Jekyll and Hyde - Quotes Flashcards
Explain the quote “Well, Sir, the two ran into one another naturally enough at the corner” and “the man trampled calmly over the child’s body and left her screaming on the ground.”
The fact formal language is used makes it even more shocking.
The use of the word “trampled” is vague enough for us to in vision what happened here.
The use of the adverb “calmly” implies there was something terrible about the man.
Allowing us to put together a picture of the man and the event without too much of the interference of the writers description.
The words “calmly” and trembled brings in ambiguity forcing us to bring in our own image.
What does the quote “it sounds nothing to hear, but it was hellish to see” show?
This duality of the language used is shocking being described in such formal tone. It reflective of the story itself and it’s main character.
Stevenson uses contrast to emphasise the frightening scenes and create a dark atmosphere and tone.
What does the quote ‘And that human juggernaut trod the child down’ show?
shows Mr Hyde do be malignant and unrelenting, and the idea of him being machine-like would instil fear into Stevenson’s readers as the Victorian’s were typically afraid of change and the unknown.
What does the quote ‘Mr Hyde was pale and dwarfish’ show?
suggests that Mr Hyde is a creature of the night and does not spend a lot of time in the sun, which shrouds him in mystery. This quote also bewilders the reader as Mr Utterson is supposedly logical and intelligent - why is he afraid of a man like this, who appears to pose no threat?
What des the quote ‘Ape-like fury’ show?
plays on the idea that Mr Hyde is an example of a sort of backwards evolution of human kind (‘troglodytic’ as Mr Utterson puts it), or could relate to the duality of human nature. It also implies that Mr Hyde is animalistic and unable to control his emotions - another factor that would frighten the reserved population of Victorian-era London. This quote can further be linked to other parts of the text as Mr Hyde is described as having ‘snarled with a savage laugh’.
What does the quote ‘Fog rolled over the city’ show?
is pathetic fallacy, creating an atmosphere that is mysterious and frightening, whilst causing the reader to feel trapped in the smog. Furthermore, this quotation is a convention of the gothic genre and is employed to frighten Stevenson’s readers.
Analyse the quote “He is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something down-right detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why.”
Ambiguity -This shows us that he is an unidentifiable character that does not blend in with the rest of society. Hyde is deliberately described as vague and ambiguous to make the reader anxious about who this character actually is.
Fear -The idea that Hyde evokes fear in other characters, but there’s a non-specific reason for this, builds tension for the reader, and also leaves the reader to paint an image of Hyde that aligns to their own personal fears.
Hyde poses as a mechanism to revive the inner terrors and sins that exist within us.
What does the quote “The other snarled aloud into a savage laugh; and the next moment, with extraordinary quickness, he had unlocked the door and disappeared into the house.” show?
Significance - Utterson is the omniscient narrator - the reader views the events of his investigation through his perspective. This is the first time we hear a description of Hyde from this well-trusted character.
Savage - Hyde is described as a “savage” character that we can’t describe - the adjective “savage” implies he’s a degenerate without morals, and he also moves like an animal would.
Snarled - The verb “snarled” usually applies to animals, and has a sinister undertone.
Sibilance - The sibilance in this quotation suggests that there is a sinister aspect to Hyde’s character.
Context - This connotes to the context of Darwinism, and the idea that humans could possible degenerate into the inner savage if the veneer of society were removed.
What does the quote “There was something abnormal and misbegotten in the very essence of the creature” show?
Abnormal - Hyde is described as “abnormal” which differentiates him from the other well-respected gentlemen in the novella.
Creature - Hyde is frequently referred to as a “creature” rather than a human and this evokes animalistic imagery.
We get the impression that Hyde is a pre-human troglodyte that exists without civilisation and the laws and morals that dictate the civilised being.
What does the quote “My devil had long been caged, he came out roaring.” show?
Context - The final chapter is a written confession from Jekyll, explaining how his transformations into Hyde caused him to be unable to eventually control when and how often the transformations took place.
Devil - The inner devil that Jekyll speaks of here is a manifestation of his unconscious desires and repressed pleasure-seeking elements.
The “devil” is a deliberate contrast and religious allusion to the Christian ideals of morality, goodness and purity.
Roaring - The animalistic continuous verb “roaring” suggests that the creature had been repressed to the extent that it has been made aggressive and angry.
What does the quote “I looked down; my clothes hung formlessly on my shrunken limbs; the hand that lay on my knee was corded and hair”
Context - The final cathartic chapter reveals the creature underneath the façade of Jekyll’s well-respected character.
Hairy - The “hairy” creature has been allowed to grow hair freely - an unrestrained and uncontrolled creature that is unlike Jekyll.
Jekyll himself is shocked at the uncontrollable transformations as he looks down upon his own body and sees the results of his experimentation.
Hand - The hand is a symbol of respectability and honour - and this is invaded by t he hair that grows underneath his skin.
Explain the interpretation of Jekyll’s name.
“Je”, if translated from French, means “I”, and “Kyll”, when pronounced, sounds like “kill”. This is a common interpretation of his name, and may allude to his attempts to kill the evil Hyde in him later on in the novella.
Duality - The idea of this portmanteau word ( word made from two separate words), which combines the two languages of French and English, links to the theme of duality in the novella. Even languages are compromised of more than one counterpart.
