Overview and Key Scenes Flashcards
Describe Mr Utterson
A respectable lawyer, he symbolises honesty and acts as the moral compass of the novella.
Describe Dr Jekyll
A seemingly reputable doctor, he symbolises repression as well as insatiable curiosity.
Describe Mr Hyde
Dr Jekyll’s evil doppelganger, he symbolises man’s basal instincts.
Describe Dr Lanyon
- Respected and successful scientist
- Foil to Jekyll Lanyon = rational, Jekyll = mystical
- First person to see Jekyll transform
Describe Poole
Dr Jekyll’s butler, he symbolises loyalty.
Describe Sir Danvers Carew
An MP and member of high society, his death symbolises Hyde’s disregard for conventional authority.
Describe Mr Enfield
Mr Utterson’s cousin, he is key to the theme of repression and silence.
Mr Enfield tells Mr Utterson about a young girl being violently trampled by an evil looking man, Mr Hyde. Why is this significant?
Because it is our first encounter to Mr Hyde so shapes our perceptions of him throughout as well as introducing key themes to the reader.
“The street shone out in contrast to its dingy neighbourhood”. What theme does this introduce to the reader and why is it important?
The theme of duality. Which links to the interpretation of the novella as a metaphor for the division seen in Stevenson’s contemporary Edenborough. The sibilance used in “street shone” implies that the presence of this duality poses an underlying threat.
Hyde is described as “some damned Juggernaut”. How would you analyse this quote?
The satanic connotations of damned are juxtaposed against the omnipotent connotations of Juggernaut. This implies that Hyde is unrestricted by conventional ideas of religious morality.
“Something displeasing, something downright detestable”. How would you analyse this quote?
The repetition of something implies that Hyde is more of a thing than a being. Stevenson also uses repeated harsh “d” consonants in “displeasing”, “downright” and “detestable” to introduce Hyde as a force of evil.
How is Jekyll first introduced?
In the context of his will.
How does Jekyll being introduced in the context of his will affect the audience?
It creates a sense of foreboding.
“All his possessions were to pass into the hands of his ‘friend and benefactor Edward Hyde’”. How would you analyse this quote?
This links Hyde and the death of Jekyll from the outset, foreshadowing Jekyll’s ruin.
What does giving all of Henry Jekyll’s qualifications- “Henry Jekyll, M.D., D.C.L., L.L.D., F.R.S., etc.” show?
His high rank and respectability are shown. He can be aligned with conventional expectations of the Victorian gentleman here.
