j&h

Quote: “Man is not truly one, but truly two.”

1. Psychological perspective

• Suggests humans have a split psyche → rational vs irrational sides.

• Jekyll anticipates ideas similar to later psychological theories (like the divided self).

• Duality is presented as natural, not abnormal.

2. Social / Victorian context

• Reflects the Victorian gentleman, who must appear respectable while hiding desires.

• Society forces people into public vs private identities.

3. Moral / philosophical perspective

• Challenges the idea that humans are purely good or evil.

• Stevenson suggests morality is complex and unstable, not fixed.

Quote: “I concealed my pleasures.”

1. Psychological

• Repression of desires → they don’t disappear, they intensify.

• Jekyll’s secrecy contributes to the creation of Hyde.

2. Social / contextual

• Highlights pressure to maintain reputation in Victorian society.

• People hide anything that threatens their social status.

3. Moral

• Raises question: is hiding sin worse than committing it?

• Suggests hypocrisy is a key moral failure.

Quote: “My devil had been long caged, he came out roaring.”

1. Psychological

• “Caged” = repression; “roaring” = uncontrollable release

• Suggests suppressing urges makes them more dangerous.

2. Social / contextual

• Victorian society “cages” natural desires → leads to explosive consequences.

• Critique of strict moral codes.

3. Moral / religious

• “Devil” links to sin → evil is part of human nature.

• Suggests denying sin doesn’t remove it, only distorts it.

4. “My devil had been long caged, he came out roaring.”

Psychological:

• Repressed desires become uncontrollable.

• Violence is a result of suppression.

Contextual:

• Victorian restraint = unnatural “caging” of instincts.

• Society contributes to Hyde’s creation.

Moral/Religious:

• “Devil” suggests sin is internal.

• Humans cannot escape their sinful nature.

5. “The moment I choose, I can be rid of Mr Hyde.”

Psychological:

• Illusion of control → self-deception.

• Jekyll underestimates his darker side.

Contextual:

• Reflects belief in self-discipline in Victorian society.

• Suggests this belief is flawed.

Philosophical:

• Raises question of free will vs fate.

• Ultimately shows humans are not fully in control of themselves.

chapter ½ | ‘hellish to see’

‘Like satan’

‘Trampled calmly, left her screaming’

Sin/ evil/ morality

• references to religion are heavy in this time period - the severity of his appearance is compared to the worst thing in a persons life

• Hell is related to torment- his face is eternal torment and punishment,

• Aggressive actions - immoral / wrong - sinful connecting to religion

chapter ½ | ‘hardly human... something troglodytic’

‘Hissing’ + ‘snarled ‘

Troglodytic / devolution/animalistic

• Troglodytic- primitive and ancient, refers to devolution as it refers to a person as in the past

• Verbs are animalistic showing signs of devolution of a human

• Could be viewed as a predatory action as a defensive mechanism to scare and manipulate

chapter ½ | ‘one look so ugly that it brought out the sweat on me like running’

• ‘ something displeasing ‘

Physiognomy

His face is so unpleasant to the human eye it constantly cause intense reactions - running is high intensity causes increase in heart rate and breathing- HYDE’S face alone cause that effect to others

Something about him and is appearance is disturbing but people are unable to place what it is - could be due to many factors ? Or just one main factor e.g his eyes

6

7

1. “the old dissecting room”

The semantic field of anatomy links Jekyll’s work to dissection and dead bodies, creating a dark and unsettling tone. This suggests science is associated with immorality and death, contrasting with religion’s focus on the soul.

2. “added one of the powders”

The vague noun “powders” creates secrecy and mystery, implying Jekyll is hiding something. This reflects dangerous, uncontrolled scientific experimentation without moral or religious guidance.

3. “began, in proportion as the crystals melted, to brighten in colour”

Stevenson uses visual imagery and a transformation motif to make the experiment seem almost magical. This blurs the line between science and the supernatural, suggesting Jekyll is playing God and interfering with natural laws.

4. “unscientific balderdash”

The dismissive language shows Lanyon’s rejection of Jekyll’s ideas. He represents traditional, respectable science, highlighting the conflict between ethical science and dangerous experimentation.

5. “really like Satan… if ever I read Satan’s signature upon a face…”

The religious imagery associates Hyde with the devil, symbolising pure evil. This suggests Jekyll’s science has created something unnatural and sinful, reinforcing the idea that science has gone too far

"This was a hearty, healthy, dapper red-faced gentleman".

The description "hearty, healthy, dapper red-faced gentleman" reflects Dr. Lanyon as robust and well-mannered, suggesting vitality and care for his appearance.

The term "dapper" indicates Lanyon values propriety and decorum, showcasing a personality that upholds societal norms, which contrasts with Jekyll's chaotic experiments.

Lanyon’s conventional image contrasts with Jekyll’s reckless scientific pursuits, highlighting the conflict between traditional morality and the darker aspects of human nature represented by Hyde.

"unscientific balderdash".

Lanyon is meticulous in his own scientific studies and dismisses what Jekyll is doing.

Lanyon is seen in biological, proven rather than experimental science

lanyon as a character is more cautious, less risky.

"the rosy man had grown pale; his flesh had fallen away"

This description of Lanyon after he has seen the transformation is in stark contrast to the description of him as hearty and healthy.

Large contrast in comparison to before

“Upon the reading of this letter, I made sure my colleague was insane; but till that was proved beyond the possibility of doubt, I felt bound to do as he requested.”

Lanyon is explaining to Utterson why he decided to carry out Jekyll’s requests, even though Lanyon didn’t consider him a close friend.

In the lines above, it is clear that Lanyon is doing it more out of curiosity than loyalty as he is convinced Jekyll is insane and wants to know why.

Unlike Poole, who carefully avoids the dark side of life, Lanyon is pulled in.

"A boisterous and decided manner"

Dr Lanyon is a cheerful, lively and affectionate character.

"disgustful curiosity"

Dr Lanyon's is horrified by Hyde however he wants to find out more.

How does Utterson present himself?

A rugged countenance - a strict, stern unreadable facial expression

Never lightened by a smile- his facial expression remains the same regardless of the situation, he keeps in ‘character’ at all times

Backward in sentiment - he doesn’t show emotion

What is his status and how does that affect how he is viewed?

The story begins with mentioning he is a lawyer

A lawyer is a middle class job

This means that he is honourable, respectable, reputable, trustworthy,

How is his personality described?