Themes Flashcards
Who is being described in the following quote?
“Hardly human…troglodytic”
Hyde
What quotes describe Hyde as an ape?
“That masked thing like a monkey jumped from among the chemicals.”
“With ape-like fury.”
What are some quotes with connotations of agony and hell?
“Chief of sinners”
“Brute that slept”
“Tortured with throes and longings”
Hyde is described as looking “hardly human…troglodytic”.
What does this suggest about his character?
He is a criminal.
He doesn’t fit in with society.
He’s a physical manifestation of a pre-human animal.
What do Jekyll’s experiments show?
Shows the potential of science to destroy the order of society (because they cause destruction and death)
Describe the Novella (in terms of victorian repression)
The novella depicts the struggle of one man trying to live a good life, while wrestling with desires frowned on by his society. Victorians had to repress their true feelings and desires in public, and this is why Jekyll thinks he is leading a double life.
Why does Stevenson use language associated with battles and wars?
To illustrate and allude to the internal conflict within Jekyll.
What does the quotation “my devil had been long caged, he came out roaring” show?
How the evil creature within him is released in the cathartic (providing relief) act of transforming into his dark side.
What is Hypocrisy?
Hypocrisy is to pretend that you have higher standards or more noble or superior beliefs than you actually do.
What was one of the purposes of the novel? (In terms of hypocrisy)
Stevenson wanted to show how Victorian society was hypocritical - and how there was a void between reality and appearance.
This is why characters take so much pride in their reputation, and why they prioritise appearance over honesty.
In what two ways does Hyde’s appearance disgust and horrify readers?
Hyde doesn’t hide (ironically) his appearance like the Victorian would.
Victorian readers are being confronted by an image of their own sins
How do the characters in the Novella show religious tendencies?
All the characters in the novella demonstrate religious tendencies: Jekyll reads religious texts; Lanyon feels that science and God should be separate; Utterson reads “dry divinities” every night before he goes to bed; Hyde blasphemes Jekyll’s book.
What is the purpose of Stevenson using the word ‘Tabernacle’ when Jekyll is referencing his body and soul?
This is a reference to the Israeli tabernacle, which was said to house God.
Jekyll uses it as reference to his body / soul, and it shows how he wants to use his body for experimentation. In many ways, he is experimenting with God himself.
