Character focuses

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Dr Henry Jekyll - Why include this character?

Jekyll represents how upper class men can be evil and murderous. (context: Jack the ripper thought to be of a higher class). In the novella Jekyll uses his wealth and status to help him get away with his activities, and uses a lower class individual (Hyde) as a way to escape the guilt.

"Men have before hired bravos to transact their crimes, while their reputation sat under shelter"

Jekyll symbolises how nobody is truly one thing, everyone has good and evil within them.

"Both sides of me were in dead earnest"

Jekyll represents the power and danger of curiosity and science

"I knew well that i risked death...any drug that so potently controlled and shook the very fortress of identity"

Jekyll creates a sense of mystery as we don't know a lot about him.

"suffer me to go my own dark way...respect my silence"

Jekyll character development

Themes related to Dr Jekyll

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