Jekyll and Hyde - secrecy and reputation Flashcards
Chapter 1 - “Let s make a bargain..
..never to refer to this again.”
Analysis on “Let us make a bargain to never refer to this again”
- to avoid guilt, fear or social repercussions
How does secrecy relate to a Victorian society?
In a Victorian society a man’s secrets could be used to ruin him.
Jekyll’s secrets would ruin his reputation if they are exposed to society.
Jekyll’s hidden experiments
Jekyll keeps his experiments a secret in order to protect his reputation as he admits: “I concealed my pleasures”
Jekyll’s battle within himself to remain respectable is revealed
Utterson’s investigation
Utterson desperately tries to avoid any scandal which could damage Jekyll’s reputation and therefore does not share his suspicions about him (loyal to his friend)
He is a trustworthy, discreet and loyal friend and is referred to as “the last reputable acquaintance… of down-going men”
Lanyon’s discretion
Despite discovering Jekyll’s terrifying secret, Lanyon refuses to tell Utterson why he had a disagreement with Jekyll
His failure to disclose Jekyll’s secret results in his death and reflects the Victorian fear of exposing unsettling truths
Ambiguity surrounding Enfield and Carew
Although considered ideal Victorian gentleman, Stevenson does not reveal why both men are depicted as walking the London streets late at night
–> vices
Setting and atmosphere
‘fog rolled over the city in the small hours’
fog is a recurring motif throughout the novel often associated with mystery, secrecy, and the unknown
Its ability to obscure visibility and create a sense of unease reflects the hidden nature of Jekyll’s secret transformation and the sinister actions of Hyde.
point to make about how secrecy is revealed
novel’s secrets come out in spit and spurts
Enfield shares his story with Utterson but he is only persuaded to share Hyde’s name at the end
Utterson, then does not reveal immediately that he has heard this name before in Jekyll’s will
most of the stories revelations are made through a sequence of letters and documents
What does the use of framed narrative for the unravelling of the mystery create a sense of?
silence and isolation about each character and leaves the reader unsure of how much we have been allowed into the intimacies of their mind
masculine world has been hushed by the need to maintain social reputation
How do Jekyll’s actions suggest the possible outcome of self-repression and keeping of secrets?
feels compelled to find a secret outlet for his urges he cannot share - Mr Hyde
through Hyde Jekyll believes he can maintain his reputation while enjoying his darker urges
Hyde’s takeover of Jekyll suggests that repression only strengthens that which is repressed
Chapter 1 - ‘You start a question, and it’s like..
..starting a stone. You sit quietly on the top of a hill; and away the stone goes, starting others’
Analysis on ‘You start a question, and it’s like starting a stone. You sit quietly on the top of a hill; and away the stone goes, starting others’
Enfield, suggests that seemingly harmless questions can trigger a chain reaction, leading to unforeseen and potentially damaging outcomes.
This metaphor foreshadows the unravelling of Jekyll’s life as Utterson’s investigation into Hyde’s identity and connection to Jekyll uncovers troubling truths.
Chapter 2 - ‘must be the ghost..
..of some old sin, the cancer of some concealed disgrace’
Analysis on ‘must be the ghost of some old sin, the cancer of some concealed disgrace’
The phrase suggests that the troubling behaviour of Mr. Hyde might be the manifestation of a long-hidden sin or secret from Jekyll’s past.
Chapter 3 - ‘grew pale to the..
..very lips, and there came a blackness about his eyes…This is a matter I thought we had agreed to drop.’
Analysis on ‘grew pale to the very lips, and there came a blackness about his eyes…This is a matter I thought we had agreed to drop.’
reveals Jekyll’s intense discomfort and repressed fear surrounding Hyde and their connection
The “blackness about his eyes” further suggests a darkness or concealment, hinting at the evil of Hyde.
Chapter 5 - ‘I cannot say that I care what becomes of..
..Hyde; I am quite done with him…this hateful business has rather exposed.’
Analysis on ‘I cannot say that I care what becomes of Hyde; I am quite done with him…this hateful business has rather exposed.’
reveals his growing indifference to Hyde and a deeper concern about the revelation of his own duality
He no longer feels personally attached to Hyde
is primarily worried about the damage his association with Hyde has done to his reputation and the wider social perception of him.
Chapter 6 - ‘he became out of his..
..seclusion, renewed relations with his friends, became once more their familiar guest and entertainer’
analysis on ‘he became out of his seclusion, renewed relations with his friends, became once more their familiar guest and entertainer’
Jekyll’s period of isolation suggests that he was hiding his secret experiments with the potion that transformed him into Mr. Hyde, which could have caused him to withdraw from social interaction
highlights Jekyll’s previous persona, where he was a welcomed and enjoyable presence in his social circle.
Chapter 7 - ‘the middle one of the three windows was half-way..
..open; and sitting close behind it, taking the air with an infinite sadness of mien, like some disconsolate prisoner, Utterson saw Dr Jekyll.’
Analysis on ‘the middle one of the three windows was half-way open; and sitting close behind it, taking the air with an infinite sadness of mien, like some disconsolate prisoner, Utterson saw Dr Jekyll.’
Windows are symbolic of transparency and lack of secrecy
paints a picture of a man burdened and perhaps even trapped by his own inner turmoil, hinting at the duality of his character and the secrets he holds
Chapter 8 - ‘that thing in the..
..mask was never Dr Jekyll’
