Victorian Repression

Repression & Internal Conflict

The novella depicts the struggle of a man trying to live a good life while wrestling with desires frowned on by his society. Victorians had to repress their true feelings in public. This is why Jekyll thinks he is leading a double life.

“Not truly one”

“Man is not truly one, but truly two”
Jekyll is a well-respected gentleman, so he has to keep his sins and desires well-hidden and secret from the rest of society.
The repressive society Jekyll lives in convinces him that man is "truly two".
Jekyll’s struggle with his evil side leads him to create Hyde, but this experiment does not go to plan and his evil side ends up overriding his good side.

Battle language

Stevenson uses language associated with battles and wars to illustrate and allude to this internal conflict within Jekyll.
There is a "perennial war among [his] members" and the two sides of nature “contended in the field” of his psyche, like two opposing forces on a battleground.

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

8Recap: Main Quotes

8.1Characters Quotes

8.1.1Dr Henry Jekyll

8.1.2Mr Edward Hyde

8.1.3Mr Edward Hyde 2

8.1.4Utterson & Lanyon

8.1.5Poole, Enfield & Mr Guest

8.2Text Structure - Quotes

8.2.1Jekyll's House & London

8.2.2Victorian Repression

8.2.3Religion

8.2.4Violence

Jump to other topics