Character Analysis: Dr Henry Jekyll Flashcards
How is Jeykll conveyed to be a well respected scientist that is gentlemanly ?
‘All intelligent and reputable’
‘Judges of good wine’
Jeykll is part of this collective of upper class men and is liked by his peers
How is Jeykll described (facially) ?
‘Large, well-made’ and having ‘ every mark of capacity and kindness’
Jeykll is made out to be a character for whom we have positive feelings as he is both kind and the ideal Victorian gentleman
What is the best qoute which conveys Jekyll to conform the Victorian ideal for a gentleman ?
He was born ‘to a large fortune’
He was ‘ inclined by nature to industry, fond of the respect of the wise and fond among many fellow men’
Jeykll is seen to the perfect gentleman as he is from a good family and was guaranteed a good future.
(This makes the revelation of the dual identity even more shocking’
How does Stevenson introduce the idea of the double life ?
‘ the worst of his faults was a certain gaiety of disposition’ attempted to trivialize his indiscretions form a younger age
Furthermore he describes him as having as having a ‘morbid sense of shame’
Connotes that his activities as a younger man were sexual in nature and possibly homosexual which was highly taboo
What is the qoute showing Jeykll repressing his youthful indiscretions ?
‘Concealed his pleasures’ for sake of his career and standing in society
Moreover in covering up these discretions Jekyll says he came to realise the ‘profound duplicity of life’
How can we see the switch in control ?
Jeykll begins to loose control and this is cleverly veiled through the switch in first person ‘I’ to the third person ‘he’ in chapter 10
Is Stevenson inviting us to question the good in nature or that, ultimately, we always succumb to our evil desires
