mystery Flashcards
overview
Stevenson creates suspense throughout the novel through the use of Utterson’s limited perspective. Utterson investigates the link between Jekyll and Hyde and uncovers information at the same time the reader does. This builds suspense as we are left to piece together the information like he does. Stevenson withholds information which increases suspense through cliffhangers at the end of chapters and the characters silence. Stevenson uses pathetic fallacy to create the tense atmosphere by making it reflect the mood of the novel.
ch1
– U and E walk past the house and it is described as ‘sinister.’ The word ‘sinister’ suggests that the building is eerie and unsettling. Therefore, by personifying the building to make it sound evil it increases tension by suggesting that even the atmosphere is unsafe.
- E tells the story about H and says that H had a cheque ‘signed with a name that I can’t mention.’ Suspense is built through E withholding information from U and not saying who signed the cheque.
- E describes H as a ‘damnable man’ which suggests that H is so evil that he belongs in hell. However the man who gave H the cheque is the ‘pink of the proprieties’ which suggests that he is a role model for moral behaviour. The contrast of these characters creates mystery because the reader wonders why someone so good would give someone so terrible money. U assumes its ‘blackmail.’
ch2
– U looks at J’s will which says all his possessions will go to H after J’s ‘disappearance or unexplained absence.’ This builds mystery as U uncovers an unexplained link between J and H as they are tied together by the will. The phrase ‘unexplained absence’ creates mystery as the wording is strange suggesting that it is likely J will disappear.
ch3
– U goes to get answers from J about his relationship with H and he says that he is ‘painfully situated.’ The word ‘painfully’ suggests that his situation physically hurts him. This creates suspense by suggesting that J is in trouble but can’t say what it is.
- J says to U ‘I beg of you to let it sleep.’ The word ‘beg’ suggests his desperation for U to stop talking about J. By not explaining his situation a sense of unease is created by suggesting that J is too scared to talk about H which makes the reader think that he’s in danger. This creates suspense.
ch4
– Soho is described as a ‘city in a nightmare.’ Using the gothic horror genre Stevenson creates suspense through an eerie setting. Nightmares could be linked to a feeling of helplessness and fear because you can’t control them which creates suspense by suggesting that they are in a dangerous place.
- Everyone who’s met H felt a ‘haunting sense of unexpressed deformity.’ The phrase ‘unexpressed deformity’ suggests that there is something wrong with H but no one can explain what. This creates suspense by suggesting that H can never be caught because the vague language means that no one can describe him.
ch5
– J’s cabinet has windows ‘barred with iron.’ The reader could be reminded of a prison because of the iron bars which creates a sense of mystery by suggesting that things are being locked away and kept hidden that the reader doesn’t know about. The reader may wonder why the bars are needed.
- J is described to look ‘deadly sick’ whereas before he was ‘well made.’ This creates mystery because of J’s unexplained change as Stevenson withholds information from the reader.
- U finds a letter J forged for H and he locks the evidence away in a safe. This increases suspense because more and more secrets are being locked away and they could get out.
ch6
– L has a ‘deep-seated terror of the mind’ which suggests a mental change. The phrase ‘deep-seated’ suggests that the fear is internal which is disturbing as it can’t be escaped because it’s inside. The contrast from being healthy to his current state creates mystery because the reader doesn’t know why the change has taken place.
- L also won’t reveal why he and J fell out which creates mystery because information is withheld.
ch7
– when U and E see J at the window it ‘froze’ their blood. The reaction is so extreme saying that their blood went so cold it turned to ice which suggests that they must’ve seen something terrible to create such a strong reaction.
- However, E and U walk in ‘silence’ after seeing it. This increases suspense because Stevenson withholds information from the reader by not describing what was seen. This suggests that what they saw was too horrific to talk about.
ch8
– The weather is described as ‘wild, cold, unseasonable.’ Stevenson uses pathetic fallacy to create suspense by suggesting that the weather is unnatural which creates a frightening setting.
- When U enters J’s house the servants are ‘huddled together like a flock of sheep.’ This suggests that all the servants are scared of something but we don’t know what. This creates an atmosphere of fear which builds suspense.
- P admits to seeing the man inside the cabinet and he looks like a ‘dwarf.’ This creates suspense because the man inside the cabinet cannot be J because he is ‘tall.’ Therefore the contrast in appearances creates suspense because it is clear that someone else is in there.
- Throughout this chapter there are lots of clues like the rusted key and cheval glass which are unexplained to create mystery. The significance of the objects aren’t revealed until the last two chapters.
