Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde THEMES

TERROR/HORROR
1. Chapter 9 - DR LANYONS NARRATIVE
  1. "My mind submerged in terror...'Oh God' I screamed, and 'Oh God' again and again; for there before my eyes-pale and shaken... like a man restored from death - there stood Henry Jekyll!" [pg54]
2. Chapter 7 - INCIDENT AT THE WINDOW
  1. "...succeeded by an expression of such abject terror and despair as froze the very blood of the two gentlemen below." [pg36]
3. Chapter 8 - THE LAST NIGHT
  1. "A dismal screech, as of mere animal terror, rang from the cabinet...". [pg44]
4. Chapter 4 - THE CAREW MURDER CASE
  1. "And the next moment, with ape like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot, and hailing down a storm of blows, under which the bones where audibly shattered and the body jumped down upon the road way. At the horror of these sights and sounds, the maid fainted." [pg22]
5. Chapter 5 - INCIDENT OF THE LETTER
  1. "'What!' he thought. 'Henry Jekyll forge for a murderer!' And his blood ran cold in his veins." [pg30]
THE DUALITY OF HUMAN NATURE
1. Most obvious and important theme in J+H - Jekyll himself claims that as a young, privileged and well respected man he was expected to act in a certain, decent way, which is something he finds difficult because of the other 'immoral' and 'depraved' side of himself.
  1. "...sold a slave to my original evil..." [pg57]
  2. QUOTES
    1. "Man is not truly one, but truly two." [pg55]
    2. "...profound duplicity of life..." [pg55]
    3. "that in the agonized womb of consciousness, polar twins should be continuously struggling..." [pg56]
    4. "... I learned to recognize the through and primitive duality of man; I saw that, of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness..." [pg56]
    5. "...those provinces of good and ill which divides and compound mans dual nature..."
2. Henry Jekylls Full Statement of the Case
3. See also- REPRESSION of the human nature {eg no sexual appetite, no great expressions of emotion, no violence etc}
IMPORTANCE OF REPUTATION
1. Chapter 1 - THE STORY OF THE DOOR
  1. "I feel very strongly about putting questions...you start a question and its like starting a stone. You sit on top of a hill; and away the stone goes, starting others; and presently some bland old bird {the last you would have thought of} is knocked on the head in his own garden and the family have to change their name." [pg9]
    1. "the more it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask."
2. Chapter 2 - SEARCH FOR MR HYDE
  1. "'I thought it was madness... and now I begin to fear it is disgrace.'"
3. Chapter 10 - HENRY JEKYLLS FULL STATEMENT OF THE CASE
  1. "...certain impatient gaiety of disposition..."
4. Much of the dramatic action in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde consists of damage control. In other words, Utterson tirelessly works to prevent his good friend Dr. Jekyll from being dragged into the horrid affairs of Mr. Hyde, and Dr. Jekyll goes to the greatest of lengths to prevent his Hyde identity from being discovered, in order to avoid anyone knowing of his somewhat questionable scientific work and morally despicable behavior. Enfield, Utterson, Lanyon and Jekyll are all aware of social expectations and the importance of appearance.
  1. To maintain his friend's reputation and protect his public image, Utterson goes to Jekyll directly to discuss the matter. This issue also arises in the matter of physical appearances, particularly architecture. In the first chapter, we learn that Hyde's mysterious dwelling is run down, neglected, and shabby. In contrast, Jekyll's home is extremely well kept, majestic, rich, and beautiful. Ironically, we eventually learn that the mysterious door is in fact connected to Jekyll's home, albeit a back entrance rarely used. Thus, it becomes clear that although idyllic to the public, even Jekyll's home, parallel to his personality, has a neglected, shabby, and perhaps dangerous portion hidden from view.
FRIENDSHIP
THE SUPERNATURAL
SUSPENSE/TENSION
SECRECY/MYSTERY
SUSPISCION

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Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde THEMES

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