Loyalty & Friendship quotes

Quotes to use for an essay on the theme of friendship and loyalty

Ivy (loyal)

Ivy (loyal)

his affections, like ivy

• the simile of Ivy to describe Utterson’s friendships presents them as strong and ever growing, as Ivy commonly clings to the sides of buildings, and shows the loyalty side of Utterson’s friendships

Friendships (moral)

Even (Utterson’s) friendships seemed to be founded in a similar catholicity of good nature

• adjective ‘catholicity’ presents Utterson as moral

• ‘good nature’ presents Utterson as well-orientated and pleasant

lawyer (loyal)

the lawyer listened gloomily; he did not like his friend’s feverish manner’

• despite disagreeing with Jekyll’s ‘feverish manner’, Utterson still doesn’t judge him

• referring to Utterson by his job as a lawyer could be to present Utterson’s professional and personal capacity when relating to Jekyll as he is not just Jekyll’s lawyer but also his friend

• noun ‘friend’ emphasizes the relationship between them despite them disagreeing, this proves the power of their friendship is beyond their sense of morality

lover (moral)

lover of the sane and customary sides of life

• the adjective ‘sane’ helps display how Utterson is a reliable narrator and is a reasonable and rational person

long tongue (secrecy)

I am ashamed of my long tongue

• ‘long tongue’ refers to gossiping, as Utterson is trying to protect Jekyll’s reputation, he doesn’t want to discuss or potentially ruin any aspect of him

• verb ‘ashamed’ portrays how dedicated Utterson is to keeping Jekyll’s secrets and status

Bargain (secrecy)

Let us make a bargain never to refer to this again

• Utterson refuses to investigate the case any further after the death of Hyde and Jekyll’s confession. This could be because he still wants to protect Jekyll’s reputation despite him being gone, or it could be that he’s afraid of the power and danger of Jekyll’s science and wants to stop and forget it.

• Stevenson does this to show that as a Victorian Gentlemen, even after death they still care and protect each others reputation

walked (silence)

walked on once more in silence

• the verb ‘walked’ could be a physical interpretation of Utterson avoiding/repressing and ‘walking’ away from the truth/reality of Jekyll, he doesn’t give in to his curiosity but chooses to trust Jekyll

• the phrase ‘in silence’ portrays how dedicated they are to preventing harm to another Gentleman’s reputation, throughout the novel Stevenson could be keeping parts of the plot hidden from the reader to show how secretive Victorian Gentlemen were or it could be to build tension and mystery

speak note (silence)

I wouldn’t speak of this note, you know

• after figuring out that Jekyll wrote a letter impersonating Hyde, Utterson immediately makes sure Mr. Guest doesn’t discuss this news with anyone else, his first reaction was to stop any gossip that could hurt his friend Jekyll’s reputation.

• Utterson doesn’t make any assumptions of Jekyll, instead of considering what it could mean, he doesn’t judge Jekyll and gives him the benefit of the doubt

God (secrecy)

God forgive us, God forgive us

• Utterson asking for forgiveness from God could shows us that Utterson feels that he is being sinful in covering and protecting Jekyll’s immoral doings or it could be that Utterson is shocked from the unnatural things he saw and is looking for safety and comfort in God

THE SAFE (secrecy)

The symbol + containments of Utterson’s safe

• His commitment to protecting his friends reputation, even past death proves to the reader the lengths Victorian Gentlemen would go to to protect reputation.

• Utterson always respected Jekyll no matter how curious he was about the case and stayed loyal, not to open the letters until his disappearance

Mr Seek (solving the case)

If he be Mr Hyde… I shall be Mr. Seek

• this quote displays his insatiable curiosity that helps propels the plot of the novel forwards

• The emphasis of ‘Hyde’ and ‘Seek’ displays the theme of duality, opposites, and contrast which is woven throughout the novel. It also provides Utterson with the role of a detective in the ‘strange case’ of Jekyll & Hyde.

Imagination (solving the case)

His imagination was engaged, or rather enslaved

• the depressing verb ‘enslaved’ helps create an image of Hyde as a tormenting character and how he slowly corrupts all the people near him: Jekyll, Lanyon,

• the use of imagination shows how Utterson now has to change his standard Victorian Gentlemen approach as Hyde is not at all normal or natural

• the verb engaged could be used to show how intriguing Hyde is, and overall how interesting transgressive science is to Victorian Gentlemen

poor soul (saving Jekyll)

the poor soul retains some help of ultimate recovery

• the adjective ‘poor’ presents Jekyll as a victim. Utterson is blinded by his friendship to consider that Jekyll is immoral and beyond salvation

Ah! (saving Jekyll)

Ah, that’s not Jekyll’s voice - it’s Hyde’s!… Down with the door, Poole!

• As soon as Utterson thinks Jekyll is in real danger he breaks down the door despite it being very ungentlemanly, his priority is to save his friend