Themes: Violence

Question 1

How is Hyde’s attack against the girl in chapter 1 described?

Answer 1

“trampled calmly and left her screaming.”

Question 2

How is Jekyll’s house (from behind) described?

Answer 2

• Doesn’t fit in with the rest.
• “sinister block of building” thrust forward.
  chapter 1 description

Question 2

How is Jekyll’s house (from behind) described?

Answer 2

• Doesn’t fit in with the rest.
• “sinister block of building” thrust forward.

Question 3

How does Hyde’s house being rejected relate to his violence?

Answer 3

“prolonged and sordid negligence.”
- His violence is due to his isolation.

Question 4

Hyde is described as a “damned Juggernaut”, what does this mean?

Answer 4

• Juggernaut: huge wagon that carried Hindu God.
• Worshippers would throw themselves under the wheels and crushed to death.
• This shows Hyde’s unstoppable force.
• Unchristian nature of Hyde

Question 5

How does the theme of violence contribute to the gothic element of the novella?

Answer 5

• Makes it shocking for the reader, a trope of gothic fiction.

Question 6

What were the books about acts of violence that Victorians used to read?

Answer 6

• Penny dreadfuls
• They liked to read these texts but they would never comitt the acts people in these books would.

Question 7

How does the hyperbolic version of Hyde point fingers at Victorians?

wink wink, penny dreadfuls

Answer 7

• It shows how childish Victorians are fo wanting to read the violence so much. (“stamping”)
• Also, shows what extent evil can get to if not kept in check.

Question 8

How is Carew’s murder described?

Answer 8

“With ape- like fury, he was trampling his victim, bones were audibly shattered.”
Animalistic verbs:
“stamping”
“trampling”
“a flame of anger” –> volatile (impulsive) but natural.

Question 9

How is Hyde shown as being violent against jekyll?

Answer 9

“the smile struck out of his face.” Incident at The Window.

Question 10

In chapter 1, give 2 examples of people being violent against Hyde…?

Answer 10

• women who were “wild as harpies…”
• Doctor was “sick and white” with a desire to kill him.

Question 11

What were harpies??

Answer 11

Greek Mythology:
Winged monsters with women’s faces, wanting to seek revenge.

Question 12

How are Hyde’s victims described?
Why does Stevenson do this?

Answer 12

• Passive and innocent
• Child
• Carew given feminine characteristics
• In line with gothic archetype.

Question 13

How is Carew described with feminine characteristics?

Answer 13

“aged beautiful gentleman with white hair.”
“white hair” –> angelic purity.

Question 14

Why is Hyde very violent?

Answer 14

• He has been repressed so wants to get it out.
• He is annoyed society won’t accept him.
• He is devolved and doesn’t have any morals. (HE HASN’T GOT A MOTIVE, ONLY PLEASE PLEASURES)

Question 15

How is Hyde’s violence seen when he introduces himself to Utterson?

Answer 15

He says: “I did not think you would’ve lied” rudeness/ anger.

Question 16

Hyde is violent… but he is also calm what does this show about him?

Answer 16

• That he is inhumane, no consience, no sense of morals.
• THE WORK OF AN ANIMAL

Question 17

What were the 2 MAIN reasons middle- class Victorians feared The Theory of Evolution?

Answer 17

• They were scared of degeration.
• They were created in God’s image, didn’t believe they could be on same level as an ape!!

Question 18

What is Stevenson’s message with the violence of Hyde?

Answer 18

• This violence is in everyone and needs to be accepted before it gets out of hand.

Question 19

What does Hyde represent?
Why is he seen as impulsive?

CONTEXT!!!

Answer 19

• Represents impulsive part of humans
• id –> Sigmund Freud’s Theory.
• Novella was before this theory, Stevenson was ahead of his time.