jekyll and hyde quotes Flashcards
Utterson: ‘I incline to Cain’s heresy.’
chapter 1, page 2. Genesis 4 where Cain murderers his brother Abel
Heresy - a belief that rejects the orthodox tenets of a religion
Mr. Utterson is the first character the narrator introduces in the story. Utterson indulges misbehaviour without judgment and doesn’t feel compelled to impose his values on others. Rather, his behaviour is typical of the Victorian era dictum: Keep out of others’ affairs
‘I saw that Sawbones turn sick and white with desire to kill him.’
Chapter 1, Mr. Enfield is recounting to Mr. Utterson how he witnessed Mr. Hyde trample a young girl as he was rounding a corner. Enfield describes how he held the man captive, demanding money to keep the incident quiet. The fact that Hyde complies so readily underscores the Victorian Era’s emphasis on personal reputation
‘I thought it was madness’ he (Mr Utterson) said as he replaced the obnoxious paper (the will) in the safe ‘and now begin to fear it is disgrace.’
Chapter 2
obnoxious - causing disapproval or protest
‘The man (Mr Hyde) seems hardly human! Something troglodytic… or is it the mere radiance of a foul soul that thus transpires through and transfigures its clay continent?….Satin’s signature upon a face.
In Chapter 3, Utterson finally meets Hyde. Once again, words fail the characters when they try to explain what Hyde looks like. Utterson’s comments to Jekyll suggest that Hyde is more animal than man. Utterson characterizes Hyde’s looks as “troglodytic,” so primitive and animalistic that he seems prehistoric.
‘Mr Hyde broke out of all bounds and clubbed him to the earth.’
CHAPTER 4 - This suggests that Hyde has broken out of the bounds of common civility and entered the realm of the evil.
The passage shows Mr Hyde to be an evil, unforgiving criminal.
Context: Hyde is released from within Jekyll and attacks Carew.
The use of the verb ‘clubbed’ indicates how brutal Mr Hyde was and the imagery presented to the reader is horrifying and vicious, indicating the true nature of Hyde’s unforgiving nature.
‘this mournful reinvasion of darkness seemed in the lawyer’s eyes like a district of some city in a nightmare’
Chapter 4
Jekyll is again submerged into his evil Hyde.
Jekyll’s fears and sins seem to be reflecting upon the city of London
creates a war between light and dark, good and evil. “Mournful re-invasion” suggests that the strength and power of the darkness is increasing.
’ the haunting sense of unexpressed deformity.’
Chapter 4 Stevenson created suspense - Hyde can’t be found, described, Hyde is all of us, our repressed, evil in us. The reason people can’t describe Hyde is because they can’t describe that our inability to describe the very thing that most threatens us at all is our destructive instincts
‘you must suffer me to go my own dark way. I have brought on myself a punishment and a danger that I cannot name. If I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also. I could not think that this earth contained a place for sufferings and terrors so unmanning.’
Chapter 6
Jekyll has realised what he has done and understand only he can deal with it in his letter to Utterson.
‘disconsolate prisoner’/(Jekyll’s)’expression of such abject terror and despair as froze the very blood of the two gentlemen below.’
Chapter 7 -
Jekyll is described as being unhappy and appears to be trapped. Links to “windows barred iron”.
Jekyll is aghast by his realisation of his change into Hyde.
Utterson and Enfield are shocked by what they have witnessed at the window.
‘the smile was struck out of his face and succeeded by an expression of such abject terror and despair, as froze the very blood of the two gentlemen below’
-Jekyll no longer has control over Hyde’s appearances. The sibilance in “smile was struck” quickens the pace in which the pleasant noun “smile” is replaced by the horrific description “abject terror and despair”
-“Froze the very blood” suggests Hyde has caused an extreme physical reaction in Utterson and Enfield, two men who are known to be rational and sensible gentlemen. The verb “succeeded” also has connotations of victory - there is a clear sense of a battle here between good and evil
