Key Quotes Flashcards
‘If ever I read satans signature upon a face, it is that of you new friend’
Utterson views Hyde as the devil, however he juxtaposes this by naming Hyde as a ‘new friend’, so early on Utterson suspected that there was something wrong. Also referring to him as a devil would have been heavily insulting to the audience of the time, conveying Utterson dislike for hyde. His reaction emphasises Hydes horridness. Hyde is a metaphor for all sacreligious experiments from the time.
‘I incline to Cains heresy’ he used to say quaintly: ‘I let my brother go to the devil in his own way’’
Utterson becomes a representative of the conflict between stringent Victorian morals and Hyde’s debased behaviour, in his ‘quaint’ admission that Hyde’s demonic behaviour (‘go[ing] to the devil’) is outside of his jurisdiction. His reluctance to halt Jekkyl’s decline despite their close relationship — suggested by ‘brother — indicates the strength of external pressures of society, perhaps a society informed by Christian morality as demonstrated through the allusion to Cain and Abel.
‘Dusty, dreary, yet somehow loveable’
this juxtaposition shows Utterson is an old-fashioned person – indicates why he is unable to ‘think outside the box’ and work out the mystery of Jekyll and Hyde himself. This also implies that even Utterson has two sides – establishes theme of doubleness early on.
‘Trampled calmly’
the verb ‘ trampled’ connotes his violence and foreshadows the pain he causes others, the adverb ‘calmly’ is deeply disturbing – it suggests his cold hearted nature and perhaps how comfortable he is with hurting others
‘Such unscientific balderdash’
abstract noun ‘balderdash’ hints at Jekylls more corrupted side. Landon becomes a foil for Jekyll as he shows himself to have more of a moral side when it come to science. Scientific debates occurred during the time of the novella about how far scientists should experiment. Some scientists believes others were playing god, and that it would end in disaster.
‘Low growl of London from all round’
Stevenson is making the huge city of London claustrophobic and entrapping, the use of the verb ‘growl’ foreshadows the future animalistic actions of Hyde as it suggests that the setting of the book contains people with un-human characteristics. Stevenson uses this to create a sense of foreboding
‘Slyish cast’
this foreshadows the darker side beneath the handsome friendlieness of Dr Jekyll and suggests that there is an evil (Hyde) beneath the surface of Jekyll
‘A fog rolled over the city’
this pathetic fallacy of ‘fog’ which is repeated throughout the book reflects the confusion and mystery felt by the general public as to the murder. The extent of the fog suggests that the people are trapped and unable to see in a city being stalked by a murderer – reflects the creation of fear that Hyde brings. Pathetic fallacy is a classic gothic device that Stevenson uses as gothic horror was immensely popular at the time of the novellas creation.
‘Ape like fury’
this similie dehumanises Hyde and it suggests how out of control he is both emotionally and physically, Stevenson regularly compares him to animals, as he hisses in chap. 2 and he is most commonly compared to a monkey. This directly links to Darwinism and the theory that humans descended from apes
‘your unworthy and unhappy friend, henry Jekyll’
this reflects the misery Jekyll imposed upon himself by self-experimenting, Stevenson – being from a family of scientists – could be using the novella as a way of warning scientists to act with care even when experimenting.
