Secrets / Secrecy Flashcards
What is a way secrets are shared through the novel?
through documents rather than freedom of conversation
In Chapter 1, what quotes makes Jekyll’s house so questionable when Enfield and Utterson walk past?
-‘sinister block of building’
-‘blind forehead’
-‘showed no window’
-‘neither bell nor knocker’
What does Enfield link Jekyll’s house to on the Sunday walk?
the killing of a girl on the street, which causes silence due to the lack of information
In Chapter 7, what happens when Utterson and Enfield come to Jekyll’s house to try and help him?
Jekyll begins to transform into Hyde and slams the window shut
What did Jekyll do when he began to transform into Hyde in front of Enfield and Utterson?
he ‘instantly thrust down’ the windows due to his sudden panic and alarm
What can the ‘instantly thrust down’ of the window be related to?
the way Hyde ‘thrust’ himself upon Jekyll
What does Utterson say when he sees Jekyll begin to transform?
‘God forgive us, God forgive us’ - religious connotations
What does the mysterious letter to Lanyon from Jekyll say?
tells Lanyon to break into his lab and allow someone in at midnight
What does Lanyon think about the letter he received?
he follows the instructions but it leaves him with a lot of questions as he cannot figure out what the mixture is
What happens to Lanyon when he reacts to Jekyll’s transformation in front of him using quotes?
-‘life shaken to its roots’
-‘my days are numbered’
-‘die incredulous’
-‘death-warrant written legibly upon his face’
-‘swift physical decay’
What is a secret to the readers when reading the book?
Jekyll is revealed as Hyde in Chapter 9
How are all the secrets revealed at the end?
through Lanyon’s letter and Jekyll’s confession
What is a secret between Lanyon and Jekyll that Utterson wants to find out?
Lanyon knows that Jekyll is Hyde because he saw it right in front of him
What is the main secret of the novel?
Jekyll’s use of the potion that turns him into Hyde
How does Stevenson present Jekyll as a reputable man but also hints at his secrecy?
Stevenson describes him in chapter 2 as ‘smooth-faced man of fifty’ where the word ‘smooth’ can be interpreted as Jekyll smoothing down his reputation and ensuring it’s kept well
How is Jekyll secrets presented as intense?
the exposure of Jekyll’s secrets leads to Lanyon’s death
What does Hyde’s takeover on Jekyll suggest?
it suggests that repression of cravings results in forming of secrets and strengthens desires
How do secrets affect reputation?
secrets destroy reputation in the novel shown by the character of Jekyll
How does Jekyll’s laboratory present the theme of secrecy throughout the novel?
Jekyll’s scientific experiments, particularly the one that transforms him into Hyde, are kept secret to protect his reputation and social standing
he admits to “I concealed my pleasures” and the darker aspects of his personality
How do locked doors and windows present the theme of secrecy throughout the novel?
the recurring motif of locked doors and windows, especially Jekyll’s laboratory door, symbolizes the hidden nature of his secret life as Hyde
the strong lock and door suggest a deliberate attempt to keep his secret hidden and protected
What quote describes locked windows?
‘three dusty windows barred with iron’
How does the needs to protect reputations and social standings affect Victorian gentlemen, especially Jekyll?
the Victorian gentlemen, especially Jekyll, are deeply concerned with their reputation and social standing, leading them to conceal their true selves and actions
this fear of judgment and social ruin fuels the need for secrecy
What quote shows Enfield being secretive about why he was out late at night to conceal his pleasures to Utterson?
‘I was coming home from some place at the end of the world’
How does Stevenson use pathetic fallacy such as the ‘fog’ to express the theme of secrecy?
Stevenson uses pathetic fallacy, particularly the descriptions of thick fog, to create an atmosphere of mystery and concealment
the fog adds to the sense of something hidden and sinister lurking beneath the surface
Give 5 quotes about the fog?
‘a fog rolled over the city’
‘the fog would be quite broken up’
‘the fog lifted a little and showed him a dingy street’
‘fog settled down again’
‘fog began to lie thickly’
How does Jekyll’s laboratory door become a symbol of secrecy throughout the novel?
Jekyll’s laboratory door, becomes a symbol of the hidden and forbidden aspects of his personality
when Poole and Utterson break down the door, they are symbolically forcing access to Jekyll’s private, inner self and his long kept secrets
How is the theme of secrecy intertwined with the theme of duality?
the theme of secrecy is intertwined with the novel’s exploration of duality, as Jekyll creates Hyde to indulge in forbidden desires while maintaining his public persona
this internal conflict and the fear of exposure contribute to the secrecy surrounding Jekyll’s transformation
In a Victorian society, how could a man secrets be used?
In a Victorian society a man’s secrets can be used to ruin him
What did Enfield say about Hyde when he trampled the young girl and what does it show?
Enfield said ‘make his name stink from one end of London to the other’ instead of killing him
this shows that revealing a man’s secrets is much more worse than killing him
How can secrets be used to manipulate the reader’s perspective?
within the text the reader becomes aware of the sequence of events at the same time as Utterson
this means the realisation that Hyde is an extension of Jekyll shocks the reader at the same time as Utterson
What does the quote’ The door was very strong, the lock excellent’ say about Jekyll and his secrets?
the quote underscores how deeply hidden and protected Jekyll’s secret appears to be that it cannot be easily penetrated
What is the deepest secret in the novel?
the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde
How does Utterson protect Jekyll through the use of secrecy?
when he suspects Hyde’s letter has been forged or believes Jekyll is hiding Hyde, he keeps it a secret in order to shield Jekyll from any public disgrace
further, Utterson is motivated to maintain the appearance of respectability and propriety even though he is aware of the depravity of Hyde’s actions
even at the conclusion of the novel, Utterson remains steadfast in his belief that Jekyll’s reputation must be upheld: for example, “I would say nothing of this paper. If your master has fled or is dead, we may at least save his credit”
Why does Stevenson also present other characters who appear to retain secrets or fail to disclose information about their behaviour such as Lanyon and Enfield?
Lanyon refuses to tell Utterson as to why he had a disagreement with Jekyll; Enfield and Carew do not disclose why they are out walking the London streets late at night
this heightens the sense of secrecy and suspicion within the novella, as characters withhold information in order to protect their reputation or the reputation of others
