Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay

Page 43-44  Essay on Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a Novella written by Robert Louis Stevenson. It is a mix of the Gothic Fiction, Mystery and Detective Fiction Genres, that uses  horror and Romanticism all together. Gothic fiction has elements that we can also see in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde such as a dark and gloomy atmoshphere, suspense, supernatural occurrences and the use of gothic vocabulary. This extract is from in  Chapter 8 - The Last Night. In this chapter Poole visits Mr Utterson at his house worried that something has happened in Dr Jekylls cabinet , Poole believes Mr Hyde has something to do with it. Mr Utterson and Poole go back to Dr Jekylls house, where they break into the cabinet  to find Mr Hyde dead on the floor. This Chapter is the most dramatic chapter of the novella and it is filled with a lot of suspense created by literary devises such as Personification , Pathetic fallacy, Diction and setting. Supsense is one of the most important aspects of this extract.

One way in which Stevenson creates suspense is through atmosphere and setting. The description of the "wild, cold, seasonable night" links to the theme of ativism vs civilisation which is constant  throughout the book. In this extract the wind is described as  making talking difficult and " flecked the blood into the face". The idea that the wind is so strong to fleck blood, gives a sense of supernatural occurances which is a typical gothic element. This builds suspense as from that point onwards the sense of supernatural follows in the extract. The night is also described as "biting" which adds the idea that the weather is unrelenting and has a animalistc nature aswell as being metaphoric by describing how it is so cold outside that it causes physical pain. Victorians were used to predictablility and routine therefore the thought of  the weather,  being so uncontrolable and wild would increase fear and dread in the reader. Finally the setting and the weather is a typical example of a gothic atmosphere, dark, cold and deserted. This type of gothic atmosphere is usually used to give a sense of forboding to a characters fate, therefore it creates suspense as we do not know what will occur next.

The Personification of the trees in the street  gives a sense of foreboding to the reader. They are described to be "lashing themselves along the railing" which makes it seem as if the trees are  self flagellating, in fear of  with Dr jekyll and Mr Hyde. The violent diction used with the world "lashing" creates an image of supernatural power, bruitality and unforgiving.

Near the beggining of this extract Mr Utterson and Poole are having a conversation about what they believe is happening at Dr Jekylls lab, this conversation leads to Poole expressing his thought of there being " foul play".  Poole is repressing his suspisions for the fear of consequences that could possibly happen in the future. The Phrase " foul play" is a victorian euphism for violence, as well as being a euphism  of something dishonest  and treacherous behaviour , by saying " i think there has been foul play" is covering up all kinds of issues and suspicions with it.

Once  Poole and Utterson have hurried through the streets of Soho back to Dr Jekylls house, Poole takes off his hat and mopps his brow with a hankerchief. This is an important moment as the weather is a cold night however Poole is not wiping off sweat because he is warm; This is due to  the fact that he is back where Dr Jekyll lives and the though of Dr Jekyll and/or Mr Hyde makes him fearfull and nervous. The idea that Poole is nervous creates suspense in the reader because Poole is so fearful that he is physically showing it. Further on it is said that " these were not the dews of exertion that he wiped away" meaning that the sweat is not from a hard physical effort, "but the moisture of some strangling anguish". Poole is sweating from mental suffering  with a physical manisfestation which he is too afriad to talk about.

To conlude this chapter is the most important in the book as the book starts to come together and everyone starts to know and fear of  Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde the use of literary devices helps expand this feeling in the readers throughout.  Without this Chapter the book wouldnt be such as gothic and mysterious because this is when the reader begins to wonder what will actually happen with Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde whilst feeling the fear that the characters are going through.

Outline and annotations from sunday

Pages for essay

Page
67-68 Carola
22-24 Jonathan
28-29 Chris
9-10 Alex
69-70 Tom
85-87 Michal
39-41 Masa
42-43 Christine
51-52 Fabio
48-49 Boyan
56-57 Larina
43-44 Olivia

Hw due 8th

Chapter 5 Essay

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a Novella written by Robert Louis Stevenson. It is a Gothic Fiction which is a genre of literature that uses fiction, horror and Romanticism all together. Gothic fiction has elements that we can also see in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde such as an atmoshphere, suspense and mystery, supernatural occurrences and the use of gothic vocabulary. In this extract in chapter 5 Mr Utterson has recieved a letter signed by Dr Jekyll. Mr Utterson And Mr Guest conclude that the letter signed from Mr Hyde and the letter from Dr Jekyll is the same handwriting therefore it must of been written by the same person. In this essay i will analyse this extract and explain how stevenson used literary devises to create and convey different meaning. Also i will try to explain how the devices stevenson uses contribute to the novella, by giving it a sinister atmospher and giving a deeper insight into characters.

 Pathetic Fallacy, attributing human feelings to inhuman things and  creating a environment that reflects emotion or a characters personality, is used in this extract to create a certain mood and idea. One example is " the fog still slept on the wing above the drowned city" firstly the idea that the city is drowned sets a mood/atmosphere that the city has something bad in it which is causing it to be drowned. Also connotes that the city is quite a  dark, dull  and gloomy place to be. The idea that the fog is sleeping means that the fog is not moving away. Fog is a symbol of Dr Jekyll becoming overwhelmed by Mr Hyde in this book, so the fact that it is sleeping (not moving) refers to 

Mr Hyde as the fog, who is still waiting to overwhelm Dr Jekyll once again. Another example of pathetic fallacy in this extract is "the lights glimmered", the word glimmered connotes dim, weak and unsteady light, and that only small amount of light can fill the city. 

Motifs in this extract are used such as " letter", "door" , "house", "lamps", "handwritin" and "windows".  The words "letter" and "handwriting" are relevent in this extrat because the chapter is about the letters from Mr Hyde and Dr Jekyll and all about why the handwritingsare the same on both letters. This whole questioning of the letters creates a suspensful atmosphere as we do not know at that moment what the outcome will be. Also gothic is driven by symbolic imagery like the motif above so the motifs reallt create the atmosphere and setting.

The phrase " a bottle of particular old wine that had long dwelt unsunned in the foundation of his house" that we read about in this extract is about Mr Utterson retrieving a bottle of good wine from "the foundations of the house". In order for wine to be good and to stay "good" it has to be neglected " left unsunned" to remain healthy. This is similar to Dr Jekyll that in order to stay in his "good" character he has to neglect and keep Mr Hyde hidden inside himself and away. The idea of neglecting wine to keep it good creates a dark atmosphere because to neglect something or someone is to show no care or thought for it.

Stevenson uses words with dual meanings throughout the novella, one word that he used in this etract is " carbuncles". This can mean a severe absess filled with bacteria or a bright red gem the use of this word brings another negative image of the city because it has a idea that it is being infected like a carbuncle.

To conclude Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of " The strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" uses a variety of literary devises to create moods, atmosphere and to suggest ideas. Without the use of several literary devices the story would be plain with no deeper insight or meanings or way to describe what is occuring in the novella.

 

Chapter 5 Annotation Hw

Annotations for Extract 4 ( Chapter 5)

Annotate.
Outline what you would write about this text.
consider, narrative, atmosphere, imagery, setting, diction, characterization

Key: Pathetic fallacy,Symbols,Themes, Imagery, Narrative context, Metaphors,Motifs, Diction contrast


The news sent off the visitor with his fears renewed. Plainly the letter had come by the laboratory door; possibly, indeed, it had been written in the cabinet; and if that were so, it must be differently judged, and handled with the more caution. The newsboys, as he went, were crying themselves hoarse along the footways: "Special edition. Shocking murder of an M. P." That was the funeral oration of one friend and client; and he could not help a certain apprehension lest the good name of another should be sucked down in the eddy of the scandal. It was, at least, a ticklish decision that he had to make;and self-reliant as he was by habit, he began to cherish a longing for advice. It was not to be had directly; but perhaps, he thought, it might be fished for.


Presently after, he sat on one side of his own hearth, with Mr. Guest, his head clerk, upon the other, and midway between, at a nicely calculated distance from the fire, a bottle of a particular old wine that had long dwelt unsunned in the foundations of his house. The fog still slept on the wing above the drowned city, where the lamps glimmered like carbuncles; and through the muffle and smother of these fallen clouds, the procession of the town's life was still rolling in through the great arteries with a sound as of a mighty wind. But the room was gay with firelight. In the bottle the acids were long ago resolved; the imperial dye had softened with time, as the colour grows richer in stained windows; and the glow of hot autumn afternoons on hillside vineyards was ready to be set free and to disperse the fogs of London. Insensibly the lawyer melted. There was no man from whom he kept fewer secrets than Mr. Guest; and he was not always sure that he kept as many as he meant. Guest had often been on business to the doctor's; he knew Poole; he could scarce have failed to hear of Mr. Hyde's familiarity about the house; he might draw conclusions: was it not as well, then, that heshould see a letter which put that mystery to rights? and above all since Guest, being a great student and critic of handwriting, would consider the step natural and obliging? The clerk, besides, was a man of counsel; he would scarce read so strange a document without dropping a remark; and by that remark Mr. Utterson might shape his future course.


I am not sure if the words i highlighted for Diction is correct but they are certain words that were written in  that sentence to create an effect so thats why i highlighted them.

Hw 29/09/2015

How and what end does Stevenson's language here paint a picture of Dr Jekylls Private space?

hw- Outlining the essay i am going to write
My essay will look like....

Introduction- introducing the book and the extract i am analysing
Body paragraph 1- This paragraph will be about the pathetic fallacy used in this extract with example and defintion 
Body paragraph 2- This paragraph will be about gothic symbols and motifs used
Body paragraph 3- This will be about the juxtaposition used and the effect it has to the extract and painting a picture
Conclusion paragraph- Summerising all of my paragraphs in a few sentences and answering the essay question on how Steveson's language creates a image of Dr Jekyll private space.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay on sinister amosphere

How does the author use all of the below to create a sinister atmosphere? 
(Themes, motifs, symbols, imagery, motifs, pathetic fallacy, context  and characters.)

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a novella, written by Robert Louis Stevenson. In the story, Mr Utterson, a lawyer, and Dr Jekyll are investigating strange cases that occur. Their suspect is a cruel and evil man, called Mr Hyde. Throughout the book a Sinister atmosphere is created with the use of many literary devices such as, Dialogue, Themes, Motifs and Symbols, Imagery and Pathetic Fallacy. In this Essay I will be looking at Pages 25- 26. In this part in the story, Mr Hyde has beaten a old man to death on the street. When Mr Utterson goes to the crime scene he finds a letter addressed to him left on the man's body. The police and Mr Utterson go to Mr Hydes home to investigate and to see if they can find Mr Hyde but he is nowhere to be found. I will analyse and explain how Robert Louis Stevenson used these certain devices to create a sinsister atmosphere.

Personification is the transference of human attributes to non human objects. Personification is used in this extract to describe what is happening in the city and the setting. For example "the cab crawled" and "daylight would glance between swirling wreaths", this use of personification makes the city come alive ,and it is like another character in the story. At the beginning of this extract the city has just had its "first fog of the season".  The  light in the story is representing good and as we know fog represents evil. The idea that daylight is glancing through wreaths when the city is foggy suggests that the good (Dr Jekyll side) is trying to fight and break through the evil side  that is created by Mr Hyde.

Pathetic Fallacy is attributing human feelings to inhuman things. Often in novellas Pathetic Fallacy is used by creating a environment that reflects emotion or a characters personality. Throughout the book pathetic fallacy is used to show good and evil, this also links to the theme duality (everything has 2 sides). One exampe is "the fog rolled in" and " the next moment the fog settled down again", before Mr Hyde beats the old man in the street the city's setting is calm and " cloudless" ( clear) and a second before the beating the setting changes with " the fog rolled in" . The fog is a symbol that something bad is going to happen and with this idea it creates a sinster atmosphere. The fog is also like an Omen because the fog is a symbol of something bad happening and it forshadows that something evil will soon occur.

One of the interesting things about the fog is that it is the most common symbol in "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde". A symbol is an object, shape, sign, or character used to represent something else. In this story the fog represents the theme, appearance vs reality, in this extract, the fog  is like a "pall" covering up the real identity of Dr jeykll. As well as representing appearance vs reality it is also a symbol and an omen to something evil happening by Mr Hyde. Fog is always in soho and it creates a creepy and ery mood, because it is mentioned like a pall. Also fog makes it hard to see things so it gives the reader a lonely feeling and it creates mystery, as you do not know what is coming towards you. 

Stevenston  uses themes to create the sinister atmosphere throughout the book. He uses vocabulary that has dual meanings, often one of the meanings is associated with death. For example "a great chocolate-coloured pall lowered over heaven" the word pall has 2 meanings, it is a dark cloud or smoke but is also a cloth spread over a coffin or tomb. The fact that he uses this word and connects it with the imagery of covering heaven leaves the society in the book with hell.  The use of weather gives us knowldege into a theme of Moral ambuguity ( when we dont know if something is right or wrong) . The weather in this extract shows the moral ambuguity between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The fog makes Mr Utterson's understanding of their relationship unclear and "foggy".

The Narrative through the eyes of Mr Utterson  is used to show the darkness in Soho throughout this extract. He does this not only by describing the atmospheric weather but from the sight of living people in London.  We watch Mr Utterson gather infomation on Mr Hydes surroundings, where he lives in Soho. It creates a sinister atmosphere because we  are finding out infomation at the same time as Mr Utterson, this creates suspenses as we have no prior knowledge so we are on a journey with Mr Utterson and we have no idea what is going to occur further ahead in the story. 

To conclude Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of " The strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" uses a variety of literary devises to create a sinister atmosphere. All the literary devices ( themes, symbols, pathetic fallacy and narrative ect..) link together providing us with a feeling of aprehension and mystery as we turn the pages in thisbook. Without thes use of these devices  there would be little atmosphere created. 

Literary Devices in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (In class work)

Class Work 22nd September- 24th september

The pages i used for these examples are pages 25-26

If any of my example quotes are in Purple this is because i do not know which page they are from i just remember them.



Personification- Giving a non human object a human action or attribute.
Examples of personification...

• " The cab crawled"
• "Daylight would glance between swirling wreaths"

Simile- Comparison of one thing to another thing using "as" or "like"

Examples of similes...

• " for here it would be dark like the back end of evening"
• "like some dammned juggernaught"
• "there would be a glow of rich lurid brown like the light of some strange conflagration"
• "as brown as umber"

Metaphors- A word that compres 2 objects that are unlikely to be compard, the word is mostly literally incorect and impossible to that object

Examples of Metaphors..

• "poor Henry Jekyll, my mind misgves me, he is in deep water"
• "haling down a storm of blows"
• "the first fog of the season. A great chocolate coloured pall lowered over heaven"

Pathetic Fallacy- attrivuting human feelings to inhuman things, its environment reflcts emotion

Examples of pathetic fallacy...

• "a sinister block of buildings"
• In the middle of the book there is a part where the moon is described as laying on its back like the wind had tilted it. This is a example of patheti fallacy.

Contrast- the difference of or between 2 objects

Comparison- The similaritys between 2 objects, comparing  and looking at them to find the similaritys

Imagery- the use of figurative language for or to a object that appeals to our senses

Juxtaposition- Placing 2 or more objects next to each other or close to see a bigger contrast