Context: Externalisation of evil vs close proximity in London goes against gothic trope
(Dracula), Lombroso’s theory of criminal atavism, Victorian society represses perceived
immoral desires
Extra points: ‘I swear to God, I will never set eyes on him [Hyde] again. I bind my honour to
you that I am done with him in this world.’ (Chap 5)
Charity and Reformation: Following this promise, Jekyll "came out of his seclusion, renewed
relations with his friends... and whilst he had always been known for charities, he was now
no less distinguished for religion" - fact that he swore to god and then later broke it
undermines his religious work, lack of sympathy due to his lack of guilt
Disconsolate prisoner - Jekyll is described as a "disconsolate prisoner" in Chapter 7,
"Incident at the Window," means depressed beyond hope
👨🏽🤝👨🏻 Good and evil
● Stevenson presents good and evil as intrinsic and deeply interdependent within
human nature highlighting the dangers of separating them, which include self
destruction and disruption of nature.
,- Universality of duality - ‘all human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of
good and evil’ - all is an absolute showing Jekyll’s conviction in this discovery,
commingled is a definite state of interdependence and inseparability, also suggests it
may be hard to determine good from evil in the consciousness showing how similar
and closely linked they are
- Jekyll’s explanation of his mind in which good and evil are opponents - ‘agonised
womb of consciousness (…) polar twins should be continuously struggling’ - good
and evil fight for dominance in the metaphorical womb which is the mind showing that
we often suppress either of our sides, polar twins is an oxymoron showing how
opposite yet similar they are as they both cause physiological struggle in Jekyll as
they are both part of the mental battle, should be struggling implies duality though
painful is necessary in order to be human and this internal moral battle is a better
option than separating the sides and inflicting violence on a wider society
- He can’t stop turning into Hyde (this quote is from when Utterson and Enfield see
Jekyll in the window) so his real persona/identity is lost in many ways - ‘the smile
was struck out of his face and succeeded by an expression of such abject terror and
despair’, his true form is tarnished by the constant fear of and actual transformation
to Hyde, physical and emotional effect on his identity, smile shows the good parts of
his persona being completely destroyed harshly replaced by Hyde’s features (pure
evil), backlash to enlightenment ideas that science can rationalise everything
including human nature
- Images of self destruction in nature reflect how perverse his experiment is (how
much it goes against natural order) - trees ‘lashing themselves’, violent, murderous,
relentless/continuous (verb) suffering not only of Jekyll but the victims of his
experiment, duality is always present in nature so Jekyll’s experiment which seeks to
create a being which is purely evil is unnatural
● Stevenson further reflects good and evil through duality in setting throughout
London, reminding the Victorian audience of the close presence of evil even in
seemingly safe environments (evil should not be externalised)
, - Jekyll’s door -
shows that even in an area a wealthy or a seemingly ‘good’ as Jekyll’s home,
decrepit and crime-ridden areas too exist, evil normally othered or externalised to
other countries is now ever present - contrasts to other gothic novels such as Dracula
- maid fainting - ‘At the horror of these sights and sounds, the maid fainted’ - before
she was ‘romantically given’ - contrast of peaceful or dreamy mood/room before
crime and distress after shows power of evil and penetration into safe spaces
(explain how she is safe through bedroom window)
● Stevenson suggests that desire for transgressions (a manifestation of inner evil) is
suppressed through societal pressures to maintain a respectable reputation;
however, as displayed in Jekyll’s character, indulgence in evil acts will ultimately
overpower goodness.
- Jekyll saying how freeing it was to be freed of constant pressure to maintain
reputation whilst still being accepted in society - ‘I was the first that could thus plod in
the public eye with a load of genial respectability, and in a moment, like a schoolboy,
strip off these lendings and spring headlong into the sea of liberty.’ - plod shows a
lack of energy and happiness and purpose showing how tired Jekyll is due to
constant pressure, genial is friendly which is a false emotion that contrasts with
plodding showing the false outward appearance which he displays publicly is a lie
which is exhausting to keep up as it is not true to his real desires for transgressions,
lendings is clothes so his respectable persona is merely clothes or a disguise not his
true nature highlights the theme of hypocrisy Jekyll regains a child-like joviality when
he transgresses showing the immense relief he felt when removed from these
immense pressures, he becomes so disillusioned with this fantasy of keeping up this
(Dracula), Lombroso’s theory of criminal atavism, Victorian society represses perceived
immoral desires
Extra points: ‘I swear to God, I will never set eyes on him [Hyde] again. I bind my honour to
you that I am done with him in this world.’ (Chap 5)
Charity and Reformation: Following this promise, Jekyll "came out of his seclusion, renewed
relations with his friends... and whilst he had always been known for charities, he was now
no less distinguished for religion" - fact that he swore to god and then later broke it
undermines his religious work, lack of sympathy due to his lack of guilt
Disconsolate prisoner - Jekyll is described as a "disconsolate prisoner" in Chapter 7,
"Incident at the Window," means depressed beyond hope
👨🏽🤝👨🏻 Good and evil
● Stevenson presents good and evil as intrinsic and deeply interdependent within
human nature highlighting the dangers of separating them, which include self
destruction and disruption of nature.
,- Universality of duality - ‘all human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of
good and evil’ - all is an absolute showing Jekyll’s conviction in this discovery,
commingled is a definite state of interdependence and inseparability, also suggests it
may be hard to determine good from evil in the consciousness showing how similar
and closely linked they are
- Jekyll’s explanation of his mind in which good and evil are opponents - ‘agonised
womb of consciousness (…) polar twins should be continuously struggling’ - good
and evil fight for dominance in the metaphorical womb which is the mind showing that
we often suppress either of our sides, polar twins is an oxymoron showing how
opposite yet similar they are as they both cause physiological struggle in Jekyll as
they are both part of the mental battle, should be struggling implies duality though
painful is necessary in order to be human and this internal moral battle is a better
option than separating the sides and inflicting violence on a wider society
- He can’t stop turning into Hyde (this quote is from when Utterson and Enfield see
Jekyll in the window) so his real persona/identity is lost in many ways - ‘the smile
was struck out of his face and succeeded by an expression of such abject terror and
despair’, his true form is tarnished by the constant fear of and actual transformation
to Hyde, physical and emotional effect on his identity, smile shows the good parts of
his persona being completely destroyed harshly replaced by Hyde’s features (pure
evil), backlash to enlightenment ideas that science can rationalise everything
including human nature
- Images of self destruction in nature reflect how perverse his experiment is (how
much it goes against natural order) - trees ‘lashing themselves’, violent, murderous,
relentless/continuous (verb) suffering not only of Jekyll but the victims of his
experiment, duality is always present in nature so Jekyll’s experiment which seeks to
create a being which is purely evil is unnatural
● Stevenson further reflects good and evil through duality in setting throughout
London, reminding the Victorian audience of the close presence of evil even in
seemingly safe environments (evil should not be externalised)
, - Jekyll’s door -
shows that even in an area a wealthy or a seemingly ‘good’ as Jekyll’s home,
decrepit and crime-ridden areas too exist, evil normally othered or externalised to
other countries is now ever present - contrasts to other gothic novels such as Dracula
- maid fainting - ‘At the horror of these sights and sounds, the maid fainted’ - before
she was ‘romantically given’ - contrast of peaceful or dreamy mood/room before
crime and distress after shows power of evil and penetration into safe spaces
(explain how she is safe through bedroom window)
● Stevenson suggests that desire for transgressions (a manifestation of inner evil) is
suppressed through societal pressures to maintain a respectable reputation;
however, as displayed in Jekyll’s character, indulgence in evil acts will ultimately
overpower goodness.
- Jekyll saying how freeing it was to be freed of constant pressure to maintain
reputation whilst still being accepted in society - ‘I was the first that could thus plod in
the public eye with a load of genial respectability, and in a moment, like a schoolboy,
strip off these lendings and spring headlong into the sea of liberty.’ - plod shows a
lack of energy and happiness and purpose showing how tired Jekyll is due to
constant pressure, genial is friendly which is a false emotion that contrasts with
plodding showing the false outward appearance which he displays publicly is a lie
which is exhausting to keep up as it is not true to his real desires for transgressions,
lendings is clothes so his respectable persona is merely clothes or a disguise not his
true nature highlights the theme of hypocrisy Jekyll regains a child-like joviality when
he transgresses showing the immense relief he felt when removed from these
immense pressures, he becomes so disillusioned with this fantasy of keeping up this
