Jekyll and Hyde quotes + analysis

    Cards (15)

    • "trampled calmly over the child's body and left her screaming"

      adverb "calmly" is oxymoronic and suggests a sadistic attitude."left her screaming" no compassion for the girl, direct reference to terror - evokes sympathy from the reader
    • "disgust, loathing, and fear"

      tricolon of harsh, abstract nouns."loathing" suggests intense hatred.prominent as is comes from a calculated figure
    • "an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation"

      element of ambiguity allows the reader to create their own image - possibly scarier.context - mystery was extremely popular in the Victorian era 'The Gothic
    • "Satan's signature upon a face"

      likens him to the embodiment of evil."signature" suggests he has been claimed by the devil, and that the devil is approving.
    • "My devil had long been caged, he came out roaring"

      personifying his dark desires - epitome of evil.context - effective for Victorian reader due to the largely religious society - disturbing"caged" embodies the repression of Hyde
    • "the agonised womb of consciousness, these polar twins...continually struggling"

      metaphor representing the torment Jekyll feels by pleasing both sides of him."polar" represents opposites which references the 'good vs. evil' of Jekyll and Hyde.context - the Victorian Compromise
    • "multifarious, incongruent, and independent denizens"

      tricolon of adjectives represent the many sides. the opposing natures reference the duality of man explains why Jekyll changes throughout the novella - moral conflict context - the Victorian Compromise
    • "like rows of smiling saleswomen""sinister building...thrust forward"

      example of duality elsewhere. Simile describes the welcoming street - this is contrasted with the description of the building. "thrust" connotes intimidation, making Utterson more vulnerable.context - references to Decan Brodie
    • "hide-bound pedant"

      Jekyll's disbelief of Lanyon sticking to 'ethical' science.pun/irony due to reference of Hyderepresents text as a whole - Jekyll is trapped in himself due to being 'Hyde-bound
    • "far too fanciful""unscientific balderdash"

      Lanyon about Jekyll - the feelings are reciprocalLanyon believes Jekyll is taking science too far, foreshadows his deathcontext - psychological science in Victorian era
    • "a new province of knowledge""new avenues of fame and power"

      extended metaphor but using a materialistic outlook.Jekyll reiterates the idea that science can influence both intelligence and society.Stevenson emphasises the potency of the discovery - Victorian ob(session) with social standing.
    • "fog rolled over the city"

      pathetic fallacy - concealment/secrecyHyde's actions will be protected. lack of light - good vs. evil - darkness suggest evilreference to "full moon" - Gothic trope - horrorcontext - Stevenson adapted the traditional convention of Gothiccontext - the Victorian Compromise (why was Carew out at night?) (gay with Hyde?)
    • Title - "The strange case"Overall form and structure
      Title suggests it is a medical case study but also of the detective genre.First 8 chapters follow Utterson in a linear narrative with an omniscient narrator.Also contains a series of letters/notes - furthers the detective genre.Contains gothic tropes such as fog and a full-moon. Gothic was extremely popular amongst Victorians - context of loving horrorThe reader is the detective who discovers the truth - some questions are unanswered allowing the reader to decide and think about the text further
    • "The wind tossed the light of the candle to and fro"

      metaphor showing a flickering lightbuilds suspense - a trope of horrorbattle between light and dark - suggests the the 'good' is withering
    • "London hummed solemnly"

      personification of the area - foreboding of the reveal. the use of London is effective as it makes the monstrosity feel closer to the reader - most readers at the time would be in London
    See similar decks