Chapter 1 - The story of the door

• 'a by-street in a busy quarter of London' “The street was small and quiet, but it drove a thriving trade on the weekdays.”

  • Juxtaposition – “small and quiet” vs “thriving trade”:Stevenson uses contrasting imagery to reflect the outer calmness of respectability hiding an inner, often chaotic, reality.
  • The street appears “quiet” and “small” — much like the respectable Victorian façade.
  • Stevenson uses setting to symbolise character. This street represents Victorian society: outwardly orderly but inwardly driven by ambition, secrets, and hidden desires.
  • Foreshadowing: The peaceful appearance of the street contrasts with the violence of Hyde’s actions, which take place nearby. It subtly sets up the tension between appearances and reality.
• "The shop fronts stood...with an air of invitation, like rows of smiling saleswomen."

  • Simile: gives the street a welcoming, lively and pleasant character. It personifies the buildings, making the area feel cheerful and inviting — a stark contrast to the dark, neglected door that Mr Hyde enters through just moments later.
  • The image of saleswomen links to the Victorian ideals of polite commerce and feminine charm, again representing a veneer of propriety and civility that covers deeper, darker realities.
• "The street shone out in contrast to its dingy neighbourhood, like a fire in a forest"

  • Simile - creates a vivid image of warmth and light to emphasise its livliness in an otherwise drab setting.
  • Fire is bright, but also dangerous — this foreshadows that beneath this cheerful, respectable exterior lies something threatening.
  • Juxtaposition – Contrasts light and dark to reflect duality. The outward brightness hides the inner darkness of the neighbourhood — a metaphor for the way characters (and society) hide immoral behaviour behind a mask of civility.
• "Its freshly painted shutters, well-polished brasses, and general cleanliness and gaiety of note."

  • Semantic field of cleanliness, care, and order create an image of a respectable, well-maintained environment — symbolic of Victorian ideals of decorum and decency.
  • The focus on the appearance and maintenance suggests a surface-level perfection, reinforcing how victorian society hid their vices behind their facade of propriety.
  • Contrasts sharply with the dark, decaying door to Hyde’s building nearby, highlighting the theme of duality.
• 'a certain sinister block of building' 'a nlind forhead of discoloured wall ' 'bore in every feature the marks of prolonged and sordid negligence.” 'The door....was blistered and distained'

  • “Blind forehead” personifies the building, suggesting it's lifeless, unseeing, or ignorant. It evokes a sense of emptiness or moral blindness, hinting at the decay of humanity. + it is closed off an not welcoming - contrasting the by street.
  • Semantic Field of Decay, Neglect, and Corruption: The street has been forsaken, perhaps due to it being a setting which fosters sin.
  • Stevenson uses this contrast to explore the duality of human nature:➤ The by-street is bright and respectable – representing Jekyll’s outer self.➤ The recess with tramps is dark, neglected – reflecting Hyde and Jekyll’s hidden desires.
• "I was coming home from some place at the end of the world"

  • Hyperbole - Exaggerates the remoteness or strangeness of the area. - Suggests how far removed this place is from civilisation, order, or morality.
  • The vague phrase “some place” reflects how uncanny and unnatural the area felt. - Makes the setting feel dreamlike or surreal, adding to the mystery and unease.
  • symbolise the edges of respectable society, where people go to indulge in hidden desires.