Characters
This character’s inability to see the darker side of his friend ultimately contributes to the tragic outcome of the novel.
Who is Dr. Lanyon?
The novel explores the dual nature of human beings, the idea that everyone has a combination of good and evil inside them. This theme is often referred to as the nature of this.
What is duality?
Dr. Jekyll eventually writes this, explaining the truth about his transformation into Mr. Hyde.
What is the confession letter or statement?
Dr. Jekyll's high social standing in Victorian society plays into the theme of this, where appearances are paramount.
What is reputation?
The shift from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde demonstrates the power of this, which in psychology is the mental process by which one’s desires or behaviors are ignored.
What is repression?
Though Jekyll’s loyal servant, this character is left in the dark about his master’s inner struggles and unaware of the full extent of the duality at play.
Who is Poole?
Dr. Jekyll’s inability to reconcile his two identities represents the theme of this internal conflict.
What is identity or the conflict between good and evil?
The first time Mr. Utterson meets Mr. Hyde, it is in front of this.
What is Dr. Jekyll’s house?
The behavior of Mr. Hyde shocks society because of his complete lack of adherence to these.
What are social norms or morals?
The shift in Jekyll’s personality after using his potion reflects a common psychological phenomenon where people experience this, a loss of control over their behavior.
What is dissociation?
Although she appears briefly, this character serves as a catalyst for Mr. Hyde’s violent outburst, witnessing his attack on a child.
Who is the young girl’s maid?
This theme is explored as characters like Mr. Utterson try to rationalize the strange occurrences surrounding Jekyll and Hyde, believing that science and reason can explain everything, despite the presence of supernatural events.
What is the conflict between science and the supernatural?
This occurs in the novel's final moments, when the transformation of Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde is complete, sealing his tragic fate.
What is Dr. Jekyll’s final transformation and subsequent death?
The novel was written during this period in England, marked by strict social classes and moral expectations.
What is the Victorian era?
Dr. Jekyll’s transformation into Hyde is driven by his belief that he can separate his evil nature from his good one. This psychological struggle represents a desire to divide the self into moral categories. What is this internal conflict called?
What is split personality or dissociative identity disorder?
This character's shifting moral stance toward Mr. Hyde, from suspicion to terror, provides insight into the nature of moral decay.
Who is Mr. Enfield?
The novel suggests that the hiding of one's darker impulses can lead to big consequences. Dr. Jekyll’s desire to create a more acceptable version of himself causes him to delve into darker, more unethical behavior, which highlights this theme.
What is the dangers of repression?
Dr. Lanyon’s letter, which reveals the truth about Jekyll’s transformation into Hyde, is written during this specific event.
What is Dr. Lanyon’s deathbed confession?
Victorian society believed in maintaining a public image, and the revelation of Dr. Jekyll's secret identity would cause him to lose this.
What is social status or respectability?
The fact that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde share the same body and yet manifest as separate identities reflects this idea in psychology, where the sense of self can become fragmented or divided.
What is identity fragmentation?
This character is a reputable and trusted friend of Dr. Jekyll who later helps Mr. Utterson investigate the strange behavior of Jekyll.
Who is Dr. Lanyon?
The notion that science, when used irresponsibly, can be as dangerous as unchecked moral decay is explored through Dr. Jekyll’s experiments. This represents a critique of this.
What is the dangers of scientific progress without moral responsibility?
The critical turning point in the novel happens when this character, desperate to understand the mystery, reads Dr. Jekyll's confession letter.
Who is Mr. Utterson?
The novel was published in this year, a time when the British Empire was at its height, and scientific discoveries were challenging traditional views of morality and the self.
What is 1886?
The gradual dissolution of the boundary between Jekyll and Hyde shows a breakdown in the control of one’s this, a psychological function that manages desires and impulses to maintain social order.
What is self-control or self-regulation?