Chapter 8

• "It was a wild, cold, seasonable night of March, with a pale moon lying on her back as though the wind had tilted her"

  • Pathetic Fallacy: The description of the weather reflects the emotional turmoil and tension of the scene. It mirrors the disturbance in the natural and moral order of the story — something is very wrong.
  • Personification of the Moon: suggest a sense of disorientation or helplessness, as if the universe itself is out of balance, matching the unnatural events inside Jekyll's home.
• "Swept the streets unusually bare of passengers" "He wished to see and touch his fellow creatures; for struggle as he might, there was born in his mind a crushing anticipation of calamity."

  • The emptiness of the streets reflects the isolation, foreboding, and unnatural atmosphere surrounding Jekyll’s house that night.
  • Isolation motif:The lack of passengers underlines the theme of secrecy and hidden horrors. Just as the streets are deserted, so too is Jekyll emotionally and morally deserted — alone with the consequences of his dual life.
  • The verb "swept" suggests a powerful, almost violent force — symbolic of how Hyde (and Jekyll’s secret) has pushed people away or cleared the normal life from the area.
  • Adverb - shows it is eerie and unsettling. Signifies the oncoming of disaster as desertion = danger.
  • Emotive language: evoke dread and vulnerability.
  • Foreshadows the horror Utterson is about to uncover.
• “The thin trees were lashing themselves along the railing.” 'the biting weather'

  • Personifies the trees, giving them a sense of agency and violent movement. This makes the natural world seem as if it is in turmoil or distress, aligning with the chaotic atmosphere often present in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The image of the trees “lashing” contributes to the sense of nature being restless and reflecting the disturbance within the story’s human characters.
  • The violent imagery of the trees adds to the tension in the setting. The stormy, unsettling weather aligns with the dark events unfolding in the plot, the storm’s aggressive action further echoes the chaos within the characters’ lives.
  • The “thin trees” symbolize physical and emotional fragility.
  • Represent Dr Jekyll's strained control over his own dual nature, teetering between two identities. The “lashing” indicates the forces of inner conflict as the trees are rebelling.