Summary Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay Plans GCSE English Literature (Characters and Themes)
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Course
English
Institution
GCSE
7 ESSAY PLANS IN THIS BUNDLE
These essay plans summarise the key aspects of the many themes and characters that appear in Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. The specific essay plan themes/characters included in this bundle are: Mr Hyde, Mr Utterson, Duality, Violence, Secrets & the Unknown, Reputation, Evil.
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Read the following extract from Chapter 1 and then answer the question that follows.
In this extract Mr Enfield is telling Mr Utterson about an incident he witnessed which
ended with a visit to a house on the street they are walking.
All at once, I saw two figures: one a little man who was stumping along eastward
at a good walk, and the other a girl of maybe eight or ten who was running as
hard as she was able down a cross-street. Well, sir, the two ran into one another
naturally enough at the corner; and then came the horrible part of the thing; for
the man trampled calmly over the, child's body and left her screaming on the
ground. It sounds nothing to hear, but it was hellish to see. It wasn't like a man;
it was like some damned Juggernaut. I gave a view halloa, took to my heels,
collared my gentleman, and brought him back to where there was already quite
a group about the screaming child. He was perfectly cool and made no
resistance, but gave me one look, so ugly that it brought out the sweat on me
like running. The people who had turned out were the girl's own family; and
pretty soon, the doctor, for whom she had been sent, put in his appearance.
Well, the child was not much the worse, more frightened, according to the
Sawbones; and there you might have supposed would be an end to it. But there
was one curious circumstance. I had taken a loathing to my gentleman at first
sight. So had the child's family, which was only natural. But the doctor's case was
what struck me. He was the usual cut-and-dry apothecary, of no particular age
and colour, with a strong Edinburgh accent, and about as emotional as a
bagpipe. Well, sir, he was like the rest of us; every time he looked at my
prisoner, I saw that Sawbones turn sick and white with the desire to kill him. I
knew what was in his mind, just as he knew what was in mine; and killing being
out of the question, we did the next best. We told the man we could and would
make such a scandal out of this, as should make his name stink from one end of
London to the other. If he had any friends or any credit, we undertook that he
should lose them. And all the time, as we were pitching it in red hot, we were
keeping the women off him as best we could, for they were as wild as harpies. I
never saw a circle of such hateful faces; and there was the man in the middle,
with a kind of black, sneering coolness - frightened too, I could see that -but
carrying it off, sir, really like Satan.
Starting with this extract, how does Stevenson present Hyde as a terrifying character?
Write about:
• how Stevenson presents Mr Hyde in this extract
• how Stevenson presents Mr Hyde in the novel as a whole.
Introduction
Outline: Stevenson employs a recount, by Enfield, of Mr Hyde trampling over a young,
innocent girl to establish Hyde as a terrifying character.
Main Points:
, Stevenson presents Hyde as terrifying character by describing the calmness in which
he carried out his cruel act. He was unmoved by his own wickedness.
Stevenson employs a morbid description of Mr Hyde’s appearance to present him as
a terrifying character.
Stevenson presents Hyde as a terrifying character by depicting how he ultimately
overbears Dr Jekyll’s will and destroys him.
Paragraph 1
Point: Stevenson presents Hyde as terrifying character by describing the calmness in which
he carried out his cruel act. He was unmoved by his own wickedness.
Evidence: 1. “the man trampled calmly over the, child's body and left her screaming on the
ground” (Enfield), 2. “He was perfectly cool and made no resistance” (Enfield), 3. “Sneering
coolness” (Enfield)
Technique: Oxymoron (quote 1), semantic field of calmness (quote 2 & 3)
Explanation: It is quite frightening that the first act of violence the reader hears about
pertaining to Mr Hyde is one that he executes so calmly. Perhaps Stevenson is suggesting
that his calmness is a reflection of how such violence is natural to him: he was created for
this kind of violence. The oxymoron “trampled calmly” suggests a merciless violence, where
Mr Hyde has no regard for what he is trampling, but is committing this atrocity anyway. This
is truly terrifying for the reader.
Context: To conform to the conventions of gothic literature, it was important that Mr Hyde’s
character was truly terrifying. Gothic creations such as Mr Hyde had the sole purpose of
instilling fear into the reader. They were meant to be the personification of Victorian
England’s fears. Mr Hyde is the personification of Victorians fears of what could happen
when science goes too far. Therefore, Mr Hyde being terrifying is a function of his role in this
gothic tale.
Link: Stevenson presents Mr Hyde as terrifying by combining his violent acts with his calm
disposition, reflecting how violence is normal for Mr Hyde.
Paragraph 2
Point: Stevenson employs a morbid description of Mr Hyde’s appearance to present him as a
terrifying character.
Evidence: 1. “Damned juggernaut” (Enfield) 2. “Mr Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an
impression of deformity” (Narration)
Technique: Semantic field of abnormality (quote 2)
Explanation: It is interesting to note that Mr Hyde is described as physically smaller than Dr
Jekyll in the novella, yet Enfield terms him a “damned juggernaut.” A juggernaut is a large
, force that crushes anything that gets in this way. Therefore, this description is a reminder to
the reader that Hyde is a terrifying force, willing to destroy anything in his way. Hyde is also
constantly described as ugly. The fact that he gives an “impression of deformity” reminds the
reader that he is an alien in Victorian England, making him even more terrifying.
Context: Victorian etiquette was extremely important to Victorians. Mr Hyde’s character is
so shocking because he starkly contrasts the idea of a perfect Victorian gentleman. Etiquette
in Victorian England was important, as that is how people viewed you and gained an
understanding of you as a person. Conformity was encouraged and there was an expectation
that Victorians followed published guidance on proper behaviour. The fact that Mr Hyde
makes no attempt at any time to conform to Victorian etiquette makes him a terrifying force
for the Victorian reader.
Link: Stevenson uses Mr Hyde’s repulsive appearance to present him as a terrifying
character.
Paragraph 3
Point: Stevenson presents Hyde as a terrifying character by depicting how he ultimately
overbears Dr Jekyll’s will and destroys him.
Evidence: 1. "It took on this occasion a double dose to recall me to myself; and alas!" (Dr
Jekyll) 2. “My clothes hung formlessly on my shrunken limbs, the hand that lay on my knee
was corded and hairy. I was once more Edward Hyde.” (Dr Jekyll)
Technique: Short declarative sentence (“I was once…”) (quote 2)
Explanation: Mr Hyde’s impromptu appearances, without the consent of Dr Jekyll, is what
makes him truly terrifying for both the reader and Dr Jekyll. Mr Hyde’s increasing strength
has become enough to control the transformations, rather than Dr Jekyll being in control,
which allows Mr Hyde to carry out his own wicked acts at his behest. Perhaps this is the
consequence, which was inevitably going to arise, as Dr Jekyll had to understand that using
Mr Hyde as a vessel to fulfil his evil desires was not going to ensue without terrifying
consequences.
Context: The reader will likely not be surprised by the disaster that ensued because of Dr
Jekyll's scientific experiments. Victorian society was largely still one that embraced Christian
ideas and beliefs about how life is created, as well as how to conduct one's life. Therefore, to
read about Dr Jekyll meddling in God's creation was a frightening experience for the
contemporary reader. Victorians had general suspicions about the ever-growing scientific
revolution, believing that science should not interfere with human nature, the things that
God usually controls. The fact that Dr Jekyll does meddle in this area by creating potions to
transform into Mr Hyde is a confirmation of the corrupting side effects of scientific
advancement for Victorians.
Link: Stevenson presents Mr Hyde as a terrifying character because he gains autonomy by
forcing transformations that Dr Jekyll does not sanction.
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