J&H_ESSAY PLANS

• REPUTATION


  1 - characters are obsessed with reputation is a critique of Victorian society - "if it came to a trial, your name might come up," "a commonly grave countenance before the public."

  
  

  2 - metaphors to show Jekyll's worry about maintaining his reputation - "like a schoolboy" "I have been safe of all men's respect."

  
  

  3 - using the dual nature of man to show reputation as hypocritical - "double dealer," "man is not truly one but truly two."

  
  

  4 - symbolism - 'Here then, as I lay down the pen and proceed to seal up my confession, I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end
• DUALITY


  1 - Jekyll and Hyde as metaphorical devices [Jekyll = good, Hyde = evil] - Jekyll "a commonly grave countenance before the public." / Hyde "Edward Hyde alone in the ranks of mankind was pure evil."

  
  

  2 - structure of language and novel - how Jekyll refers to Hyde changes between 1st and 3rd person - "He, I say - I cannot say, I." "I find it in my heart to pity him." - wants to distance himself / as if there have been 2 parallel narratives throughout the novella and we have, until now, been given access to only 1.

  
  

  3 - directly contrasting appearances and personalities - "tall fine build"/ "dwarfish", "all men's respect"/ "damnable".

  
  

  4 - setting - "The street shone out in contrast to his dingy neighbourhood, like a fire in a forest.", "The buildings are so packed together... that it's hard to say where one ends and another begins."

  
  

  CONCLUSION

  extremes of duality - shows what happens when the scale tips, makes reader wonder if Hyde took over because evil is more powerful in him.
• SCIENCE AND RELIGION


  1 - science is powerful to portray the developments in science that were happening at the time - theory of evolution. / "I had gone to bed Henry Jekyll and awakened Edward Hyde." / "deformed," "dwarfish."

  2 - Jekyll's science goes against Lanyon's experiments, which represent the current religion beliefs, reflecting the tension between science and religion during the 19th century. "unscientific balderdash." / my soul sickened at it... I must die." "He had his death warrant written legibly upon his face." -> shows further how Hyde is sinful "damn juggernaut," "Satan's signature." sibilance is like snake hissing, Adam and Eve. /

  "O God... like a man restored from death, there stood Henry Jekyll." -> restored from death is a reference to Jesus' resurrection, shows how Jekyll was playing god -> foreshadowing the consequences.

  3 - science is unsettling and mysterious, reflects John Hunter - conducted illegal dissections in his house, using dead bodies stolen from graves. / "there would stand by his side a figure to whom power was given" - in science, everything is already determined, we just need to discover it -> power shouldn't be able to be "given" to one individual / in Jekyll's cabinet, there are "traces" of chemicals / the ending is mysterious as it asks the reader a question "I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end," - if Hyde [evil] took over and won over Jekyll [good] in the end, does that mean that maybe humans are not as balanced morally as we would think? Is evil more powerful?
• LANYON


  1 - conflicts within the science of the time period are reflected through Lanyon and Jekyll. "unscientific balderdash."

  2 - Lanyon's reaction to the transformation portrays his 19th century gentlemen views. "O God... like a man restored from death, there stood Henry Jekyll." -> shows how Jekyll was trying to play God.

  3 - his language reflects the extent of how shocking Jekyll's experiments are. "my soul sickened at it...I must die"

  4 - his development shows the effect that messing with science can have on society - from "heart, healthy, dapper, red faced gentleman." to "He had his death warrant written legibly upon his face."
• VIOLENCE


  1)- Stevenson uses contrasting language to emphasise to the reader the violence that Hyde inhibits. 'Trampled calmly' 'screaming on the ground'

  2)- Stevenson frequently compares Hyde to animals within the novel, particularly apes, to comment on people and society and to highlight the violence that we all inhibit. 'Ape-like' 'dwarfish'

  3)- during the rising action of the novel, Stevenson has used dynamic verbs to highlight to the 19th century reader the extent of Hyde's (and therefore Jekyll's) violence. 'With ape-like fury' 'trampling his victim under foot' 'hailing down a storm of blows'

  4)- within the novel, Stevenson has used similes and metaphors to highlight the violence within Hyde. 'All of a sudden broke out in a great flame of anger' 'stamping with his foot, brandishing the cane, and carrying on' 'like a madman
• evil


  1) Hyde as the embodiment of evil. "trampled calmly" "a man who was without bowels of mercy." / "The other snarled aloud into a savage laugh" -> animal imagery.

  2)) exploring evil through theme of duality. - "I had gone to bed Henry Jekyll and awakened Edward Hyde." / "all human beings are commingled out of good and evil." / Jekyll has "all men's respect," Hyde is "damnable."

  3)) evil in Christianity - "damned juggernaut," "Devil's signature." / links to homosexuality, Oscar Wilde. / Jekyll calls Hyde "My Devil"

  4) evil in the form of hypocrisy & setting -> "if it came to a trial, your name might appear," "I let my brother go to the Devil his own way," - shows that although all of them are doing acts of sin and evil, they say nothing to maintain Victorian gentlemen [links to theme of reputation] / often mentions of "fog" and crimes often happen at night time.

  
  

  CONCLUSION: the last line being "I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end," is effective as it brings up the question of - if Hyde [evil] took over and won over Jekyll [good] in the end, does that mean that maybe humans are not as balanced morally as we would think? Is evil more powerful?
• UTTERSON


  1) REPUTATION - he is the ideal Victorian gentlemen; epitomises respectability; "never lighted by a smile" / he is very concerned with reputation - "if it came to a trial your name might appear."

  2) he is intensely loyal - when the police find the stick from Carew's murder, he doesn't tell the police that he had gifted it to Jekyll - criticism of Victorian gentlemen; again when he discovers Jekyll's forged letter from Hyde. - this loyalty, as we see the story through Utterson POV, makes Utterson appear reliable to the reader, who trust his account, and are equally as horrified when they witness what he does.

  3) DUALITY - however he still indulges in his curiosity of Jekyll and Hyde - shows that even the most respected men have nuanced duality. "I incline to Cain's heresy" - means that Utterson doesn't take responsibility for other people, but later in the same scene he says "if he be Mr Hyde, I shall be Mr Seek." - play on word, curiosity.
• HYDE


  1)- Stevenson uses ambiguous language to describe Hyde to highlight the way Hyde makes the other characters feel during the novel 'extraordinary-looking' 'read Satan's signature' 'desire to kill'

  2)- Stevenson frequently compares Hyde to animals within the novel, particularly apes, to comment on people and society 'ape-like' 'dwarfish'

  3)- Stevenson presents Hyde as gaining power throughout the novel to show the reader the power of evil and sin.

  4)- Stevenson employs religious and satanic imagery to present Hyde as a frightening outsider. 'Satan's signature' 'like a damned juggernaut
• JEKYLL


  1)- Stevenson uses a conflict surrounding science and religion to represent both the conflict within Jekyll's personality and all respectable gentlemen in the 19th century. 'Transcendental medicine' 'unscientific balderdash' 'pure evil' 'respectable' 'sea of liberty' 'faults'

  2)- Stevenson has included language surrounding parenthood to highlight the responsibility that Jekyll has over Hyde and his actions 'more than a son's indifference' 'more than a father's interest'

  3)- Stevenson uses similes and metaphors when Jekyll talks about Hyde and the actions he undertakes when he is Hyde to emphasise the lack of conscience Jekyll possesses 'schoolboy' 'sea of liberty' 'like a schoolboy' 'pure evil' 'ape-like'

  4)- Stevenson presents Jekyll to be the opposite of Hyde in their descriptions, however, as the novel progresses the reader gets the impression that they have similar outlooks showing the reader the ides of dual nature of man 'kindness' 'callous' 'tall fine build' 'dwarfish' 'all men's respect' 'damnable' 'scandal' 'no gentleman but wishes to avoid a scene
• SECRECY


  1 - secrecy between characters - Victorian gentlemen - and because of Utterson's limiting POV, "the more it looks like queer street, the less I ask." things going unsaid - "many ill things" ""My pleasures were to say the least, undignified...monstrous...acts of depravity."

  2 - secrecy as symbols/motifs - cabinet being locked, windows and doors being shut, cabinet door being broken down shows how Jekyll's secret has been uncovered.

  3 - secrecy as homosexuality - "some concealed disgrace", "now the hand of Henry Jekyll (as you have often remarked) was...", Oscar Wilde - links to theme of reputation.

  4 - secrecy in the setting - "the moon shone on his face", frequent mentions of fog.