Reputation Flashcards
How is Reputation shown?
-Repression of Sinful Desires to Maintain Respectability
-Duality and the Facade of Goodness
-Friendship and Loyalty Threatened by Fear of Scandal
In Jekyll and Hyde, Stevenson explores how characters repress their sinful or immoral desires to preserve their public image, reflecting the rigid moral expectations of Victorian society. Jekyll’s creation of Hyde acts as a symbolic outlet for indulging in forbidden behaviours while protecting his status as a “respectable” gentleman. This dual existence critiques the hypocrisy of Victorian respectability, where individuals were forced to conceal their true selves to meet the era’s strict codes of conduct, shaped by religion, class, and appearances.
repression
-“But from the high views I set before me, I regarded and hid them with a morbid sense of shame” chpt 10
-“My devil had been long caged, he came out roaring” chpt 10
In Jekyll and Hyde, Stevenson uses the theme of duality to expose the false facade of goodness maintained by Victorian gentlemen, suggesting that even the most respectable figures may harbour dark, hidden desires. Jekyll’s polished exterior allows him to indulge in immoral acts through Hyde without social consequence, critiquing a society more concerned with appearances than true virtue. This idea mirrored public fears at the time of Jack the Ripper — a mysterious killer many believed to be a well-educated upper-class man, hidden beneath the mask of respectability
controlled evil for pleasure
-“Sawbones turn sick and white with the desire to kill” chpt 1
-“The man seems hardly human! Something troglodytic.” chpt 2
(Hyde is evil + readers assume so too, shows how is easy people can hate people who are the “other)
-“The moment I choose, I can be rid of Mr. Hyde” chpt 5
(Shows Jekyll’s belief he can control his darker side while keeping his public image untarnished.)
-“Had always been, known for charities” chpt 6
-“The animal within me licking the chops of memory”
-Savours in Hyde’s memory= jekyll = evil
In Jekyll and Hyde, Stevenson presents how the fear of social scandal corrupts genuine friendship and loyalty, as characters prioritise their reputations over emotional truth or moral responsibility. Utterson’s loyalty to Jekyll is constantly tested by the potential damage Hyde could cause to Jekyll’s public image, revealing a culture where appearances mattered more than integrity. This reflects Victorian society’s obsession with respectability, where the upper classes often silenced truths or fractured relationships to preserve their public honour.
-“He began to go wrong, wrong in the mind” chpt 2
-“Unscientific balderdash” chpt 2
(cuts ties to conserve reputation as a scientist)
-“Horror in thier eyes… walked once more in silence” chpt 7
(Enfield and utterson don’t talk abt seeing jekyll almost transform)
