Jekyll

• Stevenson's intentions 


  • Stevenson portrays Jekyll in a conflicting and unorthodox (unconventional) manner to demonstrate the repressive and stifling nature of Victorian norms. This highlights how societal expectations led to the creation of seemingly respectable gentlemen who were, in essence, manufactured and sterilised by these rigid social constructs.
• Stevenson's intentions

  • Jekyll is microcosmic for Victorian gentleman, juxtaposing Hyde's depravity, it reveals the ambiguity between morality and immorality in Victorian society, as well as good and evil. This interconnection is used by Stevenson to satirise (mock) how this 'progressive' society is in reality founded on hypocrisy, duality and suffering
• Stevenson's intentions

  • Stevenson's gothic novella serves as a cautionary tale against the dangers of moral purification in Victorian society which denies natural impulses and desires due to favouring simplistic moral absolutes. He suggests that the attempt to deny or eradicate this inherent duality is not only futile (pointless) but also detrimental to the individual and society as a whole
• "a large, well-made , smooth faced man...every mark of capacity and kindness" - Chapter 3 - duality, appearance vs reality, repression, friendship and loyalty 


  • The phrase "smooth-faced man of fifty" is unorthodox and perhaps even paradoxical as a fifty-year-old man would typically be etched with wrinkles and signs of age.
  • The first tangible description of Jekyll paints him as almost artificial. He seems as the conventional, respectable gentleman yet almost to the extent where he seems manufactured
• "a large, well-made, smooth faced man...every mark of capacity and kindness" - Chapter 3 - duality, appearance vs reality, repression, friendship and loyalty 


  • The word 'kindness' illustrates why Utterson had such an affinity (natural liking) with Jekyll - Jekyll's supposed kindness drew Utterson in, compelling him to forge a bond with Jekyll. However, the placement of "mark" next to "kindness" foreshadows a hidden stain on Jekyll's morality
  • Jekyll's sanitised appearance becomes an ironic counterpoint to the barbaric Hyde lurking beneath, a reflection of the darkness he seeks to control
• "a large, well-made, smooth faced man...every mark of capacity and kindness" - Chapter 3 - duality, appearance vs reality, repression, friendship and loyalty 


  • The unblemished facade suggests Jekyll's mastery of social performance symbolises the conflict between surface appearances and deeper realities. He can suppress aspects of himself deemed unacceptable, without raising suspicion
• "If I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also" - Chapter 6 - duality, appearance vs reality, repression, good vs evil, science vs religion 


  • The sibilance of "sinners" and "suffers" blurs the distinction between these concepts suggesting an intertwined relationship. As Jekyll is microcosmic for Victorian gentleman, it reveals the ambiguity between morality and immorality in Victorian society, as well as good and evil. This interconnection ridicules how this 'progressive' society is in reality founded on hypocrisy, duality and suffering
• "If I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also" - Chapter 6 - duality, appearance vs reality, repression, good vs evil, science vs religion 


  • Jekyll's internal struggle, embodying both "sinner" and "sufferer," epitomises this contradiction. He battles with indulging in his sinful darker desires while undergoing the suffering imposed by societal repression in Victorian society
• "If I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also" - Chapter 6 - duality, appearance vs reality, repression, good vs evil, science vs religion 


  • Despite Jekyll's religious transgressions (going against) in his pursuit of "scientific balderdash "-(lanyon), he acknowledges he is still subject to divine condemnation. The biblical allusion to hell, embedded in the term "sinner," accentuates that despite his defiance and rejection of societal norms, he remains accountable to God's judgement
• "If I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also" - Chapter 6 - duality, appearance vs reality, repression, good vs evil, science vs religion 


  • This inner turmoil reflects the Victorian struggle between scientific progress and religious faith. Despite the growing disillusionment with the rise of scientific theories, the judgement of God was inescapable and still prevalent in society
• "My devil had been long caged, he came out roaring" - Chapter 10 - repression, duality, good vs evil


  • The metaphorical verb "caged' depicts the repression of Victorian society/Religion- throughout the text there is a perpetuated theme of suffering and toxic austerity.
  • "caged' also has animalistic allusions suggesting this pleasure-seeking hedonism (seekers of pleasure) and perhaps later evil, is instinctive.