JEKYLL QUOTES Flashcards
“He was now no less distinguished for religion”
Shows apparent difficulty with religion. J’s beliefs widely contrast with religious texts
“Had fallen upon his knees and lifted his clasped hands to God”
J turns to God for redemption while he attempted to play the role of a creator it backfired and now he suffers the consequences.
” A fortnight later…the doctor gave one of his pleasant dinners to some five or six old cronies, all intelligent and reputable”
Shows he is a well-mannered, well-respected individual with society with high connections. J could experiment because of his wealth and high social class
“charitable person”
associated with all things good like donating to charity
“I concealed my pleasures”
J suppressed his sinful side in order to maintain his reputation. While he was Hyde he had no societal expectations.
“He came out of his seclusion”
After indulging in Hyde, Jekyll attempts to re-assimilate into society
” My devil had long been caged… he came out roaring”
inner devil- manifestation of deeper desires. ideas of the devil juxtapose Christian ideology. Gives his evil traits like being locked in and the verb roaring shows J gives in to animalistic impulses and the sheer strength that J’s evil has over him
” He was curious of his more furious propensity to ill”
a more moral inclination to immorality and evil, regressing in evolution
“the hand that lay on my knee was corded and hairy”
The hand, a symbol of respectability and honor is invaded by Hyde. free- flowing hair insinuating ideas of uncontrolled and unrestrained freedom
” I felt younger, lighter, happier in body”
Stevenson uses triadic structure to show burdensome the restrains of society were on Jekyll
” An overdose that might block out that immaterial tabernacle which I looked to change”
“immaterial tabernacle”- Old Testament semantic field of religion. J wishes to change religious beliefs set in stone, blasphemous
” I was no more myself when I laid aside restraint and plunged in shame”
Failed in splitting human nature, and instead has succumbed to his evil side which naturally brings him shame. Becoming shameless like when he is Hyde is when humans end up making reckless decisions
” Man is not truly one but truly two”
Believes that human psyche can be split into good and bad
” I was driven to reflect deeply and inveterately on that hard law of life which lies at the root of religion”
inveterately=deep-seated engrained
J attempts to isolate morality and immorality to undercut root of religion. He has many questions on the true nature of humans, religion can provide some answers but as a scientist where does he draw the line?
” Late one accursed night I compounded the elements, watched them boil.. with a a strong glow of courage, drank off the potion
dark setting, gothic theme adds gravitas to scene
glow of courage= erratic behaviour, aware of risks
” Had I approached my discovery in a more noble spirit.. I had come forth an angel instead of a fiend”
intended to achieve greater good with experiment but he was selfish in his evil
a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty, with something of a slyish cast perhaps, but every mark of capacity and kindness
innocuous description of a a perfect man, however ‘slyish’ almost deceitful, syntax makes it seem like an offhand remark but is a harbingers for J’s deeper, darker desires superlative= every mark of capacity..
” I stood already committed to a profound duplicity of life”
The more faultless Jekyll appears to others, the more miserable he feels – largely because he understands (and cannot stand) the social expectation for everyone to ‘split’, as it were, their projected and true selves.
” Weeping like a woman or a lost soul”
J has at this point lost himself to Hyde he is in despair. women were still perceived as weak and hysterical going against everything a perfect gentleman should be with a stiff upper lip
“large, handsome face of Dr Jekyll grew pale to the lips and there came a blackness about his eye”
the mere mention of Hyde has an immediate effect on J. he’s described so perfectly, the ideal figure yet the irony is that Hyde, ugly, dwarfish is just J.
” disconsolate prisoner”
inconsolable and bleak, Jekyll is trapped by his own wicked ways
“my new power tempted me till I fell into slavery”
what began as an almost superpower of transforming into Hyde and indulging in evil only led to Jekyll, the very creator being trampled upon by his own creation. Common gothic narrative as seen in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
