Sir Danver Carew Flashcards
“London was startled by a crime of singular ferocity and rendered all the more notable by the high position of the victim.”
The first reference to Carew is mentioning his “high position”, which would immediately shock a Victorian readership. This is a reflection on the incredibly hierarchical and classist society of Victorian London. He is also immediately introduced as a victim, which heightens the mystery / thriller genre conveyed in the novella. The animalistic connotations of “ferocity” place Carew in the role of prey and Hyde as predator.
“an aged and beautiful gentleman with white hair”
“White hair” is a symbol of distinguishment and purity alongside the mention of “aged” which perpetuates Carew’s presentation as a victim in the plot. This description of Carew is feminised, perpetuating the view that females are helpless in the novella.
“When they had come within speech (which was just under the maid’s eyes) the older man bowed and accosted the other with a very pretty manner of politeness.”
This further emphasises the vulnerability of the character of Carew, which heightens the magnitude of violence committed by Hyde against him. Sets Carew up as a Victorian Gentleman: “very pretty manner of politeness”.
“such an innocent and old-world kindness.”
This juxtaposes with the evil which is embodied by Mr Hyde. His age is emphasised here. Using the description “old-world kindness” implies that the current culture is harsher than its predecessors.
“with the air of one very much surprised and a trifle hurt.”
Increases the tension surrounding his death, as this leads the reader to assume he was unaware of who Hyde was or why he was trying to hurt him. This reinforces the idea that Carew serves as more of a plot device rather than a three-dimensional character.
“aged beautiful gentleman with white hair”
We learn about Sir Danvers Carew’s murder through the third person narrator’s account of what the maid sees and this internal focus, enables Stevenson to create greater mystery by filtering the murder events solely through the maid’s observations.
‘White hair’ is a symbol of purity and has angelic connotations
The adjective ‘aged’ perpetuates Carew’s presentation as a victim in this plot and has connotations of wisdom
Carew’s innocence serves to highlight Hyde’s maliciousness
Writers intention: Hyde’s violent murder of the MP Carew can represent a violent uprising of the proletariat (Marxism) as he is a fellow member of the bourgeoise. Stevenson could be showing the selfishness of the people in upper circles
Readers response: the Victorian reader would have found this shocking and solidifies their opinion of Hyde as a formidable character.
