Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde Key Theme: Secrecy and Reputation (AQA GCSE English Literature): Revision Note

Secrecy and reputation mind map   

The theme of secrecy and reputation in key chapters of Jekyll and Hyde:

What are the elements of secrecy and reputation in Jekyll and Hyde?

Many characters withhold information in order to protect their reputation or the reputation of others. The elements of secrecy and reputation in the novella include: 

• Jekyll’s hidden experiments: Jekyll keeps his experiments a secret in order to protect his reputation as he admits: “I concealed my pleasures”:

  • Jekyll’s battle within himself to remain respectable is revealed

• Utterson’s investigation: Utterson desperately tries to avoid any scandal which could damage Jekyll’s reputation and therefore does not share his suspicions about him:

  • He is a trustworthy, discreet and loyal friend and is referred to as “the last reputable acquaintance… of down-going men”

• Lanyon’s discretion: Despite discovering Jekyll’s terrifying secret, Lanyon refuses to tell Utterson why he had a disagreement with Jekyll:

  • His failure to disclose Jekyll’s secret results in his death and reflects the Victorian fear of exposing unsettling truths

• Ambiguity surrounding Enfield and Carew: Although considered ideal Victorian gentleman, Stevenson does not reveal why both men are depicted as walking the London streets late at night

The impact of secrecy and reputation on characters

The theme of secrecy and reputation is prevalent throughout the novella and has an impact on many characters. 

Why does Stevenson use the theme of secrecy and reputation in his novella?

1.  Setting and atmosphere 

• Creates an atmosphere of mystery and concealment, conveying the idea that darkness lies beneath the veneer of Victorian respectability:

  • Due to its vastness, Stevenson draws a connection between the urban setting and the malevolent crimes committed by Hyde

  • The incorporation of fog as a motif contributes to an oppressive atmosphere

2. Plot driver 

• Drives the narrative as Jekyll is desperate to conceal his scientific experiments and protect his reputation

• Illustrates the dangers of secrecy as many characters fail to intervene in time by prioritising Jekyll’s reputation over the truth

3. Audience appeal 

• Reflects Victorian anxieties about the conflict between public respectability and sinister private desires

4. Narrative device  

• Heightens suspense and mystery through gradual revelations of Jekyll’s secret as it is only in the final chapter when the identity of Hyde is revealed

• Manipulates the reader as they believe for the majority of the novella that Jekyll and Hyde are two separate entities

Exam-style questions on the theme of secrecy and reputation

Try planning a response to the following essay questions as part of your revision of the theme of secrecy and reputation: 

• How does Stevenson use the consequences of secrecy to highlight the dangerous consequences of maintaining a false reputation? (You could start with Lanyon’s shock after discovering Jekyll’s secret and the devastating impact it has on him.)

• How does Stevenson use the theme of secrecy and reputation to highlight the pressures of conforming to Victorian society? (You could start with Jekyll’s struggles to maintain his respectable façade while concealing his darker desires.)