Theme- Religion Flashcards
(2 cards)
Characters + Analysis
DR JEKYLL
Jekyll’s ambition to separate good from evil is a form of playing God, which leads to his downfall.
“I saw that, of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness… I was radically both.” -Chapter 10
-Religious conflict: “Contended” suggests a spiritual battle between good and evil.
-Moral self-awareness: Jekyll admits he cannot fully be righteous.
-Grade 9 Insight: Stevenson suggests that the Christian belief in original sin is embedded in human nature. Jekyll’s duality reflects the religious view that even the most respectable people are sinners deep down.
“I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also.”-Chapter 10
-Biblical tone: Alludes to St. Paul in the New Testament.
-Paradox: Sin and suffering are linked.
-Grade 9 Insight: Stevenson draws on Christian language to emphasise Jekyll’s moral fall. He sins through pride and ambition, and suffers divine punishment for defying natural (and perhaps spiritual) law.
MR UTTERSON
Utterson is a morally upright Christian gentleman, who lives by discipline and repression.
“He was austere with himself… though he enjoyed the theatre, he had not crossed the doors of one for twenty years.” -Chapter 1
-Religious restraint: Lives by self-denial and moral discipline.
-Repression: Suppresses pleasure to remain “respectable.”
-Grade 9 Insight: Stevenson critiques how Christian morality in Victorian society promoted a repressive, joyless life, encouraging people to hide their darker desires instead of understanding them.
MR HYDE
Hyde is frequently described using demonic and hellish imagery, symbolising complete spiritual corruption.
“Really like Satan.” -Chapter 1
-Direct religious comparison: Equates Hyde to the devil.
-Dehumanisation: Not just evil—unnatural and unholy.
-Grade 9 Insight: Stevenson presents Hyde as the embodiment of sin, unleashed when Jekyll tries to separate his evil side. Hyde becomes a symbol of man without morality, a godless creature.
“A spirit of hell awoke in me and raged.” -Chapter 10
-Metaphor: Evil is a force beyond his control.
-Spiritual language: “Spirit of hell” implies a religious damnation, not just psychological torment.
-Grade 9 Insight: Stevenson uses this to suggest that sin, once unleashed, grows uncontrollably, echoing the Christian idea of temptation and fall.
DR LANYON
Though not overtly religious, Lanyon’s horror at Jekyll’s actions suggests a moral or even spiritual violation.
“O God!… I cannot, I dare not. It is too much for human endurance.”
-Chapter 9
-Religious exclamation: Calls on God in a moment of terror.
-Moral rejection: Lanyon is repulsed by Jekyll’s experiment as a violation of nature and divine order.
-Grade 9 Insight: Stevenson shows that Jekyll’s defiance of the moral laws (scientific or religious) causes a spiritual crisis in Lanyon, reinforcing the belief that such knowledge is not meant for man.
Character with a Religious Link + Grade 9 Insight
Jekyll- Struggles between sin and morality; confesses like a fallen priest
His fall is a moral warning about defying divine/natural order
Hyde-Portrayed as Satanic and godless
Embodies unchecked sin—a world without God or conscience
Utterson- Lives by Christian morality and restraint
Shows the virtues and limitations of religious discipline
Lanyon- Shocked by unnatural revelation
His cry “O God!” reflects spiritual horror, not just scientific disbelief
