Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Themes:

YouLearn	Jenni
Duality of Human Nature: The story explores the idea that every person has both good and evil sides. Dr. Jekyll represents the respectable, socially acceptable self, while Mr. Hyde embodies the darker, repressed desires.	Dual nature of man: The story explores the duality of human nature, the idea that good and evil exist within each individual. Dr. Jekyll, a respected scientist, creates a potion that transforms him into Mr. Hyde, a personification of his suppressed evil desires. This transformation symbolizes the internal conflict between our virtuous and darker impulses.
Repession and Freedom: Jekyll's transformation into Hyde allows him to indulge in his basest instincts without the constraints of societal norms, highlighting the conflict between societal expectations and personal desires.	Reputation and societal norms: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde examines the pressures of maintaining a respectable facade in Victorian society. Dr. Jekyll's obsession with his reputation leads him to create Hyde as a means of indulging his desires without damaging his social standing. The story highlights the hypocrisy and constraints of societal expectations.
Identity and Transformation: The physical transformations between Jekyll and Hyde raise questions about identity and the essence of self. The struggle between the two identities leads to a loss of control.	Addiction and loss of control: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde can be interpreted as an allegory for addiction. Jekyll's increasing dependence on the potion to become Hyde mirrors the downward spiral of addiction, where the individual loses control over their actions and is consumed by their desires. The story illustrates the destructive nature of unchecked impulses and the difficulty of escaping the grip of addiction.
Consequences of Scientific Exploration: The narrative critiques the unchecked pursuit of scientific knowledge and experimentation, suggesting that it can lead to moral and ethical dilemmas.	Science and the supernatural: The novel delves into the interplay between science and the supernatural. Dr. Jekyll's experiment blurs the lines between these two realms, raising questions about the limits of scientific exploration and the consequences of tampering with the unknown. His transformation into Hyde represents a violation of natural laws and a descent into a darker, more primitive state.
Friendship and Isolation: The relationships between characters, particularly between Utterson, Jekyll, and Lanyon, emphasize themes of loyalty and the impact of isolation on the individual.

Charecters:

Dr Henry Jekyll	A well-respected doctor and scientist who behaves in a gentlmanly way. Known for being charitable and religious. He is conflicted internally by his hidden darker desires and secretly experiments to create his alter ego Hyde and eventually loses contol.
Mr Edward Hyde	Jekyll’s villanous alter ego who is pure evil (tramples child and murders Danvers Carew) and has a disturbing apperance. Acts in an animalistic way and is repulsive to all people other than Jekyll. He eventually becomes stronger than Jekyll and ends up taking control.
Mr Gabriel Utterson	A sensible lawyer who approches the mystery of Hyde’s identity in a rational, practical way. Described as ‘‘austere’’ - strict with hiself and doesn’t indulge often in things he enjoys, like expensive wines and going to the theatre. He is well-liked and non-judgemental towards others and values reputation highly. A typicsal victorian gentleman.
Dr Hastie Lanyon	Freindly cheerful and sociable. He sticks to his moral priciples- falls out with Jekyll over his experimental science. The shock of seeing Jekyll turn into Hyde distubs im so greatly that he dies
Mr Richard Enfield	Utterson’s friend/relative who values reputation and dislikes gossip.
Poole	Jekyll’s loyal butler
Sir Danvers Carew	Respected elderly MP who is killed by Hyde
Mr Guest	Utterson’s clerk

Chapter summary:

Chapter 1 - Story of the door

Utterson and Enfield are on a Sunday stroll
Enfield points out a door and talks about ab event he witnessed:

Hyde trampled a young girl. He went through the door and produced a valid cheque signed to by someone else to pay off the girl’s family. Enfield doesn’t say who signed the cheque, but Utterson has already worked it out.

Chapter 2 - Search for Mr Hyde

Utterson re-reads Jekyll’s will

The will says Hyde will inherit everything if Jekyll dies or vanishes, so Utterson decides Hyde must be blackmailing Jekyll.

Utterson visits Lanyon and finds out that he and Jekyll have fallen out over Jekyll’s approach to science
Utterson meets Hyde for the first time, outside Jekyll’s laboratory

Chapter 3 - Dr Jekyll was quite at ease

Utterson goes to a dinner party at Jekyll’s house
He asks Jekyll about Hyde and the will

Jekyll explains wont’t explain and asks Utterson to leave the matter alone. He also asks Utterson to look after Hyde if he is ever ‘taken away’.

Chapter 4 - The Carew murder case

Hyde violently murders Sir Danvers Carew nearly a year later
Utterson realises that Carew was murdered using a cane Utterson gave Jekyll, linking Jekyll to the murder
Utterson and the policeman go to Hyde’s lodgings, but he isn’t there.

Chapter 5 - Incident of the letter

After the murder, Uterson visits Jekyll. Jekyll looks ill and upset and promises he won’t see Hyde again
Jekyll gives Utterson a letter form Hyde. He asks Utterson the decide whether to give it to the police
Poole says no letters have arrived that day - Utterson concludes

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