Jekyll and Hyde key theme

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  • Jekyll and Hyde key themes
    • THE DUALITY OF HUMAN NATURE
      • HYDE
        • "My devil"
          • Jekyll describes Hyde as this suggesting his dark side
        • "Satan's signature"
        • "startling blasphemies"
      • JEKYLL
        • "I learned....the thorough and primitive duality of man"
          • he struggles to reconcile the good and evil sides of himself, so creates Hyde to get rid of the evil part
        • "man is not truly one, but truly two"
          • States this as a fact as he believes he is right
          • Duality applies to all humanity
        • "radically both"
          • feels like his good and bad side are fighting against each other, so takes action to separate them
      • SIN
        • it's unavoidable= Jekyll gives in to his "original evil"
        • it's tempting= "younger, lighter, happier"= better as Hyde
        • is what caused Jekyll to 'create' Hyde as he wanted to rid himself of sin
        • CONTEXT= Stevenson frightens reader by taking the teaching of Evangelicalism further by saying your sinful side is stronger
      • WRITERS TECHNIQUE=LANGUAGE
        • uses battle language to show the struggle
          • "two natures that contended in the field"
          • "war"
      • IMAGERY= uses imagery of clothing to show how people and place can put forward a misleading appearance to the world
    • SCIENCE AND RELIGION
      • SCIENCE IS POWERFUL
        • Jekyll's science caused death and destruction
      • LANGUAGE= Jekyll's drug "shook the doors of the prison house of disposition". Shows that Jekyll feels that his sinful side was trapped by his respectable side
      • JEKYLL
        • Stevenson criticises the act of being religious in public and sinful in private, by representing Jekyll's actions as hypocritical
        • "regarded and hid them with a morbid sense of shame"
          • Christianity teaches everyone is sinful. Hyde was created as Jekyll was troubled by his sins
          • RELIGION IS A SOCIAL ISSUE AS WELL AS A PERSONAL ONE!!
            • "Hyde alone, that was guilty
              • He finds it easy to put on a show of his good deeds, but doesn't deal with his guilty conscience (as his only thinks Hyde is guilty). Allowed Hyde to gain strength and destroy Jekyll
        • "Hyde alone, that was guilty
          • He finds it easy to put on a show of his good deeds, but doesn't deal with his guilty conscience (as his only thinks Hyde is guilty). Allowed Hyde to gain strength and destroy Jekyll
        • "secret sinner"
          • WRITERS TECHNIQUE=LANGUAGE=Stevenson reminds the reader that Jekyll's actions are sinful by using religious language
            • "the spirit of hell"
      • HYDE
        • "the spirit of hell"
    • SECRECY
      • UTTERSON
        • Utterson has done "many ill thing" in his past, but doesn't say what they are= makes actions appear shameful
        • WRITER'S TECHNIQUE= NARRATIVE= narrative has many gaps- makes the reader more suspicious of things that are unexplained
      • JEKYLL
        • He can't speak about Hyde as he can't admit to his origin as part of Jekyll. Asks Utterson to "respect" his silence and says he "cannot share" what he knows
        • JEKYLL + LANYON= write about their experiences instead of speaking + are only reveled at the end of the novel= adds secrecy and suspency
      • STEVENSON uses locked doors as symbols of secracy
        • REPRESENTS PEOPLES DESIRES TO HIDE THEIR SECRETS= smashing cabinet door is symbolic= breaking down Jekyll's wall of secrecy
        • BACK DOOR TO JEKYLL'S HOUSE= "neither bell or knocker" + associated with Hyde
        • Important letter and ingredients are LOCKED IN DRAWER + SAFES
        • JEKYLL SLAMS WINDOW on Utterson and Enfield
    • REPUTATION
      • UTTERSON
        • If it came to trial, your name might appear"
          • More concerned about preserving Jekyll's reputation than bringing Hyde to trial.
        • "looks like queer street"
          • wary of gossiping- reflects badly on him and his friends reputation
      • STEVENSON'S MESSAGE= reputations cannot be trusted as they are based on appearances
      • JEKYLL
        • "safety was complete..... i did not even exist"
          • He feels free as Hyde because he can conceal his sin perfectly
            • "a load of genial respectability"
            • "sea of liberty"
        • "a load of genial respectability"
        • "sea of liberty"
        • "I had been safe of all men's respect"
          • Got carried away with his transformations
          • Could cause death and destruction whilst his reputation stayed intact

Comments

sandy

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i have printed this revison resourse out and the quality of the writting is rubbish! it ould be more helpful if i could read what the spider digram displayed  

jessydawn

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Great Thank you 

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