Jekylls Analysis

Question 1

Analyses the quote “a large well made smooth faced man of fifty”

Answer 1

Techniques : imagery, rule of three,

• imagery of a respectable Victorian gentleman
• positive physical description shows jekylls strong and enriched characteristics give an impression of power , stability, control
• a man who seems to be admired and praised by society
• youthfulness which foreshadows his childish experiments
• facade attempting to hid away darker persona
• his age shows great knowledge of life (possibly backing his reasoning behind Hyde)
• in contrast ** this could highlight the effect of dr Jekylls decision to impersonate a dark creature like Hyde making it more disturbing and dramatic**
• critical contrast between jekylls outer appearance and the reality of his inner conflict of tru identity

Question 2

Analyses the quote “ the moment I choose I can be rid of mr hyde”

Answer 2

Techniques: dramatic irony, diction on verb, connotation

• says he can be in control of hydes comings and goings even though later wee see his pride fall apart when he losses all sense of control
• hubris thoughts deceive him
• “rid” = unwanted spattachment that can be thrown away as easy as rubbish
• pesamistic attitude foreshadows enviable loss on control
• “choose” represents a sense of control and ownership that Jekyll believes he has over Hyde

Question 3

Analyses the quote “the will was holograph”

Answer 3

Techniques: short sentence, tragic irony

• holograph = a will written entirely by the testator without legal influence
• deemed as unusual in society at the time, rises suspicion
• action mirrors his image of a secretive repressed gentleman
• represents mystery and dual nature
• contents of the will (every thing is left to Hyde) triggers attention to the intimacy and control this Hyde has over Jekyll affairs
• holograph becomes a symbol of tragic hubris
• tragic irony = he personally has written a will and will personally loose all his control to the man left with everything he owns
• ** physical representation of his misguided beliefs**

Question 4

Analyses the quote “he began to go wrong wrong in the mind”

Answer 4

Techniques: repetition, external narrative

• mental state is in flux and him internal conflict is becoming more pronounced
• shift in moral compass
• Jekylls anagnorisis
• not a physical constant change into a permanent Hyde but a inner deep rooted moral switch
• psychological deterioration as he struggles to separate good from evil
• control is slowly slipping away
• SAID BY UTTERSON emphasises how visbake this inner change is
• not yet transformed into Hyde but has planted the seed of duality

Question 5

Analyses the quote “dr Jekyll looking deadly sick”

Answer 5

Techniques: plosives, motif of illness, metaphor

• extreme state of illness both physical and mental
• his outside appearance is catching up to his twisted dark inner mortals
• motif of illness though out the Novell used to communicate the representation and realisation of exposure and wrong doing
• sickness symbolises moral decay
• deadly - indicated that this internal battle is a dangerous event that puts him at risk
• his body is betraying him

Question 6

Analyses this quote “My devil had been long caged he came out roaring”

Answer 6

techniques - imagery, biblical references

• sees himself as demonic, uncontrollable force, destruction worthy
• extreme awareness of moral inner conflict suppressed desires
• his transformation is no longer a choice
• biblical reference to genesis story’s of creation, devils temptation he had committed the highest sin
• admitting to being overpowered
• long cages = societal repression
• method of controlling Hyde has been locking him away like a beast
• it has miserably failed
• constant downgrade of the situation getting worse and worse
• animalistic comparison hints at aggressive, violent uncontrollable features of hydes person which Jekyll has created as an extension of himself
• not a gradual realise but an attack of reality

Question 7

Analyses the quote “man is not truly one but truly two”

Answer 7

Techniques- repetition, general noun

• repetition emphasis Jekylls convection he is now fully aware of the reasoning behind his actions
• people are man of good and evil, rational and irrational, civilised and primal
• Stevenson critiques the repressive nature of Victorian society where men like Jekyll were supposed to uphold strict morals
• through his admission, he attempts to revel that a life fully lived good is unnatural and dangerous
• anagnorisis, Jekyll realises he has lost control and no way back
• general noun ‘man’ rather than this being solely about him, he imply that this inner duality is universal , not just personal
• sends a message to be couscous about your dark side, and if you ignore it , it will lead to destruction
• structure of the phrase reflects the shift in understanding how his experiments has changed his worldview for ever
• he has come to terms with his true self

Question 8

Analyses the quote “ I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end”

Answer 8

Techniques- third person, formal language

• Jekyll is detached from himself just like he initially detached Hyde
• the roles have switched
• Jekyll realises that the experiment has ruined him
• his final act on control is choosing his moment of death
• hint at his formal language tried to carry the expected a respectable Victorian gentleman till the end
• he has lost himself
• deep regret and sorrow emotion of Hyde as caring, foreshadowing how he and Jekyll have always been linked

Question 9

Analyses the quote “I am quite done with him I was sure of it”

Answer 9

Techniques- repetition, shirt sentence

• inner conflict and self-deception
• repetition revels a desperate attempt to prove to himself that has had control over the situation, underlines the thought of the reader doubting him
• short sentence suggests finality, and determination however the use of past tense undermine his words making him sound unsure foreshadowing further events of Jekylls inevitable loss of control
• perspective on his relation to Hyde by separating ‘him’ into a whole another being as if they were not they same person
• refusing to take responsibility for hydes darker urges
• mirrored reflection on how Victorian men repress their emotions
• deeply ironic as the reader later learns that Jekyll is not done with Hyde and that he will come back even more dominate and stronger
• Stevenson shows how dangerous it is to think we can fully control our darker side once it’s unleashed