jekyll Flashcards
1
Q
overview
A
Throughout most of the novella, Dr Jekyll is presented as very secretive. This is shown through his character constantly changing and Stevenson withholding information. It is only in the final chapter that we find out that Jekyll is a dual character and a mix of good and evil. This is shown through his perspective where he is no longer presented as mysterious as he is explaining his actions and motives. Jekyll’s purpose in the novel is to show how evil can overcome good when you give into temptation
2
Q
story of the door (1)
A
- J is described by E as ‘well known.’ This suggests how J is clearly a respectable Victorian gentleman and this is emphasised as two trusted characters, E and U, say this which would make the reader believe this too.
- When E discovers that H and U are related as J wrote H a cheque, U and E assume that J is being blackmailed and E says that he might be doing this to make up the ‘capers of his youth.’ This could suggest that J has a bad past but E’s sympathetic tone presents J as a positive character.
3
Q
search for mr hyde (2)
A
- After U meets H, he calls J’s will an ‘eyesore.’ The will states that when J disappears or dies H will inherit all his belongings. The fact that U calls the will an ‘eyesore’ suggests how he thinks it is strange and unnatural and only furthers the readers belief that J has been blackmailed. The average Victorian reader would believe this as people always tried to maintain a good reputation so they were vulnerable to blackmail.
- U then goes to L to ask about J but L calls J’s research ‘scientific balderdash’. This suggests that L is very disapproving as he regards J’s research as rubbish. J is much more experimental which would’ve scared a Victorian reader as they were scared of scientific advances and thought that some things should be left to God
4
Q
dr jekyll was quiet at ease (3)
A
- J is described as having a ‘slyish cast’ but has ‘every mark of capacity and kindness.’ The word ‘slyish’ suggests that he is secretive but the fact that he is kind presents him as a positive character. These two adjectives contradict his character which creates mystery around him through the way he is described.
- U then asks J about H and when he doesn’t let the matter drop, J physically changes and becomes ‘pale.’ This adds mystery to his character as he has such an extreme reaction to the mention of H which suggests how the two characters are closely linked.
- J then says to U that he ‘beg of you to to let it sleep.’ The word ‘beg’ suggests how desperate J is for U to leave the matter alone as he doesn’t want to talk about it. The metaphor of ‘letting it sleep’ suggests that whatever secrets J is withholding will be revealed eventually as when you sleep you always wake up. The fact that J is withholding information also increases the sense of mystery around him.
5
Q
remarkable incident of dr lanyon (4)
A
- The chapter begins when ‘a new life began for Dr Jekyll’ and this new life includes him turning to religion. This creates a sense of mystery and confusion surrounding J’s character his experiments where considered as ‘scientific heresies.’ This is significant as J’s character has always been presented as unchristian and willing to test the boundaries of the universe. This helps to create confusion as he has had an unexplained sudden change from one chapter from another.
- When U goes to see L, L talks about J and says ‘whom I regard as dead.’ This suggests that L hates J now as he doesn’t even want to regard him as a living person and he is completely cut off from J. This suggests that L is very upset and is significant to creating confusion around J’s character as this is another unexplained change. Previously, L never hated J so what happened to make him hate J?
6
Q
henry jekylls full statement of the case
A
- In the will, J says that he was in a ‘perennial war against my members.’ This suggests how J was always fighting against his pleasures and that he has always felt like two separate people. This is significant as it shows that his character has a very dual nature even before taking the drug. This takes away some of the mystery surrounding his character as it explains why he would change from chapter to chapter due to his duality.
- J then reveals his philosophy and says that he believes that ‘man is not truly one but two.’ This suggests how he believes that every person has good and evil in them and that each side is just as real as the other. He has based his philosophy through his own experiences and this is significant as it helps to show how much J has struggled throughout the novella as his two sides are so different
- J calls H a ‘solution to the bonds of obligation.’ This is significant as it suggests how much he hates the strict rules of being a Victorian gentleman and his desperation to be free. The fact that he created such a horrible man like H just to be free from the pressures of being a Victorian gentleman suggests how desperate he was for freedom. This would’ve appealed to many men at this time as they were also forced to keep a good reputation otherwise they would’ve been ruined by society. An average person at the time would’ve sympathised with J and understood his reasons for making H. The fact that this chapter is in J’s perspective is significant as it takes away the mystery and confusion around his character as he is explaining his motives and actions to the reader.
