemical” refers to the fact that he desires scientific exploration over Utterson’s “dry divinity”

The adverb “indifferently” reinforces ideas of privacy and secrecy - Jekyll commits horrific acts as people are “indifferent” to his actions.

Question 15

The reader is graphically shown the transformation of Lanyon and the physical deterioration of his person when he discovers Jekyll’s secret

Answer 15

Chapter 6
“He had his death-warrant written legibly upon his face. The rosy man had grown pale; his flesh had fallen away.”

Question 16

Analysis
“He had his death-warrant written legibly upon his face. The rosy man had grown pale; his flesh had fallen away.”

Answer 16

“Rosy man” has associations with vibrant colour and a natural, healthy lifestyle, which juxtaposes “pale” and its deathly connotations

The alliteration of the fluid “f” sound underlines the fact that Lanyon’s flesh is literally slipping from his bones, much like when Jekyll turns into Hyde

A “death-warrant” is an official document ordering an execution. Whilst “death-warrant” foreshadows the deaths of Lanyon and Jekyll, it also reminds us of the sins committed and the justice that must come

Question 17

Jekyll no longer controls Hyde’s appearances, and Jekyll’s sudden transformation causes extreme physical reactions from Utterson and Enfield.

Answer 17

Chapter 7
“The smile was struck out of his face and succeeded by an expression of such abject terror and despair”
“froze the very blood of the two gentlemen”

Question 18

Analysis
“The smile was struck out of his face and succeeded by an expression of such abject terror and despair”
“froze the very blood of the two gentlemen”

Answer 18

The sibilance in “smile was struck” quickens the pace with which the pleasant “smile” is replaced by “abject terror and despair”

“Smile” is a gentle image, and is removed forcefully and violently when it is “struck out”. Hyde causes a physical reaction in all he meets, and “froze the very blood” of two men we know to be sensible, rational gentlemen

“Succeeded” has associations with victory - there is a clear sense of a battle between good and evil, and here evil is victorious.

Question 19

Science and religion clash in a destructive manner - Hyde is animalistic, surrounded by science, and Poole turns to religion to make sense of it.

Answer 19

Chapter 8
“When that masked like a monkey jumped from among the chemicals and whipped into the cabinet, it went down my spine like ice…I give you my bible-word it was Mr Hyde!”

Question 20

Analysis
“When that masked like a monkey jumped from among the chemicals and whipped into the cabinet, it went down my spine like ice…I give you my bible-word it was Mr Hyde!”

Answer 20

Hyde is a non-human “thing” and is “masked”, hidden from society. Fear would be increased for 19th Century readers - he is “among the chemicals”, dangerous scientific experimentation that could challenge religion.

The simile “like a monkey” reinforces Hyde’s animalistic nature and again he has a physical effect on other people (“down my spine like ice”).

Religion is needed to try to make sense of this; Poole gives his “bible-word”

Question 21

Jekyll is often seen as a character who embraces science, which is dangerous enough - here we see an explicit, blasphemous rejection of religion

Answer 21

Chapter 8
“One lay beside the tea things open”
“Utterson was amazed to find…a copy of a pious work”
“Jekyll had several times expressed a great esteem, annotated, in his own hand, with startling blasphemies.”

Question 22

Analysis
“One lay beside the tea things open”
“Utterson was amazed to find…a copy of a pious work”
“Jekyll had several times expressed a great esteem, annotated, in his own hand, with startling blasphemies.”

Answer 22

The “tea things” are a traditional symbol of British manners - taken at a set time, it is a calm, gentlemanly occasion of respectability

Utterson has “great esteem” for strict, rigid religion - “pious” links to “dry divinity”. Jekyll rebels against rigidity in religion, shown in Hyde’s scribbles

The dual nature of man is evident in the juxtaposition of “pious” with the “blasphemies” in the book - Hyde startlingly rejects religious teachings

Question 23

Lanyon’s description of what he finds in Jekyll’s private cabinet is disturbing - Lanyon cannot make sense of it, and it is depicted as clearly dangerous

Answer 23

Chapter 9
“The phial…half full of blood-red liquor”
“was highly pungent”
“seemed” to contain “phosphorous and some volatile ether.”

Question 24

Analysis
“The phial…half full of blood-red liquor”
“was highly pungent”
“seemed” to contain “phosphorous and some volatile ether.”

Answer 24

Fear of science stemmed from its unknown qualities. “A”, “seemed” and “some” show even Dr Lanyon cannot make sense of Jekyll’s experiments.

Jekyll’s scientific exploration links to violence. “Blood-red” alludes to Hyde’s bloodshed, and “volatile” mimics the unstable nature of Jekyll and Hyde.

“Highly pungent” shows Jekyll offending the senses as well as our morals. His behaviour is literally and metaphorically rotten

Question 25

Lanyon struggles to articulate exactly what Hyde is - even standing in front of him, the description is clearly not human

Answer 25

Chapter 9
“something abnormal and misbegotten” about
“the creature that now faced me - something seizing, surprising and revolting”

Question 26

Analysis
“something abnormal and misbegotten” about
“the creature that now faced me - something seizing, surprising and revolting”

Answer 26

The sibilance in “something seizing, surprising” is a traditionally gothic sound, creating a sinister tone of fear, terror and menace.

Hyde’s effect on Lanyon is all-consuming - it controls his body (“seizing”), shocks his mind (“surprising”) and disgusts his morals (“revolting”)

Hyde is impossible to define - Lanyon calls him a “creature”, giving him animal characteristics, but the repetition of “something” demonstrates that Dr Lanyon cannot identify what it is about Hyde that makes him so hideous

Question 27

The level of disbelief in the supernatural events before him, and the evil he is witnessing, lead Lanyon to desperately call out to God to protect him.

Answer 27

Chapter 9
“ ‘O God!’ I screamed, and ‘O God!’ again and again.”

Question 28

Analysis
“ ‘O God!’ I screamed, and ‘O God!’ again and again.”

Answer 28

Lanyon, Utterson and Enfield are known throughout the novel as rational, coherent and eloquent. Lanyon’s repetitive cry of “O God!” is both as uncontrolled scream of horror, but also a direct plea to God to protect him

Lanyon is desperately seeking support fro God and religion in the face of supreme evil, and that God cannot provide it, as Lanyon dies from the horror of what he sees. Essentially, evil defeats religion.

Question 29

Analysis
Jekyll describes:
“Edward Hyde, alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil”

Answer 29

Chapter 10
adjective “alone” emphasises how unique and isolated Hyde was. In some ways, this creates a sympathy for Hyde
However, Hyde is described as “pure evil.” The adjective emphasises that Hyde is nothing except “evil,” suggesting something that has only previously existed as the Devil himself – an almost religious idea. It’s not just that he does wrong, he is evil in its purest form.

Question 30

Jekyll is convinced that man has a dual nature, that we are both good and evil - however, he acknowledged that this realisation is a dangerous one
Jekyll recognises the duality of human nature and recognises that this will ultimately destroy him.

Answer 30

Chapter 10
Jekyll “drew steadily nearer to that truth by whose partial discovery I have been doomed to such a dreadful shipwreck: that man is not truly one, but truly two.”

Question 31

Analysis
Jekyll “drew steadily nearer to that truth by whose partial discovery I have been doomed to such a dreadful shipwreck: that man is not truly one, but truly two.”

Answer 31

Jekylls conclusion is correct - “steadily”, “truth” and “discovery” convey rational analysis and show his conclusions are accurate, not blasphemous

The repetition of “truly” links to “truth” earlier in the statement - Jekyll is indeed correct, and should not be judged for his discovery; it is simple truth

Jekyll’s conclusion is “a dreadful shipwreck”, with associations of fear and danger, and he is “doomed”, which suggests religious judgement from God.

“two” could refer to both the civilised side of humanity – which is represented by the upper class and very respectable Henry Jekyll – and the “beast within,” Hyde.

It could also be Stevenson suggesting that there isn’t as much difference between the uncivilised rabble and gentlemen as many people would like to believe.

It also suggests that ideas like Good and Evil are not distinct from each other, but that we all contain elements of both.

Question 32

Jekyll’s description of his transformation to Hyde is both gruesomely painful, but also alludes to something disturbingly natural and powerful

Answer 32

Chapter 10
“Racking pangs succeeded: a grinding in the bones, deadly nausea, and a horror of the spirit that cannot be exceeded at the hour of birth or death”

Question 33

Analysis
“Racking pangs succeeded: a grinding in the bones, deadly nausea, and a horror of the spirit that cannot be exceeded at the hour of birth or death”

Answer 33

The physical agony (“racking pangs” and “grinding”) makes clear Hyde is the unnatural state, yet allusions to “death”, “birth” and the associated “nausea” could suggest that Hyde and evil are part of the human life cycle

Turning into Hyde is not just physically destructive - he also destroys the “spirit” with his “horror”

Question 34

It is not clear the drug that created Hyde - Jekyll makes clear that the drug simply releases whatever is inside man, and in this case, that was Edward Hyde

Answer 34

Chapter 10
“The drug had no discriminating action; it was neither diabolical nor divine; it but shook the doors of the prison-house of my disposition.”

Question 35

Analysis
“The drug had no discriminating action; it was neither diabolical nor divine; it but shook the doors of the prison-house of my disposition.”

Answer 35

The alliteration of “diabolical nor divine” supports the idea that nothing is purely “diabolical” (meaning of the devil) or purely “divine” (meaning of God) - most things are a combination of both

19th Century society, and the way it forced people to conform, is a “prison-house” - it is nothing more than a jail in which people are repressed.

The events of the novel are not the fault of science - the drug was not the cause of the horror, it simply “shook” the natural behaviours inside Jekyll

Question 36

The socially acceptable way to behave is tedious and restrictive - Jekyll sees his discovery as a way of unburdening himself and becoming free

Answer 36

Chapter 10
“I was the first that could plod in the public eye with a load of genial respectability, and in a moment, like a schoolboy, strip off these lendings and spring headlong into the sea of liberty”

Question 37

Analysis
“I was the first that could plod in the public eye with a load of genial respectability, and in a moment, like a schoolboy, strip off these lendings and spring headlong into the sea of liberty”

Answer 37

“plod” shows the heavy, tiresome ,manner in which one had to behave, juxtaposed with a dynamic freedom in “spring”

“Like a schoolboy” conjures images of youth, excitement and vitality, and a sense of freedom unburdened by adult conventions

The removal of “lendings” means Jekyll is no longer acting a part, with the scale of freedom when embracing desires emphasised by a “sea of liberty”

Question 38

Despite Jekyll’s understanding that Hyde is a dual part of him, he still cannot bring himself to say “I” as Hyde is too evil to be considered human.

Answer 38

Chapter 10
“I cannot say, I. That child of Hell had nothing human; nothing lived in him but fear and hatred”

Question 39

Analysis
“I cannot say, I. That child of Hell had nothing human; nothing lived in him but fear and hatred”

Answer 39

“That child of Hell” continues Hyde’s association with the devil and diabolical behaviour - calling him a child suggests he has grown and been nurtured under the guidance of Hell itself

“I cannot say, I” is Jekyll’s refusal to accept that Hyde is a human part of him - despite his acknowledgment that man is “truly two”, Hyde is still considered inhuman

Hyde’s Gothic, supernatural elements are explicit - he is not of this world