Chapter 4 Key Quotations Flashcards
London was shocked by a heinous crime:
“London was startled by a crime of singular ferocity”
- “Ferocity implies ruthless cruelty, intensified by “singular”.
Theme of secrecy and gothic setting to create mystery:
“A fog rolled over the city in the small hours”
- Fog implies the masking of inner evils or desires, creating suspense and mystery.
Maid’s description; perhaps the depiction of Carew’s beauty and politeness are exaggerated:
“Romantically given”
Carew’s descriptions (presented as respectable, pure, and a complete contrast to Hyde):
- “aged and beautiful gentleman with white hair”
- “a very pretty manner of politeness”
- “an innocent and old-world kindness”
Juxtaposition with Hyde’s description:
“seemed to listen with an ill-contained impatience”
- The fact that he could not hide his impatience perhaps alludes to the fact that he is the very manifestation of evil and outwardly displays his inner iniquity through his appearance - this links to the theme of physiognomy.
Hyde’s short temper and furtherance of the idea about his lack of morality:
“broke out in a great flame of anger”
Hyde’s extreme and unrestrained violence (release of repressed desires, arguably):
- “clubbed him to the earth”
- “hailing down a storm of blows, under which the bones were audibly shattered”
- “clubbed” and “hailing”, perhaps “storm of blows”, create a semantic field of intense violence, depicting Hyde’s ruthlessness
- Auditory imagery, “audibly shattered” exemplify the extent of the viciousness of the attack.
Animalistic imagery to describe Hyde (atavism and theory of evolution):
“ape-like fury”
Gothic convention (damsel in distress):
“the maid fainted”
The traumatising remnants of Hyde’s brutal attack:
“incredibly mangled”
Very interesting transformation of the cane, suggesting the destructive effects of sin (arguably an allusion to reputation):
Transformation of the “heavy cane” to a “stick”
The savage nature of the attack:
“Insensate cruelty”
- Perhaps dehumanises Hyde due to “insensate”, further emphasising his unrestrained evil.
Maid’s description of Hyde:
“Particularly small and particularly wicked-looking”
Further repetition of the fog, alluding to mystery, confusion, and sinister occurrence of the murder:
“great chocolate-coloured pall lowered over heaven”
- (Pall is a funeral cloth, creating an atmosphere of death that echoes the “insensate cruelty” of the murder)
Sense of tension and struggle (battle):
“a haggard shaft of daylight would glance in between the swirling wreaths”
- perhaps indirectly reflects/foreshadows Jekyll’s inner conflict with Hyde
