Jekyll and Hyde Chapter 10

Jekyll talks about his discovery of man's dual nature
1. As a young man, Jekyll was "fond of the respect" others gave him
  1. His concern with how others viewed him led him to "wear" a more serious appearance than he actually felt - Victorian ideal of a respectable gentleman
    1. He was tempted by "pleasures" which he felt guilty about - he thought they would affect his reputation so he "concealed" them
2. Jekyll explains that he wanted to hide his sins because he set such high standards for himself - he claims that it's not because his desires were particularly awful
  1. Makes reader sympathise with Jekyll - in understanding his motivation, we can see how stressful he found the strain of being respectable
Wanted to enjoy his bad side without shame
1. Jekyll dreamt of separating his good and bad sides
  1. His bad side could be immoral without feeling held back by the need to be respectable
  2. Good side wouldn't feel guilty about his desires to do immoral things
2. He says it would be a "miracle" to make his "beloved daydream" a reality
  1. This language suggests that he knows that his plan is impossible, yet Jekyll is desperate to find a solution to his guilt and shame
3. Jekyll used "transcendental" science to separate his 2 sides
  1. He was aware of the risks, the "temptation of a discovery" was too much for him to resist
    1. Shows that knowledge can be both fascinating and dangerous
4. As Hyde, he feels younger and more carefree, but also more wicked
  1. Despite Hyde's evil, Jekyll feels a "leap of welcome" for Hyde - this shows how tempting it can be to indulge your darker side
Experiment doesn't go to plan
1. Jekyll says that if he had approached the experiment with good intentions, he could have created an "angel"
  1. However, during the experiment, he was motivated by his desire to do sinful things without repercussions
    1. This resulted in the purely evil Hyde while Jekyll remained a mixture of good and evil
2. Jekyll initially wants to use Hyde to indulge his "undignified" pleasures but in the hands of Hyde, these become "monstrous"
  1. Hyde's sins are worse because he's so evil - there's no good in him to balance his behaviour
3. Jekyll is shocked by the extent of Hyde's evil but at this stage justifies it by believing that it's "Hyde alone" who is guilty
  1. Jekyll doesn't see Hyde's actions as his actions - this is hypocritical
Jekyll starts to lose control
1. Two sides of Jekyll struggle with each other
  1. One morning Jekyll wakes up to find that he's turned into Hyde without taking any drugs
    1. Hyde has grown taller as his evil personality has been more "nourished"
  2. Jekyll decides to stop taking the potion that turns him into Hyde and for 2 months leads a good, respectable life
    1. However, he is soon "tortured with throes and longings" to be Hyde again
  3. Jekyll gives in to temptation and takes the potion. That night, he brutally murders Carew - shows he is losing control
    1. This suggests that the more you repress you desires, the more strongly they will come out in the end - Jekyll kept Hyde "long caged" but he came out "roaring"
    2. It's shocking how much pleasure Hyde gets from the murder - he feels "glee" and tasted "delight from every blow"
He doesn't want to be Hyde anymore
1. Jekyll is horrified by the murder. He decides to live a respectable life, but returns to his immoral ways as an "ordinary secret sinner"
  1. This phrase reminds us that everyone does bad things and it's the shame that Jekyll feels for hiding these sins that motivates him to create Hyde
2. One day, Jekyll suddenly turns into Hyde while sitting in the park
  1. He believes this happened because he started to sin again as Jekyll
    1. This destroys the "balance" of his soul
  2. Jekyll turns into Hyde after feeling satisfied by his own "active goodwill"
    1. Ironic that he transforms into Hyde at a moment when he's congratulating on his virtues
3. Jekyll hates "the brute that slept within" him
  1. Shows the hypocritical side of Jekyll - he's struggling to accept that Hyde is part of him
Experiment has destroyed his life
1. As Jekyll gets weaker, Hyde gets stronger - causes tension between the two sides of his character
  1. Jekyll now sees Hyde as "inorganic" - something unnatural and artificial
  2. Hyde resents the way Jekyll has turned against him - Hyde begins to play "ape-like tricks" to punish Jekyll
2. When Jekyll runs out of the drug, there's a sense of approaching horror - reader knows that Jekyll will be completely taken over by Hyde
  1. Jekyll's fate is disturbing - reader is able to apply his thoughts on human nature to their own lives

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Jekyll and Hyde Chapter 10

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	Created by Niamh Webster about 6 years ago