Quotes + Analysis Flashcards
Primitive duality of man
In this quote, Jekyll is realizing that there are actually two people in each of us. The stative verb “duality” could be seen to represent the good and bad sides of each of us, in a religious context; or the double lives that were being lived by Victorian gentlemen, as they balance their sordid pleasures with their desire to appear respectable; or as a part of Freud’s structural theory where the Ego (Jekyll) contains both the Super-Ego (Victorian society) and the Id (Hyde). The adjective “primitive” also relates to original or basic, and here Stevenson is suggesting that at our most basic levels humans have many layers.
man is not truly one, but truly two
Here, Jekyll observes that there are, in fact, two people within each of us. He uses the adjective “truly” – which simply means honestly, or factually – to emphasise himself. Here, the “two” could refer to both the civilised side of humanity – which is represented by the upper class and very respectable Henry Jekyll – and the “beast within,” Hyde. It could also be Stevenson suggesting that there isn’t as much difference between the uncivilised rabble and gentlemen as many people would like to believe. It also suggests that ideas like Good and Evil are not distinct from each other, but that we all contain elements of both.
pale and dwarfish
Hyde is described as “pale and dwarfish.” These adjectives both relate to him being weak or deformed. Also, although “pale” relates to a lack of life or vigour, it also has horrific connotations which link him to vampires, or anyone else who spends no time around sunlight. And “dwarfish” although linking him to being short, could also suggest that he is below other people socially as well as physically; also, that he is less well developed – or less evolved – than the civilised than the “upstanding” gentlemen of Victorian England. Also, both words suggest that Hyde was not a significant part of Jekyll – that he was “underdeveloped.” The fact that he was “pale,” suggests something ghostly or like a feint version of him, while his “dwarfish” stature also suggests that he was only a small part of a larger whole
a murderous mixture of timidity and boldness
This image is almost oxymoronic, but perfectly describes Hyde’s state. His “timidity” could come from how Hyde has not experienced the outside world so much, given that he was always hidden while he was kept in Jekyll’s id. It’s almost like the world is new to him and he often presents himself as being nervous around others. However, he also displays a “boldness” which suggests a confidence. Perhaps we could look at Hyde as a child who was born into the world as a man, and has the child’s naivety combined with an adults confidence. The fact that he has all this combined in a “murderous mixture” completes the image of Hyde as a real character of horror: he has no conscience, no civilised, learned state; he has only the selfishness of an angry toddler who sees only what makes him happy and pursues it ruthlessly.
Troglodytic
Here, Hyde is described using an adjective that literally means “cave dweller.” This draws comparisons with Neanderthal man, and pushes Hyde back down the evolutionary ladder. At the time, Darwin’s theory of evolution was still quite new and Stevenson’s use of this kind of scientific term would have made his story sound authentic and trustworthy. This also relates Hyde to the “uncivilised” people who were being encountered as the British empire expanded, who were seen as being further back down the evolutionary ladder than the British.
if ever I read Satan’s signature upon a face
Utterson claims that Hyde’s face contains “Satan’s signature.” Here, he is almost suggesting that Hyde is a work of evil art – as though Satan himself has signed off the creation. This is ironic, given the fact that it later turns out that the real creator of Hyde is, in fact, his good friend Henry Jekyll. Also, the alliteration here makes the phrase sound almost like an advertising gimmick, or a slogan. Hyde is repeatedly described using images of Satan which makes it clear that he is a pure form of evil – a kind of symbolic, religious evil that normally only exists in theory, but which has now been created as flesh and bone
clubbed / trampling / like a madman
When Hyde attacks Sir Danvers, Stevenson uses a range of verbs that make his attack sound violent and out of control. “Clubbed” relates him to cavemen – or “troglodytes” – who used to carry clubs around to batter their prey. “Trampling” almost reminds me of a child, carelessly stamping on things it doesn’t like with the sole aim of destroying them. He is described as doing this “like a madman,” a simile that makes it clear that Hyde has lost control. It is clear that Hyde is nothing like the upstanding, civilised gentleman that Jekyll would have wanted to see himself as. Also, the idea of madness as a state was relatively new in Victorian times. As a result, it would have terrified a Victorian audience as it reminded them of everything that lacked control or refinement – or the other trappings of civilisation.
ape-like fury
Hyde is described as attacking Sir Danvers with “ape-like fury.” This simile – like many others in the book – clearly compares him to an animal, an ape, and places him further back down the evolutionary ladder than the civilised Victorian gentlemen. Also, if you imagine that Hyde represents all the things he is compared to, you could see the way that Stevenson brings together ideas of animalism, uncivility, madness and evil into one pot; which sits opposite to the civilised, humane, intelligent and rational humans who are symbolised by Jekyll, Utterson or the other Victorian gentlemen in the book.
It seemed natural and human … a livelier image of the spirit
When Jekyll first turns into Hyde he says that “it seemed natural and human.” It is interesting first to note that Jekyll calls Hyde “it” rather than him. It is the case that Jekyll often struggles to draw a distinction between Hyde and himself, often struggling to accept that they are a part of the same person. But in this first instance, Jekyll can’t even humanise Hyde with a “him” and instead objectifies Hyde by referring to “it.” But Jekyll calls him “natural” – suggesting that he is normal, and acceptable – and “human,” which again shows Jekyll’s struggle to know how to define his new state.
He goes on to say that Hyde bore a “livelier image of the spirit.” The fact that Jekyll refers to the “spirit,” which is a kind of soul, suggests that Jekyll is talking about something from deep inside him. He says it has a “livelier image” which suggests activity, excitement – even a childish wonder – that counters the more serious image that traditional Christian goodness entails. There is undeniably something exciting in Hyde – and it is this thrill that he eventually succumbs to.
younger, lighter, happier
When Jekyll first turns into Hyde, he clearly has positive feelings for his new form. He says he feels “younger, lighter, happier.” The reference to him being “younger” could relate to Hyde having been so underdeveloped previously, or it could relate to a freshness that Jekyll had never found in the stuffy Victorian smoking rooms. The fact that he was “lighter” could suggest his size, but the connotations here might suggest that the weight that has been lifted is actually his conscience – he no longer feels the weight of responsibility that he once did. This is supported by the fact that he is now “happier,” again – he has no conscience – none of the guilt that is associated with extreme religiosity. It is clear at the outset, that there is much in this new form that Jekyll enjoys. In some ways this could be seen as Stevenson criticising a society that emphasises feelings of guilt over the freedom of expression, though the way that Hyde eventually took over could suggest otherwise.
“If he be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr. Seek.”
Hyde’s name is clearly a reference to the way that he is hidden, though his hiding is symbolic in a number of ways: in one sense he represents the id, and his hidden in our subconscious, kept far away from the judgement of the super-ego. In another sense, he represents the working class poor and dejected, who celebrated so many of the things that Hyde also enjoyed, but who are hidden from civilised society. He is everything that exists, but which Victorian England wanted to turn away from.
At one point in the book, Utterson suggests that if Mr Hyde will remain hidden, that he will be “Mr Seek.” Despite it not being the strongest or smartest pun in the history of literature, it sets up the real detective story here, which is not the search for the killer, but the search for the inner self. The monster at the heart of us all
“The moment I choose, I can be rid of Mr. Hyde.”
In Chapter 3 Jekyll says that he can be rid of Mr Hyde at the “moment I choose.” At this point, Jekyll still believes that he is in control – that his ego has control over the base desires of his id. It is only later, as Hyde starts to take over, that we realise that he is in fact addicted to being this creature – and only later still that we see Hyde begin to take over seemingly at will. Here, Jekyll really represents the Victorian arrogance that thinks it can ever escape its flirtation with its inner animal.
agonised womb of consciousness
In one of the most powerful images in the book, Jekyll describes existence itself as being like an “agonised womb of consciousness.” At the heart of this image is a deeply religious suggestion that something greater will be born from existence; he is saying that existence itself is merely a womb from which something more will be born; this is a clear suggestion of something along the lines of an afterlife. He also calls existence “agonised,” implying that it is a painful experience, something that has been explored thoroughly through religious texts over the years, and always with the promise of paradise on the other side.
large, well-made, smooth-faced
It is interesting to note that, other than the fact that the second half of the book is his confession, Jekyll rarely appears in the first half. When Utterson first meets him, however, he is described as being “large, well-made” and “smooth-faced.” The size of him is a clear opposite to Jekyll, who is often called small or “dwarfish.” He is also “well-made” an adjective phrase that suggest a few things: firstly, that he is a “made man” – a well supported, influential member of a powerful and very rich society. But also that he was literally “made” well – his genes were strong; his upbringing and his heredity were trustworthy and stable – he is, after-all, a civilised Victorian gentleman. This, again, is in contrast to Hyde who is often described as being deformed or otherwise grotesque. It’s also a little ironic, as you could argue that Jekyll in fact made Hyde in many ways. Jekyll’s “smooth-faced” charm also suggests that he is good to look at – he is trustworthy and unblemished; though this could also suggest something untrustworthy as to be smooth is charming, yes, but also, at times, someone to be wary of.
A very small gentleman, to whom at first she paid less attention
The reasons why Hyde was small has been explored previously. The fact that the maid who witnessed the Carew murder at first “paid less attention” to him is a clear reference to his position as the id. Characters often say that Hyde is difficult to describe; people seem unable to put their finger on how to describe him, as though he himself is constantly hiding from their eyes in the way that our subconscious desires – or our id – often hides from our conscious selves.
