Dr Jekyll Quotations Flashcards
(19 cards)
What does ‘he was now no less distinguished for religion’ imply?
This shows his difficult relationship with religion. He has previously studied religious texts but appears here to have rejected it.
What does ‘had fallen upon his knees and lifted his clasped hands to God’ signify?
He has turned to God for redemption after realizing his mistakes.
What does the phrase ‘by excellent good fortune, the doctor gave one of his pleasant dinners’ reveal about Jekyll?
He is sociable and well respected.
How is Jekyll described as a ‘charitable man’?
He has an image of a generous person.
What does ‘I concealed my pleasures’ indicate?
He suppressed his sinful side in order to gain social respect.
What does ‘He came out of his seclusion’ suggest?
After indulging in Hyde, Jekyll attempts to re-assimilate into society.
What does ‘My devil had long been caged, he came out roaring’ imply?
Jekyll’s inner ‘devil’ is a manifestation of his deeper desires, suggesting that his desires oppose contemporary Christian ideology.
What does ‘He was conscious of his more furious propensity to ill’ mean?
‘Propensity to ill’ implies a now natural inclination towards immorality.
What does ‘the hand that lay on my knee was corded and hairy’ symbolize?
The hand, a symbol of respectability and honour, is invaded by free-flowing hair, insinuating ideas of unrestrained freedom.
What does ‘I felt younger, lighter, happier in body’ convey?
Stevenson uses triadic structure to show how burdensome the restraints of society are on Jekyll.
What does ‘An overdose might blot out that immaterial tabernacle which I looked to change’ refer to?
‘Immaterial tabernacle’ is lexis from the semantic field of religion, showing that Jekyll’s experiments encroach on God’s territory.
What does ‘I was no more myself when I laid aside restraint and plunged in shame’ indicate?
He has failed in splitting his good and bad and has instead allowed the evil in him to thrive.
What does ‘man is not truly one but truly two’ suggest?
He believes that the human psyche can be split.
What is the significance of ‘I was driven to reflect deeply and inveterately on that hard law of life which lies at the root of religion’?
Alliteration is used and refers to the common concept of guilt, conscience, and sin. Jekyll attempts to isolate the moral and immoral to undercut the ‘root of religion’.
What does ‘Late one accursed night, I compounded the elements, watched them boil…with a strong glow of courage, drank off the potion’ imply?
‘Late one accursed night’ creates darkness, adding gravitas to the scene. ‘Strong glow of courage’ suggests Jekyll was aware of the risks he was taking.
What does ‘Had I approached my discovery in a more noble spirit…I had come forth an angel instead of a fiend’ reveal?
He was intending to extract the good in his character, not the bad.
What does ‘I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end’ signify?
The novella ends on a sad note, creating sympathy for Jekyll.
What does ‘This is the last time…that Henry Jekyll can think his own thoughts’ indicate?
He eventually permanently loses control over himself.
What does ‘Smooth-faced man of fifty’ suggest?
His external appearance doesn’t reflect his internal truth.
