Jekyll and Hyde Themes and Writer's Techniques Flashcards
describe the importance of reputation to gentlemen in the novel:
immoral activities and uncontrolled emotions would damage a gentleman’s reputation. if this happened, they may be seen as no longer a gentleman, and may lose many social advantages. gentlemen value their reputation above all else
what is Utterson’s attitude to reputation?
- wary of gossip, in case it reflects badly on him/friends. he and Enfield agree to never talk about Hyde, and believe in not asking questions if something looks like ‘Queer street’
- Utterson is more concerned about preserving Jekyll’s reputation that bringing Hyde to trial.
what is Stevenson’s message about reputation?
- reputations cannot be trusted as they’re based on appearances. they are the version of a person that they want the world to see
- therefore when a society values reputation as highly as the Victorians did, it makes it difficult to know what people are really like
what quote shows Jekyll’s opinions on his sins?
‘I was the first that could thus plod in the public eye with A LOAD OF GENIAL RESPECTABILITY, and in a moment, LIKE A SCHOOLBOY, strip off these lendings and spring headlong into the SEA OF LIBERTY. But for me, in my impenetrable mantle, the SAFETY WAS COMPLETE. Think of it - I DID NOT EVEN EXIST!’
- LIKE A SCHOOLBOY: the simile makes Jekyll seem quite childish and irresponsible
- SE OF LIBERTY: he associates Hyde with freedom
- I DID NOT EVEN EXIT: he sees Hyde as a different person as it makes him feel better
- shows how concerned Jekyll is with his reputation. he thinks more about hiding his sins than dealing with them. he feels free as Hyde can conceal his sins perfectly
describe how Jekyll believes there are two sides to every individual:
- decides that this duality within him applies to all of humanity. ‘man is not truly one, but truly two’ - states it as a fact as he’s so sure he’s right
- more self aware than others. feels like the good and bad sides of his personality are struggling against one another, and decides to take action to separate them. however, he fails to fully separate the two sides as he is ‘radically both’
- underestimates how closely bound the two sides of his personality are, and how powerful and attractive his purely evil side is
how does Jekyll feel that he’s living a double life?
- an established gentleman with ‘the respect of the wise and good’ in society
- however, he’s guilty of ‘irregularities’ - sins and desires that remain hidden
how does Stevenson describe the struggle within Jekyll?
uses the language of battle to describe the struggle. there’s a ‘war’ within him, and the ‘two natures that contended in the field’ of his mind, making it sound like two forces meeting on a battlefield
how is the good side of Jekyll portrayed?
without Hyde, he lives a virtuous life, and is ‘distinguished for religion’ and charity. however, he’s also an ‘ordinary secret sinner’, suggesting that all people are a mixture of sin and virtue
how is the bad side of Jekyll portrayed?
Hyde is the purely satanic side of Jekyll. writes all over Jekyll’s texts with ‘startling blasphemies’. Jekyll calls Hyde ‘my devil’ and Utterson thinks that ‘Satan’s signature’ is written on his face
- Hyde is created because of Jekyll’s desire to rid himself of sin, rather than deal with it
- Jekyll says that Hyde could have been created as ‘an angel instead of a fiend’ if only the experiment had been done with more ‘pious’ intentions
how does Stevenson show the complex attitudes to sin?
- tempting: Jekyll feels ‘younger, lighter, happier’ as Hyde
- powerful: Hyde takes over in the end
- ## unavoidable: as Hyde, Jekyll gives in to ‘original evil’
- Evangelicalism taught that all mankind are inevitably sinful, as Adam and Eve sinned. Stevenson frightens his readers by taking this further - the sinful side isn’t only inevitable, but also potentially stronger
how is Hyde portrayed as uncivilised?
- disrupts the ordered, civilised world Jekyll and his friends live in
- upper-class Victorians thought that people who committed crimes or disrupted the social order were less evolved. they tried to use Darwin’s theory of evolution to back this up
how did Stevenson use Hyde’s uncivilised side to appeal to the reader?
forces his readers to consider the possibility that there’s a savage within all people, even if they seem civilised. Hyde behaves ‘like a mad-man’ and is ‘ape-like’ but he’s a part of Jekyll. suggests that it is the civilised side of Jekyll’s personality that exercises restraint - without it, all that’s left is the pure evil of Hyde
- additionally, Poole is a ‘loyal’, ‘well-dressed’ servant, but he shouts at another servant with ‘ferocity’
how does Stevenson use man’s dual nature to comment on society?
criticises respectable society. suggests that the gap between appearance and reality in the people and places of Victorian London is hypocritical
how does Stevenson comment on society using Jekyll’s clothes and house?
- Jekyll appears respectable, until he puts on the ‘thick cloak’ of Hyde
- this is mirrored in Jekyll’s house. ‘wore a great air of wealth and comfort’ from the front, but is secretly connected to the shabby door to the lab
- Stevenson uses imagery of clothing to show how people and places can put forward a misleading appearance to the world
how does Stevenson comment on society through people’s concealment of their true personalities?
- characters are proud of their reputations, so they prioritise the appearance of respectability over honesty
- the gentlemanly characters look down on the immoral activities in public, and then do them anyway (i.e. Jekyll)
- Stevenson shows that this behaviour can have terrible consequences - Jekyll’s fate is a warning about trying to hide who you are
describe how Hyde is abnormal in terms of appearances:
- his evil nature is shown clearly in his ‘displeasing smile’ and ‘extraordinary appearance’
- he’s the only one who doesn’t hide behind appearances - Stevenson may be suggesting that appearances can only conceal so much
describe how it’s shown that they live in a Christian society:
- Jekyll is fond of religious texts
- Jekyll often calls on God to help him
describe Lanyon’s and Jekyll’s approach to science:
LANYON
- deals with science of the material world
- cannot cope with Jekyll using scientific research to experiment with spiritual matters
————————————————————–
JEKYLL
- his scientific work leads ‘wholly towards the mystic and the transcendental’
- he uses science to deal with ‘that hard law of life, which lies at the root of religion’. the ‘hard law’ is the idea that all humans are sinful
describe the tension between science and religion in Victorian society:
- at the start of the 19th century, most people believed that the Earth was created by God, said in the Bible
- however, scientists began to disprove this theory, they believed that plants and animals developed through evolution
- many Victorians thought this view was dangerous as it suggested that science had the power to create life, and challenged their religious views on the world
how is Jekyll shown as religious?
- Hyde was created as Jekyll was so troubled by his sins, even though they weren’t that bad. when he was younger, he ‘regarded and hid them with an almost morbid sense of shame’
- being seen to do good/charitable deeds was also a sign of respectability. after the murder of Carew, Jekyll becomes ‘distinguished for religion’
how does Stevenson criticise religion in society?
- criticises the act of being publicly religious and privately sinful, by presenting Jekyll’s actions as hypocritical
- reminds the reader that Jekyll’s actions are sinful using religious language: ‘secret sinner’, Hyde is ‘the spirit of Hell’
how is science portrayed as unsettling, mysterious, and disturbing?
- the transformation of Jekyll to Hyde is hideous. Lanyon finds it sickening, Jekyll describes his first transformation as provoking ‘racking pangs’, ‘deadly nausea’ and ‘a horror of the spirit’
- Jekyll’s cabinet is full of curious objects that Utterson and Poole don’t understand. ‘traces’ of chemicals, ‘various’ measures of ‘some white salt’, and the cheval glass had seen ‘some strange things’. Stevenson uses vague language, presents science as mysterious
how is science also shown to be powerful?
- it causes death and destruction, can upset the conventional order of Victorian life
- says he won’t ‘deeply’ describe his experiment as it caused his evil side to return with a ‘more awful pressure’. warning about the power of science
- his experiment was ‘incomplete’. even a respected scientist failed to achieve his aims, and he couldn’t control the power of evil unleashed
how does Jekyll’s science go against religious beliefs, but it’s both good and bad?
- it is the ‘temptation of discovery so singular and profound’ that motivates Jekyll to create Hyde. he tries to change human nature, which Christians see as God’s creation
- he meddles with this for his own selfish reasons. he doesn’t have good intentions, so creates an evil alter ego
- however, he still made a scientific breakthrough. repetition of ‘I was the first…’ shows how proud he is. he starts to think he is ‘beyond the reach of fate’
- however, by the end, he’s the ‘chief of sufferers’ and experiences ‘torments’ as Hyde grows in strength (links to idea of Hell)
how is it shown that Jekyll’s bad side was trapped inside his good side?
his drugs ‘shook the doors of the prison house of his disposition’. this strong language shows that Jekyll feels the sinful side of his personality was trapped by the more respectable side
describe the secrets in the novel:
- Jekyll’s secret alter ego
- Utterson has done ‘many ill things’ in his past, but he doesn’t say what these are. his actions appear shameful, even though is past is ‘fairly blameless’. Stevenson’s NARRATIVE HAS MANY GAPS, leaving the reader more suspicious of things left unspoken/unexplained
- never explained where Enfield was returning from at 3am. scandalous?
describe how many things are left unsaid:
- gentlemen decide not to speak about unpleasant things so they can pretend they’re not happening
- they downplay shocking events. Enfield describes the trampled girl as ‘a bad story’ and when Lanyon says he regards Jekyll as dead, Utterson merely says ‘Tut-tut’ (understatements). gentlemen are prepared to pretend everything is normal
- Lanyon and Jekyll choose to write about their experiences, rather than speak about them. these letters are left unread, adding to the secrecy and suspense
describe how Stevenson uses locked doors as symbols of secrecy:
- Jekyll slams the window shut on Utterson and Enfield, and later locks himself in the cabinet
- ## items (e.g. Jekyll’s letters and ingredients) are kept securely locked in drawers and safesthese closed doors and windows represent people’s desire to hide their secrets, so smashing the cabinet door is a symbolic moment, as it represents the breakdown of Jekyll’s walls of secrecy
describe the use of a third person narrative and a main narrative in the story:
- most of the story is in a third person narrative, which follows Utterson. this is a limited narrative, as he finds things out gradually and only learns the truth at the very end. this distances the reader from the truth, creating tension and intrigue
- the main narrative follows Utterson’s experiences in chronological order. this gives a sense of time passing, increasing the tension as time goes on
describe how the last two chapters add to the suspense in the novel:
the last two chapters don’t follow a linear structure, and instead, they return to explain previous events. by leaving these key explanations to the end, Stevenson keeps the reader in suspense throughout
what are some examples of embedded narratives in the novel?
- Enfield’s story about the door. first hint of a mystery. he says it’s ‘a very odd story’, gripping the reader’s interest
- the Carew murder is explained through a maid’s account. she faints after seeing it, showing she’s emotional. her account seems limited - we feel removed from the events, and don’t know how much we can trust her narrative
- Lanyon’s first person narrative is mostly written in formal, measured language, making it seem more credible. this is important as it’s the first account of Jekyll’s transformation
- however, this narrative also has its limitations, as Lanyon refuses to write down some of what he’s heard
why did Stevenson include embedded narratives?
- pieces of evidence in the case. Stevenson makes the story seem more realistic (even if parts seem impossible), making it seem more frightening
- the title of the novel is ‘The strange case…’, and the chapter titles refer to incidents and statements. gives the sense of a real investigation, contrasting with the fantastical nature of Hyde
why is there a lack of an account from Hyde?
- excluded from the narrative, like he is from society
- makes him seem more mysterious
describe Jekyll’s will:
- starting point in Utterson’s hunt for Hyde. as a legal document, it’s authentic evidence of Jekyll’s link to Hyde
- poses questions - Enfield’s story suggested that Hyde is shady, so it seems strange that the respectable Jekyll would leave him everything
describe Carew’s letter to Utterson:
the letter found on Carew’s body, the reader never finds out what was written in it. Stevenson uses these GAPS IN THE NARRATIVE to add to the reader’s suspicion
describe Hyde’s letter to Jekyll:
Jekyll gives Utterson this after Carew’s murder. Utterson is initially reassured by it, as it implies that Hyde isn’t blackmailing Jekyll, btu he has his ‘fears renewed’ when Poole insists that nothing was delivered. creates intrigue
- Guest then examines the handwriting, and Utterson assumes that Jekyll is forging for Hyde. this letter is misleading
why does Stevenson use written documents?
- reveals info to certain characters, but Stevenson carefully controls how much
- written documents make the story seem more realistic, as different people reveal different parts of the story. they add suspense, as info is revealed gradually. the narrative is more fragmented through these documents - small hints, not the whole story
- Stevenson suggests that the reader should question the reliability of written documents, by hinting at their authors’ secretive behaviour
describe how Jekyll’s final confession fills in the narrative gaps:
- recaps everything in the novel in chronological order. it’s the first time the events have been fully explained
- Stevenson uses a first person narrative for Jekyll’s statement, as Jekyll is the only character who knows the whole truth. this gives the reader direct access to his thoughts and feelings
- ‘statement’ = unbiased report. could be difficult for the reader to completely trust what Jekyll writes, as he’s already shown he’s capable of deceiving people, even his closest friends. he also leaves some things unexplained (i.e. potion contents)
describe the dark settings:
- Stevenson emphasises darkness in the novel, and associates this with the less respectable parts of London
- ## in Soho, the light is always changing: ‘degrees and hues of twilight’, ‘changing glimpses’ of streets, a ‘haggard shaft of daylight’. symbolises the narrative as a whole - only parts of the truth seen at any one time
- Stevenson also uses the moon to highlight parts of settings. Carew’s murder is ‘brilliantly lit by the full moon’, making it more dramatic, like a spotlight
- in ‘The Last Night’, the moon is described as ‘lying on her back’, the personification makes it seem as if the whole world as been turned upside down by Jekyll’s secret
describe the foggy settings:
- repeatedly mentions fog. dense, covers whole streets, making them places of secrecy
- when Utterson visits Soho, it ‘cut him off’ from his surroundings. the fog isolates characters and restricts their view of current events
- fog also symbolises mystery. the lecture theatre at Jekyll’s house is described as ‘foggy’. the fog seems to have come indoors, symbolising how deeply Jekyll has hidden his secret
how are the streets of London portrayed as dangerous?
- both of Hyde’s attacks take place there. Hyde is often mysteriously associated with darkness
- the streets are linked to horror and nightmares. Utterson has a nightmare where he imagines a terrifying city of ‘labyrinths’. Soho is ‘a district of some city in a nightmare’, as if Utterson’s visions have become real
- the streets are often empty. Utterson says ‘he had never seen that part of London so deserted’. this is a bustling part of the city, so its emptiness is strange - the characters are isolated from the busy city in a bubble of silence and mystery. contributes to Utterson and Poole’s anxiety
how did Stevenson build a nightmarish version of London, that’s half-way between reality and fiction?
- uses vague descriptions of familiar settings. Jekyll lives on ‘some square or other’
- he includes specific details about locations. Jekyll’s house is two doors in from the end of the street
- ## he mentions place names which didn’t exist in London at the time, e.g. Gaunt Streetmakes the setting more frightening for Victorian readers, as it’s familiar
how does Jekyll’s house symbolise his character?
- the respectable main house is at the front and has an ‘air of wealth’
- through a yard at the back is a lab, with a back door that’s ‘blistered and distained’
- symbolises Jekyll’s personality - outwardly respectable, but inwardly sinful. the Hyde side of his character is connected to him, but hidden away
- after his meeting with Utterson, Hyde escapes into the house ‘with extraordinary quickness’. using the building to conceal himself
describe the laboratory in Jekyll’s house:
- ‘dingy windowless structure’
- Utterson, when passing through the lecture theatre, feels a ‘sense of strangeness’, adding to the mystery
describe the quote: a ‘house of voluntary bondage’
- the quote suggests that Jekyll has chosen to lock himself in, just as he tried to lock Hyde away within himself
- Jekyll sees the house as protection, where he can hide his dark secrets
which of Hyde’s objects have a symbolic meaning?
- the possessions in his house in Soho belong to Jekyll. these expensive objects are a symbol of the respectable gentleman in the rougher part of the city
- the cane Hyde uses to murder Carew was a gift from Utterson. it’s a symbol of the Victorian gentleman, but also demonstrates that civilised people are capable of violent crimes
which of Jekyll’s objects have a symbolic meaning?
- Jekyll’s cheque book initially gets him out of difficulty (pays off the family of the girl who Hyde had trampled). however, after the murder of Carew, he burns the cheque book, showing how money can’t help him deal with a scandal of this scale
- the mirror is also symbolic, as Jekyll’s reflection emphasises the fact that Hyde is his double
describe Utterson’s dialogue:
- mostly rational and formal
- keen to avoid discussing a scandal, so he uses vague phrases (‘Tut-tut’) rather than give an actual opinion
- can be forceful when needed (e.g. when he pushes Jekyll for ‘one word more’ about his will
- his language can also be humorous (e.g. ‘If he be Mr Hyde … I shall be Mr Seek’
describe Jekyll’s dialogue:
- guarded, always tries to avoid questions
- chooses silence over speaking (when Utterson asks him about his will, he shuts his mouth tight and nods)
- when Hyde becomes more powerful, his formal, guarded language breaks down.
- he speaks in a ‘feverish’ manner, in a ‘changed’ voice, and stutters
describe Lanyon’s dialogue:
- to begin with, it’s jolly and ‘theatrical’. he makes jokes and ‘chuckled’
- voices opinions and criticisms, accusing Jekyll of ‘unscientific balderdash’ with a ‘little spirit of temper’
- later, his language becomes vague - ‘I saw what I saw, I heard what I heard’. he’s so disturbed by what he’s seen he refuses to write or say it
how does Poole’s dialogue reflect his social class?
- refers to Utterson as ‘Mr Utterson’ or ‘Sir’, or to Jekyll as ‘master’, demonstrating his role as a servant. however, Utterson sometimes refers to Jekyll as ‘Harry’, a common nickname, showing that they’re good friends and of the same social class
- often colloquial - ‘Yes, sir, he do indeed’. non-standard grammar stands out from the rest of Utterson’s narrative, suggesting less education
- doesn’t conceal his emotions as much. shouts with ‘ferocity’, doesn’t conceal anxiety when voicing his suspicions
describe Hyde’s dialogue:
- angry speech, ‘with a flush of anger’. he doesn’t conceal his emotion - Hyde scolds him for not using ‘fitting language’
- less polite: short, direct sentences, blunt questions: ‘What do you want?’
- ‘whispering and somewhat broken voice’ - secrecy
- inhuman noises, e.g. ‘hissing’, screams in ‘animal terror’. not fully human
describe the formal language in the main narrative:
- mainly written from Utterson’s perspective, so in formal, controlled language, reflecting Utterson’s personality
- the plot details are presented in orderly fashion. when searching Jekyll’s cabinet, the sentences are organised with conjunctions and prepositions, organised like Utterson
- the restrained language makes the content more shocking in contrast
describe the descriptive use of similes in the main narrative:
Hyde is constantly described using similes. ‘like a madman’, ‘like a rat’, ‘like Satan’. characters can only compare Hyde to other things - they can’t accurately describe him. he’s mysterious and threatening
describe the descriptive use of metaphors in the main narrative:
- London is described as a ‘drowned city’. gives the impression that it’s smothered by the dense fog
- the streets are also described as ‘arteries’, making the city seem like a living body
describe the use of personification in the main narrative:
- the back of Jekyll’s laboratory is personified
- it ‘thrust forward’ onto the pleasant street around it, and has a ‘blind forehead’
- the building seems rude and secretive, representing Hyde
Jekyll and Hyde has many features of a gothic novel, describe:
- the mysterious settings
- the disturbing secrets
MYSTERIOUS SETTINGS: Stevenson’s description of the dark, deserted London streets, and ‘fogged city moon’ and the objects in Jekyll’s lab are all mysterious
DISTURBING SECRETS: Jekyll’s alter ego is disturbing. Hyde commits horrific crimes, and inspires terror in everyone who meets him
Jekyll and Hyde has many features of a gothic novel, describe:
- dreams and visions
- the supernatural
DREAMS AND VISIONS: Utterson has a terrifying vision in which he’s ‘haunted’ by a faceless figure. it’s a frightening mix of Enfield’s story and Utterson’s personal fears
SUPERNATURAL: Jekyll’s scientific experiments are ‘mystic and the transcendental’. Lanyon describes Hyde’s transformation in a way that seems impossible - he features ‘seemed to melt and alter’
describe the popularity of Gothic novels in the Victorian era:
- traditionally set in haunted buildings or abandoned castles, faraway places. in the Victorian period, this changed to focus on more modern and familiar settings, i.e. London
- gothic novels usually features an evil character/villain. in Jekyll and Hyde, the wicked character is actually part of a respectable man
- stories about openly evil people in faraway places were easier to dismiss: horrible deeds committed by civilised people in normal places was terrifying
