1. CONTEXT & THEMES PLOT CHARACTERS KEY QUOTES “the door was…blistered”
Chapter 1 – THE DOOR
Mr Utterson is walking with his friend, Mr Enfield. They see a door and Mr Enfield tells Mr Utterson that he once saw a strangely hideous man called Mr Hyde trample a child and then go through the door to get money to pay off the girl’s family. “trampled calmly”
Chapter 2 – SEARCH FOR HYDE
Utterson looks after Jekyll’s will. This leaves all he owns to Hyde in the case of Jekyll’s death or disappearance. Utterson is worried about this and goes to see a friend both he and Jekyll know, Dr Lanyon. Lanyon has fallen out with Jekyll. Utterson waits by the door (ch.1) until he meets Hyde. He thinks he is unpleasant.
Chapter 3 – WE MEET JEKYLL
Utterson asks Jekyll about Hyde and the will. Jekyll refuses to talk about either.
Chapter 4 – DANVERS CAREW MURDER
A year has passed. Hyde murders a man, Carew, in the street. He is witnessed by a maid. A letter is found on the body addressed to Utterson. The police go to Utterson and takes them to Hyde’s home. They go into his room and it is ransacked and there is the broken walking stick used to murder Carew.
Chapter 5 – JEKYLL IS ILL
Utterson visits Jekyll and finds that he is ill. He tells Utterson that he will never see Hyde again. He shows Utterson a letter from Hyde. The writing is similar to that of Jekyll. “looking deadly sick”
Chapter 6 – LANYON DIES
Utterson dines with Jekyll and Lanyon but a few days later Jekyll will not see him. Utterson visits Lanyon and finds him very sick. He will not discuss Jekyll and a few days later he dies.
Chapter 7 – JEKYLL AT THE WINDOW
Walking with Enfield (ch.1) Utterson sees Jekyll at the window. Jekyll says he is too sick to come out. A look of horror crosses Jekyll’s face and he slams the window shut.
Chapter 8 – HYDE’S SUICIDE
Jekyll’s butler, Poole, persuades Utterson to go to Jekyll’s laboratory. He fears Jekyll has been murdered. They break down the door and find Hyde’s body on the floor. He has taken poison to kill himself. They find a long statement by Jekyll but there is no sign of him.
Chapter 9 – LANYON’S LETTER
This chapter is told through a letter written by Lanyon. Lanyon received a note from Jekyll begging him to collect some chemicals from his laboratory and give it to Hyde when he visited him. When Hyde visits he uses the chemicals to make a potion which he drinks. He transforms into Jekyll. The shock is too much for Lanyon.
Chapter 10 – JEKYLL’S STATEMENT
This chapter is told through a statement made by Jekyll and read by Utterson. He long had a feeling that he had a dual nature – one hard working the other pleasure seeking. His knowledge of science enabled him to create a potion which would separate the two. This would allow him to indulge in all the pleasures he wanted without the ‘good’ side of him feeling guilty. However, the Hyde part of him became stronger and started to take over. Before the murder in chapter 4, Jekyll used the potion to switch between the two identities, but after he started to change spontaneously. He finally ran out of chemicals the needed for the potion. After taking the final dose he wrote the statement to Utterson.
Mr Gabriel Utterson
Lawyer and friend of Jekyll.
Keeps Jekyll’s will and knows Hyde will receive Jekyll’s money.
Waits by the door to meet Hyde.
Watches Lanyon and Jekyll become ill, without knowing why.
Goes with Poole to break into the laboratory.
Reads the statement by Jekyll.
Key Quotes:
“somehow lovable” – despite appearances he is a good man
“dusty,dreary” – a bit dull
Dr. Jekyll
Jekyll is a medical doctor. He makes a potion which separates his good and bad parts of his personalities. As Jekyll he is respectable, as Hyde he is not.
He makes a will leaving everything to Mr Hyde.
He tries to stop using the potion after Hyde murders Carew.
He starts to change into Hyde without taking the potion.
Starts to run out of the chemicals to make the potion.
Writes a statement to Utterson before changing into Hyde for the last time.
“celebrated” – well known
“call him good” – good reputation
“wrong, wrong in mind” – starts to experiment with science
Mr Enfield
Friend and distant relative of Utterson.
Gives us the first description of Hyde.
Mr Hyde (play on words – hide)
Mr Edward Hyde is the alter ego of Dr Jekyll. He does not exist until the potion creates him out of the personality of Jekyll.
He is used by Jekyll to enjoy unspecified guilty pleasures in secret.
Tramples a young girl.
Murders Sir Danvers Carew.
Starts to emerge without Jekyll taking the potion.
Takes poison to kill himself and Jekyll.
Key Quotes:
“creature” – how Lanyon describes him
“ape-like fury” – the way he kills Carew
“Satan’s signature” – completely evil
“Dr Lanyon
Medical doctor. Colleague of Jekyll. They are no longer friends.
Sees the transformation from Hyde to Jekyll and the shock kills him.
Writes to Utterson describing the transformation.
“unscientific balderdash” – thinks Jekyll is experiments are no longer medical
Poole
Jekyll’s butler. Faithful to his master and keeps his concerns secret until he asks for Utterson’s help.
downright detestable” – description of Hyde by Utterson
“the fog rolled over the city”
“the door was…blistered”
“I concealed my pleasures…hid them…with a sense of shame”
“I felt younger, lighter, happier”
“Trampled calmly”
“If he be Mr Hyde…I shall be Mr Seek”
“looking deadly sick”
“wrong, wrong in mind”
“celebrated”
“call him good”
“creature”
“downright detestable”
“ape-like fury”
“Satan’s signature”
“somehow lovable”
“dusty, dreary”
“the last good influence in the lives of down going men”
“unscientific balderdash”
“ordinary secret sinner”
“original evil”
“man not truly one, but truly two”
CONTEXT & THEMES
Contexts and Themes
Author – Robert Louis Stevenson. Born 1850 in Edinburgh. Edinburgh had a famous medical school = medical doctors in the novel. Stevenson trained in law = Utterson is a lawyer.
1.Victorian London
Combination of very rich people and very poor people.
London had very thick, dark fog. It rose from the river Thames and mixed with the soot from chimneys. It is used in the book to make a gloomy atmosphere, where people can’t see clearly ahead of them. Think of the secrecy in the book. “the fog rolled over the city”
2.Science
Darwin’s theory of evolution published Stated humans evolved from apes and not created by God. This caused a lot of trouble for many religious people. Science was advancing – chemistry and biology. Lanyon and Jekyll show the different approaches to science. Lanyon’s view is practical and conventional whereas Jekyll’s is more supernatural and experimental. “unscientific balderdash”
3.Gothic literature
Popular genre at the time. Deals with horror, madness, supernatural. Settings are often dark and mysterious. “ the door was…blistered” “If he be Mr Hyde…I shall be Mr Seek”
4.Duality
Focus on the dual nature of humans. Idea that humans are both interested in physical pleasures and intellectual pleasures/moral behaviour. Jekyll feels the tension of wanting to do both. This leads him to experiment so that he can separate the two parts into two different beings.
“I concealed my pleasures..hid them with a…sense of shame” “I felt younger, lighter, happier in body” “ordinary secret sinner”
5.Good and evil
Closely linked to duality. Evil = Hyde. He is utterly selfish and will do anything to satisfy himself. Good is shown as being kind and generous. “original evil”
6.Friendship
Minor theme in the book. Friendship makes characters help each other – Utterson’s friendship leads him to investigate Hyde. Jekyll turns to Lanyon because they are old friends. “the last good influence in the lives of down going men”