Hyde's Initial Impression

Stevenson presents Hyde as a completely callous and monstrous character to create a sense of horror and to display how his looks and acts deeply affect the people around him. Firstly, the use of the oxymoron "trampled calmly" emphasises the brutality of his action and portrays the ease he felt when he ruthlessly "left her". In the 19th century, women and children were considered vulnerable in society and therefore hurting them would have been a severe crime, which compels them to despise him. Furthermore, Hyde's devilish characteristics are revealed when Mr Enfield says, " It wasn't like a man; it was like some damned juggernaut". The repetition of the pronoun "it" suggests that the mercilessness of Hyde's action makes him seem inhuman. Perhaps, Stevenson was influenced by the theory of evolution and is implying that the vicious and uncivilised attributes of Hyde are a reversion to a more primitive stage of human development. Additionally, the adjective "damned" conveys that a reputable man like Mr Enfield is driven to swearing due to Hyde's traits that are "really…