Repression/Homosexuality - J+H

Question 1

Homosexuality -

Answer 1

• Stevenson had homosexual friends > society should be more tolerant.
• All main characters are male, lots of male friendship that may be a proxy for true repression of homosexuality.
• Jekyll cannot give in to these desires because of society’s expectations.
• One reason why Hyde’s actions (Jekyll’s creations) aren’t described much is because society may view the potentially homosexual actions as too disgusting to think about.

Question 2

“Queer Street”

Answer 2

• Meant homosexual
• Given to Enfield
• People suspect J+H are homosexual relationship

Question 3

“Where his friend lay asleep”
“The curtains of the bad plucked apart”
“He must rise and do its bidding”

Answer 3

• Dreams of Jekyll in bed with Hyde joining and summoning Jekyll from bed.
• Utterson suppresses these desires.
• Main characters are unmarried
• We don’t accept people as they are
• Bed undressed in the same way he wants to undress Jekyll (plucked)
• Hyde has control over Jekyll “do its bidding” - euphemism of sexual activity

Question 4

“Haunted the lawyer all night”

Answer 4

• Can’t stop thinking of Jekyll + Hyde in the sexual dream

Question 5

“Black-mail, I suppose; an honest man paying through the nose for some of the capers of his youth”.

Answer 5

• All young men would give into homosexual desires which were just “Capers”, but percieved as evil.
• Blackmail as a result of homosexuality
• Stevenson wants greater tolerance in society