Jekyll and Hyde

• "The man trampled calmly over the childes body"

  There's a disparity in the level of a man and a child as children are innocent.
• "He had an approved tolerance for others"

  This shows Utterson to be a tolerant person willing to consider and appreciate views and ideas that he considers wrong.
• "He had his death warrant written legibly upon his face"

  Dr. Jekyll's ill condition is related through a rich metaphor, that of a "death warrant written legibly upon his face". A death warrant is a legal document which authorizes the death of a criminal. In this passage, it serves as a figure for Jekyll's apparently looming death. The metaphor of the death warrant also evokes the criminal thread of the plot, namely the actions of Mr. Hyde, and calls more deeply into question Jekyll's involvement therein.
• What is the first description of Hyde according to Mr. Enfield?

  It was like some damned Juggernaut
• What does the term "Juggernaut" refer to in the context of Hyde's description?


  It refers to a god in Hindu religion
• How does Stevenson use religion to inform the view of Hyde?

  He suggests Christian prejudice shapes perceptions
• What action does Hyde take when he encounters the girl?

  He bumps into her and continues walking
• What does Enfield's behavior suggest about his character in relation to Hyde?

  He is also engaging in questionable actions
• What themes are linked to the idea of hypocrisy in the text?

  • Christian moral standards vs. actual behavior
  • Desire to kill Hyde as a moral act
  • Corruption in Enfield's actions
• How does the text portray the relationship between science and Hyde?

  Hyde is seen as a product of unnatural science
• What does the fear of evolution imply for the Christian audience in the text?

  It challenges their beliefs about morality
• What does Darwin's theory suggest about species evolution?

  Species evolve to survive
• How does the text challenge the Biblical creation story?

  It suggests humans evolved over thousands of years
• What repressed desire does Utterson struggle with?

  His own homosexuality
• What does the imagery of the bed curtains suggest about Utterson's feelings?

  It implies intimacy and jealousy
• How does the Victorian context influence the themes in the novel?

  It reflects societal repression of homosexuality
• What does Utterson fear regarding Jekyll and Hyde's relationship?

  He fears a public scandal from blackmail
• What are the implications of Hyde's blackmail over Jekyll?

  • Hyde controls Jekyll's actions
  • Reflects societal fears of scandal
  • Highlights themes of repressed desires
• What does Utterson's dream about Jekyll signify?

  His subconscious worries about repressed desires
• How does the text portray Hyde's actions as a reflection of societal evil?

  Hyde's actions reveal deeper societal hypocrisy
• What does the phrase "Satan's signature" imply about Hyde?

  It suggests he embodies ultimate evil
• How does the text challenge the perception of Hyde as purely evil?

  Hyde enjoys pleasures society represses
• What does the dual nature of man suggest in the context of Jekyll and Hyde?

  Everyone has both good and evil within
• How does the text reflect Victorian fears regarding science?

  Science is linked to moral decline
• What is the most famous quote in the novel?

  Like Fury hailing down a storm of blows
• What does Hyde's violent act signify in the novel?

  It highlights the theme of primal violence
• How does the text connect Hyde's evolution to societal fears?

  Hyde represents a regression to primal instincts
• What does the fear of science imply for the Christian audience?

  It challenges their understanding of morality
• What does the character do to the female match seller?

  Punches her on the nose once
• What does the act of violence suggest about the character?

  He is a killer, but not the most evil
• Why does the character not kill anyone else after the match seller?

  Unclear motives for his actions
• How is Hyde described in relation to evolution?

  As an earlier, ape-like form of mankind
• What does the fear of science suggest about Hyde's creation?

  It challenges Christian beliefs about morality
• What does Jekyll's creation of Hyde imply about his desires?

  Jekyll wanted to indulge his repressed desires
• What genre is associated with the term "Penny Dreadful"?

  True Crime Stories
• Why did Stevenson dislike "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde"?

  He felt he compromised his own values
• What does the maid hearing the violence suggest about society?

  It critiques society's obsession with violence
• What historical context is provided about Sedanva's crew?

  He voted for the criminalization of homosexuality
• Where did Stevenson move after writing the novel?

  To Samoa
• What does the novel suggest about the Victorian society's hypocrisy?

  Respectable men live near their vices