Jekyll and Hyde - Stevenson's Techniques Flashcards
Why is it important to write about structure?
+It’s really important to write about structure, because Steveson uses it to build tension.
+Get a few technical terms from these pages under your belt - like ‘embedded narrative’. - Fancy.
What does the Structure of the narrative build?
The structure of the narrative builds suspense
How is most of the story written in?
+Most of the story is written in a third-person narrative, which follows Utterson.
+The narrative is limited - Utterson finds things out gradually and only learns the truth at the very end.
+This distances the reader from the truth, creating tension and intrigue.
What is first person narrative?
+First-person narrative uses ‘I’.
+Third-person narrative uses ‘he’, ‘she’ and ‘they’.
What does Utterson have for others?
+Character - Utterson: Utterson has an “approved tolerance for others”, which suggests that he won’t be judgemental about other characters.
+This encourages the reader to rely on interpretations, because he has a rational, unbiased attitude.
+However, there are many things he doesn’t know.
What does the main narrative follow?
+The main narrative follows Utterson’s experiences in chronological order.
+This gives a sense of time passing, increasing tension as time goes on.
What do the last two chapters follow?
+The last two chapters do not follow a linear structure.
+Instead, they return to explain previous events.
+By leaving these key explanations until the very end of the novel, Stevenson keeps the reader in suspense throughout.
What makes the story more authentic?
Embedded narratives make the story more authentic
What does Stevenson use several of in the novel?
What is an embedded narrative?
+An embedded narrative is a story within the main narrative.
Why is Enfield’s story about the door important?
+Enfield’s story about the door is important because it’s the first hint of a mystery.
+Enfield says it’s “a very odd story” before he tells it, which grips the reader’s interest in it from the start.
How is the Carew murder explained?
+The Carew murder is explained through a maid’s account.
+She is “romantically given” and faints after witnessing the murder, which shows she is emotional.
+This makes her account quite limited - we feel removed from the events and don’t know how much we can trust her narrative.
How is Lanyon’s first-person narrative mostly written in?
+Lanyon’s first-person narrative is mostly written in formal, measured language, which makes it seem more credible.
+This is important, because it’s the first account the reader gets of Jekyll transforming.
+This narrative also has limitations, because Lanyon refuses to write down some of what he’s heard.
What are pieces of evidence in the case?
+These narratives are pieces of evidence in the case.
+By including them, Stevenson makes the story more realistic [even if parts of it seem impossible], which in turn makes it more frightening.
What is the novel’s full title?
+The novel’s full title is ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ and the chapter titles refer to incidents and statements.
+This gives the sense of a real investigation, which contrasts with the fantastical nature of Hyde.
Who does the reader never get a first person account from?
+Character - Hyde: The reader never gets a first person account from Hyde.
+He is excluded from the narrative, as he is from society.
+This makes him seem more mysterious.
What are the embedded narratives also there for?
+The embedded narratives are also a device to add to the reader’s curiouusity.
+Like a jigsaw, all of the pieces are needed to work out Jekyll’s secret.
What do documents provide?
Documents provide information but also add intrigue
What do written documents reveal?
+Written documents reveal information to certain characters, but Stevenson carefully controls how much.
Give examples of written documents?
- Jekyll’s will
- Carew’s letter to Utterson
- Hyde’s letter to to Jekyll
What does Jekyll’s will reveal?
+This is a starting point in Utterson’s hunt for Mr Hyde.
+As a legal document, it’s authentic evidence of Jekyll’s link to Hyde.
+However, it also poses questions - Enfield’s story has already suggested that Hyde is a shady character, so it seems strange that Jekyll, a respected gentleman, would leave him everything.
What does Carew’s letter to Utterson reveal?
+This is the letter found on Carew’s body.
+The reader never finds out what was written in it.
+Stevenson leaves these gaps in the narrative to add to the reader’s suspicions.
What does Hyde’s letter to Jekyll reveal?
+This is the letter Jekyll gives Utterson after Carew’s murder.
+Utterson is initially reassured by it, because it implies that Hyde isn’t blackmailing Jekyll, but he has his “fears renewed” when Poole insists that it wasn’t delivered.
+This adds intrigue - When Guest examines the handwriting, Utterson assumes that Jekyll is forging for Hyde.
+This letter is misleading, because Hyde and Jekyll are the same person.
What do written documents make the story seem like?
+Written documents make the story seem more realistic, because different people reveal different parts of the story.
+They also add suspense, because the information is revealed gradually.
+The narrative is made more fragmented by these written documents - they offer small hints but not the whole story.
What does Stevenson suggest about reliability?
+Stevenson also suggests that the reader should question the reliability of written documents, by hinting at their authors’ secretive behaviour.
What does Jekyll’s final confession fill?
Jekyll’s final confession fills the gaps in the story
What does Jekyll’s statement recap?
+Jekyll’s statement recaps everything that’s already happened in the novel.
+It does this in chronological order, going back before Utterson’s narrative began, and continuing until shortly before Hyde’s death.
+It’s the first time that the previous events have been fully explained.
What does Stevenson use for Jekyll’s statement?
+Stevenson uses a first-person narrative for Jekyll’s statement, because Jekyll is the only character who knows the whole truth.
+This gives the reader direct access to his thoughts and feelings.
What does the word ‘statement’ suggest?
+The word ‘statement’ suggests an unbiased report.
+But it could be difficult for the reader to completely trust what Jekyll writes, because he’s already shown that he’s capable of deceiving people - even his closest friends.
+He also leaves some things unexplained, such as the contents of his potion.
What do many modern reader’s already know?
+“‘This is a strange note,’ said Mr Utterson.”
+Many modern readers already know Jekyll’s secret, but that wasn’t the case for the Victorians, who would’ve been on tenterhooks until the very end [thanks to Utterson’s striking ability to jump to wrong conclusions].
What are the settings in Jekyll and Hyde often used for?
+The settings in Jekyll and Hyde are often used for symbolic effect - it’s all about reading between the lines.
What are mostly dark and foggy?
The novel’s settings are mostly dark and foggy.
What does Stevenson emphasise in the novel?
+Stevenson emphasises the darkness [or partial darkness] in the novel.
+The less respectable parts of London are especially associated with darkness.
+Eg. in Soho, the light is always changing - Utterson sees “degrees and hues of twilight”, a “haggard shaft of daylight” and “changing glimpses” of streets.
+This symbolises the narrative as a whole - only parts of the truth can be seen at any one time.
Who also repeatedly mentions fog?
+Stevenson also repeatedly mentions the fog.
+It’s so dense that it covers whole streets, making them places of secrecy.
+The fog actively works against the characters at times - When Utterson visits Soho, it “cut him off” from his surroundings.
+Stevenson uses the fog to isolate characters and restrict their view of events.
What does fog also symbolise?
+Fog also symbolises mystery - Eg. the lecture theatre at Jekyll’s house is described as “foggy”.
+The fact that the fog seems to have come indoors represents how deeply Jekyll has hidden his secret.
What does Stevenson use the moon to highlight?
+Stevenson uses the moon to highlight parts of settings.
+Carew’s murder is “brilliantly lit by the full moon”, which makes it more dramatic, as if it’s under a spotlight.
+The moon is also used to add to the spooky atmosphere - in ‘The Last Night’, the moon is described as “lying on her back”.
+The personification makes it seem as if the whole world has been turned upside down by Jekyll’s secret.
What was known for its smoke?
+Background and Context - Victorian London: Victorian London was known for its smoke.
+It was so dense that people sometimes fell into the Thames.
Who presents London’s streets as threatening places?
Stevenson presents London’s streets as threatening places.
