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Summary GRADE 9 JEKYLL AND HYDE THEMES
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grade 9, in depth notes for themes of jekyll and hyde
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Jekyll and Hyde themesAppearance vs reality
o Disparity is clear and present within characters and setting
o Another form of duality
o Projects an outward image which is very different from the truth, representing the Victorian’s
reputability and piety whilst behaving uncivilly through science or other behaviours
o Enfield states that “the fellow had a key” in reference to Hyde, this shows the way in which Hyde is
able to transcend the balance between appearance and reality. Doors become a metaphor of transition
in the novel, and the theme of transition is closely linked to that of appearance and reality.
o The theme is present in the oxymoron “shady lawyers” which is ironic as they should be delivering
justice but in fact are exploitative criminals themselves. When applied to the novel, this phrase has
greater depth as Utterson defies this stereotype by being the moral compass of the novella.
o The overall form of the novella acts as an extended metaphor for this theme. Even chapter titles are
understated, compared to mystery and fear which is contained within, creating a juxtaposition which
further highlights dual themes
Duality
o Theme is most prevalent, concerned with how an upstanding member of society can become a
savage criminal. By first presenting Jekyll and Hyde as separate entities, Stevenson can display how
conflicting personalities can be simultaneously possessed, declaring that not everyone is how they
outwardly present themselves
o Not confined to characters: Stevenson presents London as strictly defined by ‘reputable’ areas, close
to poverty, manipulating contemporary fears of human nature’s capacity for evil through duality
o “All human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil.” Here, the world
‘commingled’ is the merging of two words ‘combined’ and ‘mingled’ to emphasise how it is
impossible for humans to be only good or only evil, there will always be aspects of both in
everyone's personality. Dr Jekyll reflects further on human nature by stating that “Man is not truly
one, but truly two”.
o Use of juxtaposing imagery to emphasize disparity between morals Mr Hyde is described as “That
child of Hell had nothing human; nothing lived in him but fear andhatred”. Here, “Child” has
connotations of innocence which is juxtaposed with the idea of “hell” which is acess-pit of sin and is
symbolic of corruption and evil. The observation that Mr Hyde “Had nothing human” evokes fear
and hatred in a contemporary reader who would have been terrified of the idea of ‘devolution’.
o shows that the duality of human nature cannot be isolated through his use of antithesis in “Even as
good shone upon the countenance of the one, evil was written broadly and plainly on the face of the
other”. The juxtaposition between good and evil implies that the two elements are in a delicate
equilibrium.
o Stevenson uses a third person narrator as well as Jekyll and Lanyon’s perspective to tell the story.
The multiple narratives due to the text’s epistolary form not only adds to the horror of the text but
also shows the reader how there are multiple ways at looking at everything.
Friendship
o The narrator observes that “ even [Utterson’s] friendships seemed to be founded in a similar
catholicity of good nature”. The verb “founded’ ” evokes connotations of security, longevity and
reliability all traits of a good friend. Stevenson’s reference to “catholicity of good nature” has
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