Victorian Gentlemen

The gentleman was an important figure in Victorian society. Men were expected to behave in a certain way, repress their desires and avoid egotistical behaviours.

Class and professionalism

A man’s social class was one part of being a gentleman - gentlemen were from the upper class of Victorian society.
His profession was important - army officers, church ministers, doctors and lawyers could all be counted as gentlemen. Some middle-class men (such as bankers and successful merchants) also aspired to be gentlemen.

Expectations of gentlemen

Gentlemen were expected to have strong morals and be kind, particularly towards poorer people. But plenty of people saw this as a less important part of being a gentleman.

Perks

Being a gentleman bought many benefits. It gave you a chance to enter well-paid professions like medicine and law, and gain the respect of rich clients.
It was also important for your children. A gentleman could use his contacts to arrange marriages for his daughters and well-paid jobs for his sons.

Gentlemen and Reputation

Gentlemen were determined to maintain their reputations - without a good reputation, a man couldn’t be considered a gentlemen at all.

Utterson

Utterson is more concerned with preserving Jekyll’s reputation than bringing Hyde to trial.
After Carew has been murdered, he says to Jekyll “if it came to trial, your name might appear”.
Utterson is also wary of gossip, and he tries to avoid talking about Hyde to anyone else.

Stevenson's message

The gentlemanly ideal of repressing one's innermost thoughts causes Utterson to suffer from nightmares. This suggests Stevenson’s message is that reputations are only based on appearances.
Reputations are not always genuine versions of people - they are just the façades that people try to uphold and show to society.

1Plot Summary

1.1Chapters 1-10

1.1.1Chapters 1 & 2

1.1.2Chapters 3 & 4

1.1.3Chapters 5 & 6

1.1.4Chapters 7 & 8

1.1.5Chapters 9 & 10

1.1.6End of Topic Test - Chapters 1-6

1.1.7End of Topic Test - Chapters 7-10

2Characters

2.1Jekyll & Hyde

2.1.1Dr Henry Jekyll

2.1.2Jekyll - Name & Quotes

2.1.3Mr Edward Hyde

2.1.4Jekyll/Hyde Quotes - Chapters 1-9

2.1.5Jekyll/Hyde Quotes - Chapter 10

2.1.6End of Topic Test - Jekyll & Hyde

2.1.7Exam-Style Questions - Mr Hyde

2.2Other Characters

2.2.1Mr Gabriel John Utterson

2.2.2Dr Hastie Lanyon

2.2.3Minor Characters

2.2.4End of Topic Test - Other Characters

3Gothic Genre

3.1Gothic Elements

3.1.1Gothic Conventions

3.1.2Gothic Settings & Symbolism

3.1.3End of Topic Test - Gothic Conventions

4Key Themes

4.1Key Themes & Quotes

4.1.1Science

4.1.2Dual Nature of Man

4.1.3Religion & Sin

4.1.4Violence & Horror

4.1.5Victorian Gentlemen

4.1.6End of Topic Test - Key Themes & Quotes

5Context & Author

5.1Context & Author

5.1.1The Victorian Era

5.1.2Deacon Brodie & Freud

5.1.3End of Topic Test - Context & Author

6Literary Techniques

6.1Literary Techniques

6.1.1Language

6.1.2Structure & Form

6.1.3End of Topic Test - Literary Techniques

7Grade 9 - Key Character & Theme Questions

7.1Key Character & Themes - Linked Questions

7.1.1Grade 9 - Key Characters & Themes

7.1.2Extract Analysis - Jekyll

7.1.3Extract Analysis - Duality

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