Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Science and Supernatural Essay Plan

Science and Supernatural Essay Plan

I feel very strongly about putting questions; it partakes too much of the style of the day of judgment. You start a question, and it's like starting a stone. You sit quietly on the top of a hill; and away the stone goes, starting others…”

àEnfield tells Utterson about his impressions of Hyde.  had limited interactions with Hyde but he is very reluctant to talk about them, he protests to Utterson that to answer questions about Hyde is a ‘slippery slope’. Enfield would prefer to ignore Mr Hyde and Hyde’s violent behaviour altogether

àStevenson suggests that Enfield and Utterson are repressed and reserved, stereotypical Victorian Gentleman.

àRather than root out evil and violence in their society they’d prefer to sweep it under the rug

àThe theme of repression and secrecy is crucial to the novel, as Stevenson draws an important connection between Jekyll’s own pressed evil and his friends willingness to press their knowledge of Jekyll’s evil.

àStevenson could be said to criticize Victorian society that allows evil to survive as long as its juts out of site.

‘He is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something down-right detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why. He must be deformed somewhere; he gives a strong feeling of deformity, although I couldn't specify the point.’

àDescribes Hyde’s appearance

àHe is so ugly but he cant explain why

àBecause of Hyde’s embodiment of evil  Enfield’s reaction to his appearance reflects his attitude towards abstract concept of evil.

àEnfield is a good moral man so he naturally rejects Hyde

àHis observation that he seems ‘deformed somehow’ suggests that evil is a twisted, misshapen version of good.

àHyde’s deformed appearance could also reflects the fact that at this early stage in the novel, Jekyll’s good side is stronger than his bad side.

àJekyll is strong and Hyde is…