jekyll and hyde - victorian hypocrisy

Question 1

i let my brother…

Answer 1

go to the devil in his own way - this shows uttersons hypocrisy as he is a respected man but surrounds himself with sunful men, he even enables this sin by refusing to intervene.

stevenson is saying this is what we all suffer from in society, especially middle class men, utterson is presenting a façade of respectability whilst tacitly accepintg the darker sides of human nature

the phrase ‘go to the devil’ is a metaphor for falling into sin or moral corruption, stevenson may be critiquing the passive morality of men
on the other hand the metpahor ‘go to the devil’ could represent uttertsons guilt for allowing jekyll to fall into evil

Question 2

man is not truly one but truly two

Answer 2

antithesis highlights central theme of duality as stevenson contrasts unity and division to reflect the conflict between good and evil

Question 3

love of life

Answer 3

this quote reflects jekylls envy of hydes love for life as jekyll is constrained by the strict victorian rules and unable to indulge in hos own desires. societys repressive moral standards force him to create hyde.

Stevenson critiques how Victorian society’s rigid expectations can suppress natural human instincts and desires, leaving individuals to repress their darker sides, which then manifest in destructive ways.

Question 4

a great chocolate…

Answer 4

covered pall lowered over heaven - stevenson is personifying the fog making it seem sinister and as if the city itself are hiding from god.
stevenson describes the pall as desirable with the word ‘chocolate’, this reflects how victorians are happy with their disguise as long as it allows them to carry out corruption. londoners prefer to live in a state of sin as long as it allows them to present a facade that they are not sinful - verry hypocritical mf.

Question 5

we screwed him up to a 100 pounds for the childs family

Answer 5

this was a lot of money - this is blackmail - the colliquial lang ‘we scewed’ him up is very informal and blunt, it shows enfields casual tone and shows how hyde was treated as more of a business deal than a criminal