Chapter 4

• "A fog rolled over the city in the small hours, the early part of the night cloudless, and the lane, which the maid's window overlooked, was brilliantly lit by the moon."

  • Pathetic Fallacy – The fog is a recurring Gothic symbol in Jekyll and Hyde, representing confusion, concealment, and the blurring of moral boundaries.
  • Contrasts the earlier peaceful, clear night with the sudden arrival of the fog to reflect how evil can invade even the calmest settings.
  • The moonlight can symbolise truth or exposure, which contrasts the fog’s concealment — a reflection of the duality of Hyde’s hidden life.
  • The atmosphere of horror, has a dreamlike, eerie quality, heightening the suspense.
  • Setting reflects the moral fog of Victorian society, where appearances are misleading and evil lurks just beneath the surface.
• 'It was by this time around nine in the morning, and the first fog of the season''hues of twighlight'

  • The morning should bring light and clarity yet it is juxtaposed by an all consuming cloud of darkness which is ndicative of the hidden and damning secrets that lie behind the malign character if HYde.
  • Pathetic Fallacy - The fog mirrors the moral ambiguity and secrecy surrounding Hyde and Jekyll.
  • By calling it the “first fog of the season,” Stevenson signals a shift in tone — from clarity to confusion, innocence to corruption.
  • Fog is a motif which symbolises the hidden evils in London.
  • The blurring between good and evil in Jekyll’s character and the concealment of truth.
• 'a great chocolate coloured pall lowered over heaven, but the wind was continually charging and routing these embatted vapours' 'as brown as umber."


  • Pall suggests that death, decay, or some form of doom is hanging over the scene. Suggests the city, or the entire world, is being shrouded in a death-like atmosphere, overshadowed by the evil or corruption that Hyde brings.
  • Similie + Colour imagery - associated with decay or pollution,symbolize the moral corruption taking place in the narrative.
  • The heavens, traditionally a symbol of purity, divine light, and goodness, are being overtaken by this darkness, winning the battle of good and evil.
  • Personifcation - The Wind is a Force of Purification, being in an active battle. gives the wind a warrior-like quality, suggesting that nature itself is struggling to clear away the darkness and corruption represented by the fog, adding a layer of conflict between the forces of good and evil.
• "The dismal quarter of Soho,.... with its muddy ways, and slatternly passengers." is without the protection of 'lamps' to 'combat this mournful re-invasion of darkness'

  • Soho acts as a symbol for the dark underworld of human nature and society, where moral corruption thrives.
  • Stevenson’s depiction of it as "dismal" reflects its association with lower class, disreputable elements of society.
  • it’s a fitting place for Hyde to make his appearances, symbolizing the darker, more corrupt side of the human experience.
  • Without the presence of light, evil can fester and flourish.
  • "Slatternly Passengers": The term "slatternly" implies untidiness and carelessness, suggesting a lack of self-respect and morality. This is reflective of the people in the area who are seen as unkempt and living in a state of moral decline, much like Hyde.
• "Like a district of some city in a nightmare."

  • Simile: The comparison of the district to a "nightmare" vividly conveys the sense of horror and confusion, adding emotional weight to the description.
  • Moral Decay: The idea of the area being like a "nightmare" also implies a sense of moral corruption and degeneration. Nightmares, much like the district described here, are often manifestations of our fears or subconscious thoughts. In this case, the district reflects the unconscious underbelly of society, where moral decay, vice, and crime thrive, much like Hyde's persona. This imagery highlights the ugliness and distortion of life in the darker corners of the city, paralleling the inner moral and psychological corruption of the characters.
  • Symbolism: The nightmare becomes a symbol of the hidden horrors within the city, the characters, and society itself.