The reader is first introduced to Jekyll in Chapter 3. By
this stage, an air of mystery about him has already been established, arising
from his relationship with Hyde. Utterson suspects Hyde is blackmailing Jekyll
and may even attempt to kill him in order to inherit from his will. Jekyll is
initially presented as sociable, throwing a dinner party for friends - all reputable
Victorian gentlemen. Physically, he is described as healthy, strong and
handsome. He is close to Utterson, for whom he holds a sincere and warm
affection. Less positively, he is critical of his former friend, Dr Lanyon,
describing him repeatedly as "a hide-bound pedant" (Chapter 3), in
whom he is disappointed.
Jekyll admits to a certain vanity, 'fond of the respect of
the wise and good among my fellow-men' (Chapter 10), which clashes with his
'impatient gaiety of disposition' (Chapter 10), leading him to conceal his
pleasures. This results in what he calls 'a profound duplicity of life'
(Chapter 10): at times he is 'plunged in shame' (Chapter 10) but at other times
he works hard 'at the furtherance of knowledge or the relief of sorrow and
suffering' (Chapter 10). The specific details of his shameful and guilty
activities are never revealed but it is clear that Stevenson is using Jekyll to
represent the hypocrisy of Victorian society, which uses its superficially
respectable outward face to mask a darker, more sinister appetite. Jekyll
identifies this when he says that 'man is not truly one, but truly two'
(Chapter 10): the duality of man and the separation of good and bad in the
individual becomes the focus of his scientific work. This work remains incomplete,
but Jekyll creates a drug that unleashes his purely evil side, it is important
to remember, however, that while Hyde is completely evil, Jekyll remains a
mixture of good and bad, so their personalities are not just good vs. evil.
Jekyll's selfishness in his actions is clear. He makes
careful preparations so that he can 'profit by the strange immunities' (Chapter
10) of his position. He revels in the thought of enjoying his pleasures,
feeling that he is outside society and the law, and celebrates the fact that
his 'safety was complete' (Chapter 10). He buys and furnishes a house in Soho
for Hyde, complete with a silent, unscrupulous housekeeper. His own servants
are ordered to ensure that Hyde has full access at his own residence and his
will is drawn up so that Hyde inherits everything if anything happens to
Jekyll. He thinks he has it all, until he realizes that Hyde seeks out not just
the undignified but the monstrous, malign and villainous. He admits that 'his
conscience slumbered' (Chapter 10), neatly excusing himself from wrong, saying
it was 'Hyde alone, that was guilty' (Chapter 10). He then goes further
following the incident with the young girl by opening a bank account for Hyde
and forging his signature to protect Hyde and himself from detection.
Things deteriorate and Jekyll admits to losing hold of my
original and better self (Chapter 10). He states that whereas 'in the
beginning, the difficulty has been to throw off the body of Jekyll, it had of
late, gradually but decidedly transferred itself to the other side' (Chapter
10). Increased doses of the potion are needed to manage the situation. When
Jekyll wakes up one morning as Hyde, he decides to try to abandon his other
self completely, which he manages for two months. However, Jekyll cannot resist
the temptation and in a moment of weakness takes the drug that transforms him
into Hyde. The returning Hyde is all the more murderous and depraved, killing
Sir Danvers with an unparalleled ferocity, 'tasting delight from every blow'
(Chapter 10). This event prompts Jekyll to abandon Hyde again, but it is too
late, as he realizes when he involuntarily transforms into Hyde while sitting
in Regent's Park.
Jekyll's remaining days are a battle between his two selves
with Hyde uncontrollable and the transformative drug no longer available
despite Jekyll's frantic and desperate searches for it. He reflects that the
whole process must have been possible only because the very first chemical he
used was impure. Jekyll's health declines, worn out by the unpredictable
appearances of Hyde and the hate that now divides the two selves. His last
desperate act is suicide and he dies not knowing if Hyde will reappear or
escape.
1.
Reread the description of the first time Jekyll
changes into Hyde in Chapter 10, from 'I hesitated long before...' to'... I had
lost in stature.' How does Stevenson make this passage dramatic?
2. Find a quotation at the start of Chapter 2 that
gives a physical description of Jekyll suggesting his darker side. Explore its
significance.
3. Jekyll is an overreacher,
someone who pushes the boundaries of science in his quest for knowledge, and is
ruined as a result. Research the character of Victor Frankenstein in Mary
Shelley's novel Frankenstein. He is also an overreacher. What similarities are
there between Jekyll and Victor Frankenstein?
4. Imagine that Jekyll has a Twitter account. Using
the last chapter, write 15-20 tweets for Jekyll to explain his thoughts and
feelings. Each tweet should be no more than 140 characters in length.
