"with ape-like fury, [Hyde] was trampling his victim under foot, and hailing down
a storm of blows, under which the bones were audibly shattered" (Pages 20-21)
"ape-like", "trampling": animalistic, frenzied, uncontrollable
fits of violence. Supports themes of Hyde being inhuman
and uncivilized.
Links to Utterson's earlier description
"without bowels of mercy" -> something
inherently human that Hyde lacks
"hailing down a storm of blows": imagery of a storm - fierce, dangerous,
huge. Nature is unpredictable -> similar to Hyde's actions, e.g. Hyde attacking
Sir Danvers out of nowhere
"bones audibly shattered": aural imagery helps to effectively illustrate the horror of the scene. The fact
that the maid can hear it from so far above emphasizes the power behind Hyde's actions
Causes reader to imagine these sounds -
experience the horror in a more personal way
"the moon shone on his face as [Sir Danvers] spoke", "beautiful",
"innocence (Page 20)
Moon imagery: suggests a spiritual nature to his
being, maid regarding him with awe
Reflects class hierarchy at that time - people of lower class
regarded those above them as so superior as to almost be godly
Highlighting his elegance and difference from Hyde -
complete contrast to Hyde's reckless violence
"a figure to whom power was given" (Page 13)
Foreshadows the control that Hyde will have
over the lives of others, especially Jekyll
Reader is apprehensive, not sure who it is
"given" - didn't initially have it
Figure is not God (always powerful) - may indicate Satan,
who made his own evil kindgom
Jekyll gave power to Hyde - physically, and over time, mentally
Utterson is defenseless/helpless
Reminiscent of slavery
"temptation of a discovery" (Page 54)
"temptation": like a drug - refers to theme of addiction
Foreshadows Jekyll's eventual dependance on the
potion
Dramatic irony - we already know he becomes addicted, as seen in
"The Last Night" when Jekyll had London ransacked for a certain
salt used in it
"of a discovery": could reflect his ambition - both scientific and personal
"theory to the test of practice" - using scientific
terminology at the beginning of passage, however the
phrase "heady recklessness" signifies a loss of
professionalism, and a childish lack of foresight
Blinded by his aspirations
"unknown disgust, loathing, and fear" (Page 15)
Rule of three - emphasizes how strongly Utterson is
repulsed from Hyde, and confirm suspicions gathered
from the beginning of the passage that there is
something innately wrong with Hyde
No good feelings can come from meeting him
On page 13 Utterson expresses his "inordinate
curiosity to behold the features of the real Mr.
Hyde" and expects the mystery to "lighten"
Instead he becomes even more disturbed,
effectively showing how Hyde is full of
negativity and confusion, and how you will
never find/associate any light in him
Ironic - Jekyll (the supposed light) is the same
person
"I let my brother go to the devil in his own way" (Page 1)
Biblical allusion - when Cain answers to God that he isn't his brother's
keeper
Utterson minds his own business - doesn't get involved with
others' affairs -> observing, neutral
In contrast, he cares deeply about Jekyll's situation throughout
the novella - showing his more sympathetic side - not just a
cold lawyer, and his loyalty to his friends
"I could not think that this earth contained a
place for sufferings and terrors so
unmanning" (Page 30)
"this earth": the terrors are something otherworldly, above
the sins of mankind and too horrifying to be contained in
such a place
Reader is extremely unsettled as Jekyll
doesn't name these evils - ambiguity
"the smile was struck out of his face and succeeded by an
expression of such abject terror and despair, as froze the very
blood of the two gentlemen below" (Page 33)
"struck": sudden,
violent, like a slap,
unexpected
"such abject terror and despair": as
horrifying as possible, to the extreme
"froze the blood": cold terror - secondhand horror. Utterson and
Enfield are caught off guard by this sudden terror - to have
been that shocking it must have been otherworldly/of the Devil
Horrifies and leaves the reader unsettled - recurring theme
of an unspeakable, abstract evil presence associated with
Jekyll
Theme: loss of control
"man is not truly one, but truly two" (Page 52)
Best encompasses the important theme of
duality - this idea is the catalyst for Jekyll's
actions
Idea of two sides of a personality was
highly discussed during the 19th century -
e.g. 'Frankenstein' and 'The Descent of Man'
"sold a slave to my original evil" (Page 54)
Recurring theme of slavery, master v.s. slave
"original evil": could be the other side of Jekyll's good
nature, or the original evil of sin from the Bible
"Sold": not consenting, given away by someone else (Jekyll's
ambition?). Powerful imagery of Jekyll sealing his fate as a
slave to his evil - Hyde.
Reader feels sympathetic as we know how Jekyll met his end, and how
he wasn't able to completely separate the good and evil sides of him
"Jekyll had more than a father's interest; Hyde had more than a son's indifference" (Page 59)
Jekyll: paternal instincts, still had some sort of watchful mentoring eye
on Hyde despite his cruel actions
Hyde: uncaring, doesn't view the opinions and interest of Jekyll as
anything worth caring about - complete disregard
Because of the fact that
ultimately - Hyde was more
in control?
Ironic- father is supposed to be the disciplining, controlling figure, however Jekyll in the end has no control
over Hyde
"I should like to very much...I dare not" (Page 32)
"dare": caution, for fear of a negative consequence
Unsettling, as Jekyll himself harbors a dark, dangerous secret that may
cause him - or others - to suffer negatively if he lets himself go out
Theme: control - Jekyll is conscious of the fact that he
may turn back into Hyde
Idea of restricting oneself from things they may like to do but can't - in this era, keeping a
respectable, controlled face was important, links to Utterson not going to the theatre even
though he "enjoyed" it -> both are stopping themselves from indulging in pleasures
"I want you to hear, and I don’t want you to be heard. And see
here, sir, if by any chance he was to ask you in, don’t go" (Page
36)
These grim warnings cause the reader to
mirror the apprehension and fear of
Utterson to some extent
Poses the questions - what would happen if he did? Why not?
Hints at something dangerous being inside
Poole hiding the presence of
Utterson - trying to show him
without Hyde's words being biased due to
the presence of someone else
"Instantly the spirit of hell awoke in me and raged" (Page 60)
Personification helps to illustrate the violent re-entry
of Hyde into Jekyll's life
"spirit of hell": theme of inhumanity, devil spawn (Hyde)
"raged": fierce anger, uncontrollable and destructive
"awoke": from sleep - never left in the first place
-> Hyde is now a permanent part of Jekyll
"She had an evil face, smoothed by
hypocrisy; but her manners were
excellent" (Page 22)
Evil hiding behind a mask - like Hyde hiding
behing Jekyll
Hyde's evil is contagious -
even his housekeeper has
"an evil face"
"smoothed": hypocritical so often that her face
has been smoothed by it - perfected it?