General quotes

“An air of invitation”

Ditto Street is presented as welcoming and respectable, suggesting order and social acceptance. However, this contrasts with its hidden corruption, reinforcing the theme of duality in setting.

“Sinister block of building”

The same location is described as threatening and unsettling, creating a gothic sense of unease and reinforcing the idea that appearance can be deceptive.

“That citadel of medicine”

The building is likened to a fortress of science and respectability, symbolising Jekyll’s public identity and Victorian scientific authority.

“The dismal quarter of Soho”

Soho is presented as dark, impoverished, and morally corrupt, contrasting sharply with respectable areas of London.

“Disgustful curiosity”

The oxymoronic phrase reflects the tension between fascination and repulsion, a key gothic convention used to unsettle the reader.

“Late one accursed night”

The motif of darkness and religious language (“accursed”) creates a foreboding gothic atmosphere and suggests moral corruption occurring under cover of night.