Literary Devices Explanation

Jekyll and Hyde Literary Devices (Chapters 1-10)

• Quote (Chapter 1): "The man trampled calmly over the child's body and left her screaming on the ground."

  • Literary Device: JuxtapositionExplanation: Contrasting the violent act of "trampling" with the emotionless "calmly," highlighting Hyde’s lack of empathy and making the violence more horrifying.

• Quote (Chapter 1): "I was coming home from some place at the end of the world, about three o'clock of a black winter morning."

  • Literary Device: ImageryExplanation: The use of vivid sensory details like "black winter morning" paints a gloomy and ominous scene, contributing to the Gothic atmosphere.

• Quote (Chapter 2): "If he be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr. Seek."

  • Literary Device: PunExplanation: A play on words that shows Mr. Utterson’s determination to uncover the truth about Mr. Hyde, comparing himself to "Mr. Seek" in a light, almost humorous way.

• Quote (Chapter 2): "Mr. Hyde shrank back with a hissing intake of breath."

  • Literary Device: ZoomorphismExplanation: Hyde’s "hissing" likens him to a snake or animal, suggesting something inhuman and sinister about his character.

• Quote (Chapter 4): "With ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim underfoot."

  • Literary Device: SimileExplanation: Comparing Hyde’s fury to that of an ape emphasizes his primal, animalistic nature and lack of human civility.

• Quote (Chapter 4): "A great chocolate-colored pall lowered over heaven."

  • Literary Device: MetaphorExplanation: The "chocolate-colored pall" metaphorically represents the fog as a heavy, oppressive shroud, evoking a sense of gloom and darkness.

• Quote (Chapter 5): "The fog still slept on the wing above the drowned city."

  • Literary Device: PersonificationExplanation: The fog is given human qualities as it "slept," enhancing the oppressive and eerie atmosphere of London.

• Quote (Chapter 6): "The packet slept in the inmost corner of his private safe."

  • Literary Device: Personification

  • Explanation: The packet is described as "sleeping," which emphasizes the sense of secrecy and suspense surrounding Dr. Jekyll's hidden document.

• Quote (Chapter 7): "The smile was struck out of his face and succeeded by an expression of such abject terror and despair."

  • Literary Device: Metaphor

  • Explanation: "The smile was struck out" suggests an abrupt, violent change in Dr. Jekyll’s demeanor, reflecting the sudden appearance of terror and hinting at his inner turmoil.

• Quote (Chapter 8): "It was a wild, cold, seasonable night of March, with a pale moon, lying on her back as though the wind had tilted her."

  • Literary Device: Pathetic Fallacy

  • Explanation: The wild weather mirrors the chaotic events unfolding in the story and Dr. Jekyll’s internal conflict. Gothic literature often uses weather to reflect emotional states or tension.

• Quote (Chapter 9): "My devil had been long caged, he came out roaring."

  • Literary Device: Metaphor

  • Explanation: The "devil" is a metaphor for Jekyll’s darker side (Hyde), which had been suppressed ("caged") but is now unleashed with violent intensity ("roaring").

• Quote (Chapter 10): "Man is not truly one, but truly two."

  • Literary Device: Duality (Theme)Explanation: This quote reflects the central theme of duality, highlighting the internal conflict between good and evil within human nature, a common motif in Gothic literature.

• Quote (Chapter 10): "Jekyll had more than a father's interest; Hyde had more than a son's indifference."

  • Literary Device: JuxtapositionExplanation: The contrasting feelings of Jekyll (caring like a father) and Hyde (indifferent like a rebellious son) emphasize the conflicting personalities within the same person.

• Quote (Chapter 10): "The animal within me licking the chops of memory."

  • Literary Device: ZoomorphismExplanation: Jekyll refers to Hyde as "the animal within," likening him to a beast and emphasizing his base, instinctual desires. The phrase "licking the chops" suggests a predatory, savage nature.

• Quote (Chapter 10): "I stood already committed to a profound duplicity of life."

  • Literary Device: MetaphorExplanation: Jekyll’s "duplicity of life" is a metaphor for his double life—one as the respectable Dr. Jekyll and the other as the morally corrupt Mr. Hyde. This ties into the novel’s central theme of duality.