Chapter 10

Question 1

‘to assume like a thick cloak that of Hyde’ ,

Answer 1

• this simile presents the idea of Jekyll putting on a metaphorical cloak (Hyde) in order to absolve himself of his sins
  -all the consequences of his sick pleasures were placed on Hyde
  -depicts Jekylls awareness of the depravity of his desires however he makes the conscious choice to

Question 2

“my devil had been long caged, came roaring”

Answer 2

-the verb “caged” not only signifies societal and religious repression but also perpetuates the theme of suffering and toxic austerity
-the imagery created through “caged” and “roaring” carries animalistic allusion which could link to the primal ‘id’ from a freudian perspective
-this critiques the suppression of these primal and hedonistic urges by societal norms and religious rhetoric as the id is intrinsic to human nature
-Jekyll’s transmogrification into the “devil” of Hyde was because of the incoherence between his pleasure and the expectations of society thus he was forced into a life of secrecy
-it could be argued that the ceaseless repression of Mr Hyde only exacerbated Hyde’s violence
-Stevenson summarises his diatribe of Victorian society with this metaphor

Question 3

“man is not truly one but truly two”

Answer 3

-the repetition of the adverb “truly” within his statement implies a sense of certainty and rationality
-this highlights the honesty of Dr Jekyll in this moment about his findings on human nature
-the noun “man” meaning humanity highlights the universal applicability of duality which is not just confined to Dr Jekyll
-this idea is further explored through the hypocrisy of other characters
-this line encapsulates Stevenson’s thesis of his novel : duality is an intrinsic quality of humanity

Question 4

“primitive duality of man”

Answer 4

-reinforces the belief that duality is an intrinsic quality that is apart of the human psyche
-furthermore the adjective primitive implies that duality has been a relevant quality since the early stages of evolution
-perhaps Stevenson utlises the rising theory of Darwinism

Question 5

“agonised wombs of consciousness”

Answer 5

-the painful imagery created by the verb “agonised” connotes the egregious mistake committed by Hyde to separate good and evil
-this could illustrate the pain created by dichotomising moral duty and personal pleasure
-this is a provocative metaphor as the noun “womb” (the place of origin) could imply that the inherent duality of man is a quality that is continually nurtured throughout life similar to embryos .
-Stevenson satirises the Victorian desire to cleanse as duality is an immutable trait since creation
-through this quote, Stevenson highlights the intrinsic nature of duality and the futility of repression