Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde (AQA GCSE English Literature)

Repression allows Jekyll to live openly as both Jekyll and Hyde.

Repression leads Jekyll to create Hyde to explore his inner desires without ruining his reputation.

Repression is not important in the novella, as Victorian society encouraged self-expression.

Repression is mainly significant for minor characters like Utterson and Lanyon.

London is portrayed as a city where everyone is open and honest, with equal access to everything.

The overcrowded city allows sinister individuals, like Hyde, to hide in plain sight, reflecting the idea that corruption can remain concealed within society.

The city’s large population discourages crime, ensuring that people’s actions are always monitored.

London is depicted as a rural and peaceful place, far removed from the problems of urban living.

Jekyll’s transformation into Hyde mirrors the growing Victorian interest in the inner workings of the human psyche, particularly the idea of mental conflict and degeneration.

Jekyll is depicted as a perfectly rational character, unaffected by the psychological challenges of his time, whereas Hyde is symbolic of madness.

Stevenson uses Jekyll’s character to dismiss the new psychological ideas emerging in the 19th century.

Jekyll’s mental state remains stable throughout the novella, showing no sign of degeneration or conflict.

The descriptions reveal that the city is focused on technological progress and wealth.

The juxtaposition of wealthy and impoverished areas highlights the duality between respectability and hidden corruption.

The descriptions suggest that London is free from crime and poverty, emphasising its prosperity.

The contrasting descriptions show that social classes are evenly spread throughout the city.

The fog is used to describe only the poorer parts of London.

The fog symbolises pollution, giving the city the sense of being dirty.

The fog suggests clarity and openness, allowing characters to see the city clearly.

The fog represents the idea of secrecy and concealment, heightening the sense of mystery.

Victorians valued restraint and respectability, so Jekyll’s indulgence in his darker side through Hyde would have been seen as deeply immoral.

Victorian society was used to people living double lives, so Jekyll’s transformation into Hyde would not have been surprising.

Jekyll’s experiment aligned with Victorian values of scientific progress which would have shocked society in an entertaining way.

 Victorians were unconcerned with morality, so Hyde’s actions would not have shocked them.

Hyde’s appearance is described as beautiful, which contradicts his immoral actions.

Hyde is described as hideous, reinforcing the idea that physical deformity equals moral corruption.

Hyde and Jekyll share the same person, challenging the idea that appearance alone can determine morality.

Hyde’s appearance is irrelevant to the story’s exploration of good and evil.

Jekyll’s experiment promoted the idea that humans could control their own moral decisions without religious guidance.

Jekyll’s experiment reflected the religious belief that science and faith were fully compatible.

Jekyll’s experiment supported Victorian ideas that science should only be used for religious purposes.

Jekyll’s experiment was fully aligned with the prevalent theories of creation.

Hyde’s animalistic traits and physical deformity represent Victorian fears that humanity could devolve into a more primitive state.

Hyde’s actions suggest that Victorian society had no concerns about degeneration or the decline of morality.

Hyde’s intellectual abilities show that he is not a representation of degeneration but rather moral progress.

Hyde’s existence disproves Victorian fears of degeneration by showing that immoral behaviour can be easily controlled.

Stevenson supports the concept of physiognomy by making Hyde physically hideous to reflect his inner evil.

Stevenson challenges the concept of physiognomy by showing that Jekyll, a respectable-looking man, is capable of great evil.

Stevenson avoids engaging with the concept of physiognomy entirely, focusing only on Jekyll’s scientific experiments.

Stevenson uses the concept of physiognomy to argue that outward appearances can never be trusted.

Jekyll’s repression has little to no impact on his downfall, as his experiments are the primary cause of his demise.

Jekyll’s repression is the key factor in his downfall, as his inability to express his desires in a healthy way leads to the creation of Hyde and the eventual loss of control.

Jekyll’s downfall is unrelated to his repression, as he is simply the victim of bad luck in his scientific experiments.

Jekyll’s fate is solely determined by his pursuit of scientific progress, with no connection to his inner conflict.