Context: Medical Discoveries Flashcards
What did Darwin suggest ?
Apes and humans shared a common ancestor
Why did Darwin’s theories create concern ?
If people had evolved from animals this discredited the biblical account of creation
Stevenson deliberately taps into these contemporary concerns
How does Stevenson tap into the contemporary concerns ? ( qoute only)
Describes Hyde as ‘hissing’ which perhaps makes the reader think of a snake
‘Snarled’ which evokes the reader to think of a dog
‘ cry out like a rat’ the connotations of disease and filth are clear
‘Began to growl’
Why does Stevenson use zoomorphic language when describing Hyde ?
Solely to present Hyde as savage and dangerous
Also make the connection to Darwin’s theory of evolution which was a contemporary concern of the time with a plethora of zoomoporphic quotes that exacerbates this
Further to this Hyde is described as ‘troglodytic’ here he is degenerated to be a cave dweller and primitive
What are some of the references to apes ?
‘ with ape like fury’
‘Like a monkey’
‘Ape like tricks’
‘ ape like spite’
Why does Stevenson describe Hyde with the Plethora of description referring him to an ape ?
He is tapping into contemporary fears related to evolution in order to create fear in his readers who might worry if humans had evolved from animals than they could devolve back into that primitive state like Hyde
