Jekyll and Hyde Themes

-Evil is presented through Mr Hyde, just as goodness is presented through Jekyll "good shone upon the countenance"- the metaphor implies Jekylls virtuous nature.

-Utterson, Lanyon, Enfiled and Poole display goodness and Christian values

-Jekyll conveys the internal coflict between good and evil behaviour.

- Although Jekyll ultimatly chooses to be good, it is suggested that the evil impulse is stronger and will eventually take over. 

Jekylls evil side is greater than his good. His Christian values "I find it in my heart to pity him" are no match for Hydes immorality "scrawling in my own hand blasphemies"

-Although Jekyll chooses goodness, he is constantly tempted to return to evil and eventually gives into this temptation.

-Stevenson describes Hydes evil actions, such as contrasting verb and adverb in "trampled calmly"- shows Hydes disregard for the girls injuries

- Stevenson links Hyde to evil through biblical language as in 'Satan' 'damned' and 'hell'

-Hydes viscousness and inhumanity are also captured through the way he speaks 'snarled aloud into a savage laugh'

-Respectibiltiy is shown through the different codes of behaviour that the characters display.

-These codes are presented as social norms and expectations

- Stevenson explores the idea of repression through Dr Jekyll.

-Dr Jekyll represses and hides his desires in order to maintain a appearance of respectibilty but this ends up destroying his life.

-"The mark of a modest man"

-"I began to be tortured with throes and longings"

-"honourable and distinguished future"

-"a more furious propensity to ill"- repression is unhealthy and can make the situation worse.

-"I am ashamed of my long tongue"- Utterson shows he is aware he has broken a code of social politeness by discussing Hyde too much.

- the majority of characters follow social codes of respectibility. This typical of the Victorian period in which the novel is set.

-Stevenson engages the reader using different technqiues to surround Dr Jekylls experiements with mystery. Later in the novel, he presents Dr Jekyll's discoveries as dangeroud through images of pain and the way the transformation cannot be controlled.

-Dr Jekyll's scientific work is also linked to evil and hell to suggest that it is ungodly.

-"blood-red liquor, which was highly pungent to the sense of smell" its identity is kept unknown creating mystery around Jekylls work.

-'small fumes of vapour' the verbs Stevenson uses to present the creation of the potion emphasises an eerie mood and creates a spellbinding atmosphere.

-' All this, though it whetted my curiousity, told me little that was definite', Lanyons comment engages the reader by hinting at the unusual nature of Jekylls exeperiments. Steveson using Lanyon for this narrative hook.

-'My life is shaken to its roots; sleep has left me; the deadliest terror sits by me at all hours of the day and night; and I feel that my days are numbered, and that I must die; and yet I shall die incredulous.'Dr. Lanyon refuses to allow witnessing the transformation to reverse his long-held scientific beliefs; furthermore, Dr. Jekyll’s story was so horrifying one could say that it scared Dr. Lanyon to death.

-"O God!" I screamed, and "O God!" again and again; for there before my eyes—pale and shaken, and half fainting, and groping before him with his hands, like a man restored from death—there stood Henry Jekyll!' For Dr. Lanyon, Mr. Hyde’s transformation into Dr. Jekyll is akin to restoring a man from death.

- Dr Jekyll has the dilemma of wheter to take the drug he has created and then whether to continue transforming into Mr Hyde.

-Having the dilemma of whether to show the police the letter forged by Jekyll, Utterson locks it in his safe.

- As a consequence of his experiments, Jekyll faces the consequence of losing his identity to Hyde.

- Dr Lanyon falls ill with shock and dies as a conseqeunce of discovering the truth about Jekylls experiments.

-"The doom that is closing in on us both"- Jekyll

-"my punishment might have gone on for years, but for the last calamity which has now fallen"=Jekyll

-"Much same thr inducements and alarms cast the die for any tempted and trembling sinner"-Jekyll

- Dr Jekyll faces the loss of his life as a consequence of his actions. At first this is described as ' the terrors of the scaffold' because if caught Hyde would be hanged for his murder.

- Later this loss of life is presented more metaphorically as Mr Hyde takes control. The civilised Victorian gentlemen cannot stop his own de-evolution and faces life as a sinful, hunted criminal.

- Duality is a recurring motif throughout the novel tat can be seen in Stevensons characters, settings and themes

-Dr Jekyll and Hyde are the main image of dualit.

-Specific images are used to convey duality, such as the differnce between the front and back of Jekylls house. The contrasting interior and exterior of Mr Hydes lodgings and the differences between the two mens hands.

-"My master...is a tall, fine build of a man, and this was more of a dwarf."- Lanyon

-"... those provinces of good and ill that divide and compound mans dual nature."=Jekyll

-"two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness"- jekyll

- Stevenson uses images of duality throughout which foreshadow the revelation that Hyde is a part o Jekyll. This allows Stevenson to explore his belief that elements of a victorian society were hypocritical and hid their own misdemeanors while condemning them in othes.

-Hyde and Jekyll are presented as 2 people inhabiting the same body and fighting for dominence. Jekyll is well educated, respectable, charitable and Christian, while Hyde is criminal, aggressive and blasphemous.

- Utterson and jekyll are presented as dual aspects of victorian society. They both have simialr social status and good reputation, but the lawyer represses temptation and lives life in moderation, while his friend secretly indulges all his sinful desires. Same links could be made with Lanyon and Jekyll.