Jekyll+Hyde GCSE Question
Hi there,
I was wondering whether someone could give me some feedback on my answer to this GCSE question, where I could improve and what grade (9-1) you think this will be ?
Thankyou in advance !
How does Stevenson present good vs evil in Jekyll and Hyde ?
Innocence. Guilt. Truth. Throughout this novella, one dominant theme is that of good vs evil. This may have been because Stevenson was trying to convey the hypocrisy of the Victorian society and how everything was based on reputation.
One way in which Stevenson presents good and evil is in Jekyll himself. This is shown in the extract when Hyde is described as being ‘wicked’ and having ‘deformity and decay’. Stevenson describing evil (Hyde) as being ‘deformed’, is interesting because it connotes that whilst evil does exist, it’s less powerful than good, which suggests he believes everyone has good inside of them (as well as evil). In this extract, evil is also described as a ‘new life’ and a ‘freshness’. This suggests Stevenson doesn't like the Victorian standard of reputation and that doing ‘bad’ is refreshing, but also highlights how no one can be good all of the time. Infact, Jekyll remarks that his new appearance is ‘delightful’. This suggests that Stevenson doesn’t like suppressing his emotions and could even be suggesting that the suppression of thoughts and feelings and censorship could be the collapse of Victorian society.
Stevenson also presents food and evil through the juxtaposition of Hyde to his victims. For example, when the ‘troglodytic madman’, that is Hyde meets the ‘aged’ and ‘beautiful’ Carew, Hyde kills him with a ‘storm of blows’. Whilst this may just seem like an attack, Carew was a part of parliament. Stevenson may have been trying to further exacerbate that the suppression of speech and set morals in Victorian society may lead to uncontrollable violence, and even a revolt against the British government and monarchy. Hyde killing Carew is literally a metaphor for those at the bottom of society murdering those in power, who don't change the inflexible Victorin standards. Hyde’s other victim is also the ‘little’ girl. She may have been employed by Stevenson to frighten the Victorian society with a barbaric man trampling the girl who stood for innocence and purity. This metaphor of Hyde having ‘Satan’s signature’ trampling the pure girl may be a nod to religion and a religious battle of god against Satan.
Stevenson also presents good and evil with evil being manifested in Hyde himself. Hyde is described as being ‘disgusting’ and ‘revolting’ which highlights how repulsive he is to even look at. Hyde is also described with animalistic qualities such as ‘snarled, savage and hissing’. The verb ‘hissing’ may be describing the devil, with further references being Hyde described as having ‘Satan’s signature upon a face’. These animalistic qualities have been designed to play upon Victorian fears of inferiority. Victorians, being christian, would also have been terrified of Hyde being close to the devil. These animalistic qualities may be a link to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and how Hyde is a devolved, degressive part of humanity.
Stevenson presents good and bad as not two separate things, but as the duality of man. He suggests we all have control over what we do, and that ‘man is not truly one but truly two’.
I was wondering whether someone could give me some feedback on my answer to this GCSE question, where I could improve and what grade (9-1) you think this will be ?
Thankyou in advance !
How does Stevenson present good vs evil in Jekyll and Hyde ?
Innocence. Guilt. Truth. Throughout this novella, one dominant theme is that of good vs evil. This may have been because Stevenson was trying to convey the hypocrisy of the Victorian society and how everything was based on reputation.
One way in which Stevenson presents good and evil is in Jekyll himself. This is shown in the extract when Hyde is described as being ‘wicked’ and having ‘deformity and decay’. Stevenson describing evil (Hyde) as being ‘deformed’, is interesting because it connotes that whilst evil does exist, it’s less powerful than good, which suggests he believes everyone has good inside of them (as well as evil). In this extract, evil is also described as a ‘new life’ and a ‘freshness’. This suggests Stevenson doesn't like the Victorian standard of reputation and that doing ‘bad’ is refreshing, but also highlights how no one can be good all of the time. Infact, Jekyll remarks that his new appearance is ‘delightful’. This suggests that Stevenson doesn’t like suppressing his emotions and could even be suggesting that the suppression of thoughts and feelings and censorship could be the collapse of Victorian society.
Stevenson also presents food and evil through the juxtaposition of Hyde to his victims. For example, when the ‘troglodytic madman’, that is Hyde meets the ‘aged’ and ‘beautiful’ Carew, Hyde kills him with a ‘storm of blows’. Whilst this may just seem like an attack, Carew was a part of parliament. Stevenson may have been trying to further exacerbate that the suppression of speech and set morals in Victorian society may lead to uncontrollable violence, and even a revolt against the British government and monarchy. Hyde killing Carew is literally a metaphor for those at the bottom of society murdering those in power, who don't change the inflexible Victorin standards. Hyde’s other victim is also the ‘little’ girl. She may have been employed by Stevenson to frighten the Victorian society with a barbaric man trampling the girl who stood for innocence and purity. This metaphor of Hyde having ‘Satan’s signature’ trampling the pure girl may be a nod to religion and a religious battle of god against Satan.
Stevenson also presents good and evil with evil being manifested in Hyde himself. Hyde is described as being ‘disgusting’ and ‘revolting’ which highlights how repulsive he is to even look at. Hyde is also described with animalistic qualities such as ‘snarled, savage and hissing’. The verb ‘hissing’ may be describing the devil, with further references being Hyde described as having ‘Satan’s signature upon a face’. These animalistic qualities have been designed to play upon Victorian fears of inferiority. Victorians, being christian, would also have been terrified of Hyde being close to the devil. These animalistic qualities may be a link to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and how Hyde is a devolved, degressive part of humanity.
Stevenson presents good and bad as not two separate things, but as the duality of man. He suggests we all have control over what we do, and that ‘man is not truly one but truly two’.
I'm not a teacher but I do tutor gcse english.
It seemed very good to me, just a few points.
1. Avoid saying "literally" unless you actually mean it. A metaphor is actually the opposite of literal, it is figurative. It also just sounds a bit too colloquial/ conversational for an english essay
2. Try to link back to the question. E.g. in your first point when you start talking about the collapse of the victorian society, there isn't a very clear link to how good and evil is being presented. Make sure that when you start introducing contextual points that you link it back to the question somehow otherwise it can seem a bit like a tangent.
3. Make sure that if you are picking a quote you can make a detailed analysis of it. For example you only talk about hyde being repulsive for one sentence, you didn't expand on it at all. Therefore the "disgusting" and "revolting" quotes become a bit redundant as you haven't analysed it much.
4. Remember to be insightful .That satan's signature quote is used in almost every Jekyll and Hyde essay I read and the analysis is always the same, making it seem less perceptive to the examiner. One way you could make it more perceptive is by adding unique points to your analysis. One i just thought of for example is the sibilance in "satan's signature" resembles the hissing sound of a snake. This could be an inference to the snake in the bible (satan), which links back to your point about how descriptions of Hyde have reference the devil.
Your quotes were very concise and well-picked which is great and your use of terminology is very accurate so overall you did an amazing job. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions/ concerns x.
It seemed very good to me, just a few points.
1. Avoid saying "literally" unless you actually mean it. A metaphor is actually the opposite of literal, it is figurative. It also just sounds a bit too colloquial/ conversational for an english essay
2. Try to link back to the question. E.g. in your first point when you start talking about the collapse of the victorian society, there isn't a very clear link to how good and evil is being presented. Make sure that when you start introducing contextual points that you link it back to the question somehow otherwise it can seem a bit like a tangent.
3. Make sure that if you are picking a quote you can make a detailed analysis of it. For example you only talk about hyde being repulsive for one sentence, you didn't expand on it at all. Therefore the "disgusting" and "revolting" quotes become a bit redundant as you haven't analysed it much.
4. Remember to be insightful .That satan's signature quote is used in almost every Jekyll and Hyde essay I read and the analysis is always the same, making it seem less perceptive to the examiner. One way you could make it more perceptive is by adding unique points to your analysis. One i just thought of for example is the sibilance in "satan's signature" resembles the hissing sound of a snake. This could be an inference to the snake in the bible (satan), which links back to your point about how descriptions of Hyde have reference the devil.
Your quotes were very concise and well-picked which is great and your use of terminology is very accurate so overall you did an amazing job. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions/ concerns x.
I think it’s a STUNNING answer, personally after a consultation with Douglas we were unable to come to a conclusion which allows a justifiable grade to be awarded due to the exemplary work illustrated within this extract, therefore I recommend you ask J.E.A.N for a more accurate and precise grade.
Hope this helps,
Daniel Avans
Hope this helps,
Daniel Avans
How does Stevenson present good vs evil in Jekyll and Hyde ?
Innocence. Guilt. Truth. Throughout this novella, one dominant theme is that of good vs evil. This may have been because Stevenson was trying to convey the hypocrisy of the Victorian society and how everything was based on reputation.
1. This is a terrible introduction. It may seem unfair but teachers who frequently mark student’s work are able to detect the quality of an essay answer within the first two sentences. Of course the teacher/marker will fully mark the work. Mostly that first impression is confirmed - though sometimes the marker discovers that first impression was wrong. So my first suggestion is to get the marker onto your side from the beginning.
However you have breached what - in my opinion - is the first rule in essay writing. Your first paragraph/sentence must inform the reader what your answer is all about and how you are going to answer the question.
2. So what you first have to do is explain - what for you - are the ways good and evil are described in the novella.. And these reasons must be in that first paragraph and in the order you will address them.
3. Looking at your essay your three issues are 1, it is the minor characters that Stevenson uses to best describe good 2. The murder of Sir Danvers Carew is not just the brutal slaughter of an old man it is also an attack on the political establishment and 3.Stevenson sees evil as a complex matter and is not just about brutal attacks
3. So now we can rewrite your first paragraph as follows. In the novella “Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” Robert Louis Stevenson describe good and evil by first showing that the minor characters best describe good, second The murder of Sir Danvers Carew is not just the brutal slaughter of an old man it is also an attack on the political establishment and finally Stevenson sees evil as a complex matter and is not just about brutal attacks
Now I know what your essay is about and I know the order in which you are going to answer the question.
4. As I often say to students you construct your essay so that your argument easy to see and follow then you can put the marker to sleep. He/she may miss errors you do make because your essay is so well structured that they do not see them
One way in which Stevenson presents good and evil is in Jekyll himself. This is shown in the extract when Hyde is described as being ‘wicked’ and having ‘deformity and decay’. Stevenson describing evil (Hyde) as being ‘deformed’, is interesting because it connotes that whilst evil does exist, it’s less powerful than good, which suggests he believes everyone has good inside of them (as well as evil). In this extract, evil is also described as a ‘new life’ and a ‘freshness’. This suggests Stevenson doesn't like the Victorian standard of reputation and that doing ‘bad’ is refreshing, but also highlights how no one can be good all of the time. Infact, Jekyll remarks that his new appearance is ‘delightful’. This suggests that Stevenson doesn’t like suppressing his emotions and could even be suggesting that the suppression of thoughts and feelings and censorship could be the collapse of Victorian society.
1. I take it this is your section where you demonstrate Stevenson’s ideas of good. The best way to describe good in the novella is through Utterson who is determined to track down who is this Hyde and what is he doing to his friend Jekyll. What about Poole jakyll’s faithful servant. What about Dr. Lanyon who was approached by Jekyll to assist in his experiment and who outright refused says what Jekyll was attempting to do was scientific balderdash. I believe the descriptions of “good in this novella is in the miner characters.
2. Although the novella is entitled Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde actually is really is Dr Jekyll OR Mr. Hyde. It is Jekyll who has turned himself into Hyde and it is he who carries out the murders. etc,
Stevenson also presents good and evil through the juxtaposition of Hyde to his victims. For example, when the ‘troglodytic madman’, that is Hyde meets the ‘aged’ and ‘beautiful’ Carew, Hyde kills him with a ‘storm of blows’. Whilst this may just seem like an attack, Carew was a part of parliament. Stevenson may have been trying to further exacerbate that the suppression of speech and set morals in Victorian society may lead to uncontrollable violence, and even a revolt against the British government and monarchy. Hyde killing Carew is literally a metaphor for those at the bottom of society murdering those in power, who don't change the inflexible Victorin standards. Hyde’s other victim is also the ‘little’ girl. She may have been employed by Stevenson to frighten the Victorian society with a barbaric man trampling the girl who stood for innocence and purity. This metaphor of Hyde having ‘Satan’s signature’ trampling the pure girl may be a nod to religion and a religious battle of god against Satan.
1. I like your paragraph 2. In the first draft of the novella - the one that Stevenson burnt in the fire after an argument with his wife - the Carew character was a young boy named Lemsome who tended to be homosexual. The murder of a young boy would not have been major news in London. The murder - indeed slaughter changed the the novella. First the murder of Carew was an attack on the political establishment. The consequence of this murder for Hyde is that he is now being hunted by the police. However read very, very carefully the meeting with Carew and specifically focus on Hyde’s reactions up to the attack. What Carew is saying to Hyde, Hyde finds insulting until he murders. The attack was extraordinarily violent. The maid who observes this attack and who is in an upstairs bedroom behind a closed window hears the breaking of Carew’s bones. The problem - which you need to explain how evil this attack was is - what upset Hyde during this meeting that forced him to slaughter Carew. This is the issue you need to focus on and - in order to demonstrate the evilness of this attack - why on earth Hyde lost complete control.
2. You are wrong. There were three attacks by Hyde. (a) The young girl who had been sent by her parents to get the doctor. That is why she is running back to her home. (b) The muruder of Carew. (c) The attack on the old woman in Regent’s Park when Hyde is on his way to Lanyon and who offers him a “box of lights.” You will find that in Jekyll Full Statement.
Stevenson also presents good and evil with evil being manifested in Hyde himself. Hyde is described as being ‘disgusting’ and ‘revolting’ which highlights how repulsive he is to even look at. Hyde is also described with animalistic qualities such as ‘snarled, savage and hissing’. The verb ‘hissing’ may be describing the devil, with further references being Hyde described as having ‘Satan’s signature upon a face’. These animalistic qualities have been designed to play upon Victorian fears of inferiority. Victorians, being christian, would also have been terrified of Hyde being close to the devil. These animalistic qualities may be a link to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and how Hyde is a devolved, degressive part of humanity.
1. This might work if you go on and focus on the complexity of good verses evil. Hyde only attacks and is violent when something happens to him - the girl bumping into him; Carew taking to hi and the old woman offering lights. At other times the novella suggests he is non violent. However Hyde is a mixture calmness and sudden astonishing violence.
2. The other area which you have not mentioned is why did Jekyll buy Doctor Denman’s surgery and house in Soho. The accepted reason is voyeurism and that he enjoyed strolling round the sexual establishments in Soho.. In Victorian times this kind of behaviour was seen as reprehensible and abominable . Especially when the person in solved was aa respected member so the establishment.
3. This point emphasises that evil can also be an ethical and moral issue. That would tighten up this section
Stevenson presents good and bad as not two separate things, but as the duality of man. He suggests we all have control over what we do, and that ‘man is not truly one but truly two’.
Innocence. Guilt. Truth. Throughout this novella, one dominant theme is that of good vs evil. This may have been because Stevenson was trying to convey the hypocrisy of the Victorian society and how everything was based on reputation.
1. This is a terrible introduction. It may seem unfair but teachers who frequently mark student’s work are able to detect the quality of an essay answer within the first two sentences. Of course the teacher/marker will fully mark the work. Mostly that first impression is confirmed - though sometimes the marker discovers that first impression was wrong. So my first suggestion is to get the marker onto your side from the beginning.
However you have breached what - in my opinion - is the first rule in essay writing. Your first paragraph/sentence must inform the reader what your answer is all about and how you are going to answer the question.
2. So what you first have to do is explain - what for you - are the ways good and evil are described in the novella.. And these reasons must be in that first paragraph and in the order you will address them.
3. Looking at your essay your three issues are 1, it is the minor characters that Stevenson uses to best describe good 2. The murder of Sir Danvers Carew is not just the brutal slaughter of an old man it is also an attack on the political establishment and 3.Stevenson sees evil as a complex matter and is not just about brutal attacks
3. So now we can rewrite your first paragraph as follows. In the novella “Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” Robert Louis Stevenson describe good and evil by first showing that the minor characters best describe good, second The murder of Sir Danvers Carew is not just the brutal slaughter of an old man it is also an attack on the political establishment and finally Stevenson sees evil as a complex matter and is not just about brutal attacks
Now I know what your essay is about and I know the order in which you are going to answer the question.
4. As I often say to students you construct your essay so that your argument easy to see and follow then you can put the marker to sleep. He/she may miss errors you do make because your essay is so well structured that they do not see them
One way in which Stevenson presents good and evil is in Jekyll himself. This is shown in the extract when Hyde is described as being ‘wicked’ and having ‘deformity and decay’. Stevenson describing evil (Hyde) as being ‘deformed’, is interesting because it connotes that whilst evil does exist, it’s less powerful than good, which suggests he believes everyone has good inside of them (as well as evil). In this extract, evil is also described as a ‘new life’ and a ‘freshness’. This suggests Stevenson doesn't like the Victorian standard of reputation and that doing ‘bad’ is refreshing, but also highlights how no one can be good all of the time. Infact, Jekyll remarks that his new appearance is ‘delightful’. This suggests that Stevenson doesn’t like suppressing his emotions and could even be suggesting that the suppression of thoughts and feelings and censorship could be the collapse of Victorian society.
1. I take it this is your section where you demonstrate Stevenson’s ideas of good. The best way to describe good in the novella is through Utterson who is determined to track down who is this Hyde and what is he doing to his friend Jekyll. What about Poole jakyll’s faithful servant. What about Dr. Lanyon who was approached by Jekyll to assist in his experiment and who outright refused says what Jekyll was attempting to do was scientific balderdash. I believe the descriptions of “good in this novella is in the miner characters.
2. Although the novella is entitled Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde actually is really is Dr Jekyll OR Mr. Hyde. It is Jekyll who has turned himself into Hyde and it is he who carries out the murders. etc,
Stevenson also presents good and evil through the juxtaposition of Hyde to his victims. For example, when the ‘troglodytic madman’, that is Hyde meets the ‘aged’ and ‘beautiful’ Carew, Hyde kills him with a ‘storm of blows’. Whilst this may just seem like an attack, Carew was a part of parliament. Stevenson may have been trying to further exacerbate that the suppression of speech and set morals in Victorian society may lead to uncontrollable violence, and even a revolt against the British government and monarchy. Hyde killing Carew is literally a metaphor for those at the bottom of society murdering those in power, who don't change the inflexible Victorin standards. Hyde’s other victim is also the ‘little’ girl. She may have been employed by Stevenson to frighten the Victorian society with a barbaric man trampling the girl who stood for innocence and purity. This metaphor of Hyde having ‘Satan’s signature’ trampling the pure girl may be a nod to religion and a religious battle of god against Satan.
1. I like your paragraph 2. In the first draft of the novella - the one that Stevenson burnt in the fire after an argument with his wife - the Carew character was a young boy named Lemsome who tended to be homosexual. The murder of a young boy would not have been major news in London. The murder - indeed slaughter changed the the novella. First the murder of Carew was an attack on the political establishment. The consequence of this murder for Hyde is that he is now being hunted by the police. However read very, very carefully the meeting with Carew and specifically focus on Hyde’s reactions up to the attack. What Carew is saying to Hyde, Hyde finds insulting until he murders. The attack was extraordinarily violent. The maid who observes this attack and who is in an upstairs bedroom behind a closed window hears the breaking of Carew’s bones. The problem - which you need to explain how evil this attack was is - what upset Hyde during this meeting that forced him to slaughter Carew. This is the issue you need to focus on and - in order to demonstrate the evilness of this attack - why on earth Hyde lost complete control.
2. You are wrong. There were three attacks by Hyde. (a) The young girl who had been sent by her parents to get the doctor. That is why she is running back to her home. (b) The muruder of Carew. (c) The attack on the old woman in Regent’s Park when Hyde is on his way to Lanyon and who offers him a “box of lights.” You will find that in Jekyll Full Statement.
Stevenson also presents good and evil with evil being manifested in Hyde himself. Hyde is described as being ‘disgusting’ and ‘revolting’ which highlights how repulsive he is to even look at. Hyde is also described with animalistic qualities such as ‘snarled, savage and hissing’. The verb ‘hissing’ may be describing the devil, with further references being Hyde described as having ‘Satan’s signature upon a face’. These animalistic qualities have been designed to play upon Victorian fears of inferiority. Victorians, being christian, would also have been terrified of Hyde being close to the devil. These animalistic qualities may be a link to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and how Hyde is a devolved, degressive part of humanity.
1. This might work if you go on and focus on the complexity of good verses evil. Hyde only attacks and is violent when something happens to him - the girl bumping into him; Carew taking to hi and the old woman offering lights. At other times the novella suggests he is non violent. However Hyde is a mixture calmness and sudden astonishing violence.
2. The other area which you have not mentioned is why did Jekyll buy Doctor Denman’s surgery and house in Soho. The accepted reason is voyeurism and that he enjoyed strolling round the sexual establishments in Soho.. In Victorian times this kind of behaviour was seen as reprehensible and abominable . Especially when the person in solved was aa respected member so the establishment.
3. This point emphasises that evil can also be an ethical and moral issue. That would tighten up this section
Stevenson presents good and bad as not two separate things, but as the duality of man. He suggests we all have control over what we do, and that ‘man is not truly one but truly two’.
Original post by stephsmhb
Also its hard to give you a grade 1-9 based on an essay as your literature grade is made up of about 6 questions and this is only 1.
what grade would that be then can u plz tell meeee
Original post by noorsh101
what grade would that be then can u plz tell meeee
Hi, I've finished my GCSEs but this got a grade 7. My feedback was that the finer points of each argument needed refining. please read @jamesg2 feedback on this to see what I needed to do to improve - it's very helpful.
Hope you do well in your tests.
LWalsh78
I have not read the draft your teacher marked. I suspect what your teacher meant by the comment that your “argument needed refining:” was that you demonstrated a shallow understanding of the details.
To get a 7 meant that you had sufficient grasp on the essay to be awarded a pass. However if you want the highest grade then you need to know the details and that means acquiring a detail knowledge of the text and you only get that through repeated reads.
.
As it happens I am drafting a new set of notes on the novella. If you want me to assist your study of the novella then PM and I will see how I can assist.
I have not read the draft your teacher marked. I suspect what your teacher meant by the comment that your “argument needed refining:” was that you demonstrated a shallow understanding of the details.
To get a 7 meant that you had sufficient grasp on the essay to be awarded a pass. However if you want the highest grade then you need to know the details and that means acquiring a detail knowledge of the text and you only get that through repeated reads.
.
As it happens I am drafting a new set of notes on the novella. If you want me to assist your study of the novella then PM and I will see how I can assist.
Original post by LWalsh78
Hi there,
I was wondering whether someone could give me some feedback on my answer to this GCSE question, where I could improve and what grade (9-1) you think this will be ?
Thankyou in advance !
How does Stevenson present good vs evil in Jekyll and Hyde ?
Innocence. Guilt. Truth. Throughout this novella, one dominant theme is that of good vs evil. This may have been because Stevenson was trying to convey the hypocrisy of the Victorian society and how everything was based on reputation.
One way in which Stevenson presents good and evil is in Jekyll himself. This is shown in the extract when Hyde is described as being ‘wicked’ and having ‘deformity and decay’. Stevenson describing evil (Hyde) as being ‘deformed’, is interesting because it connotes that whilst evil does exist, it’s less powerful than good, which suggests he believes everyone has good inside of them (as well as evil). In this extract, evil is also described as a ‘new life’ and a ‘freshness’. This suggests Stevenson doesn't like the Victorian standard of reputation and that doing ‘bad’ is refreshing, but also highlights how no one can be good all of the time. Infact, Jekyll remarks that his new appearance is ‘delightful’. This suggests that Stevenson doesn’t like suppressing his emotions and could even be suggesting that the suppression of thoughts and feelings and censorship could be the collapse of Victorian society.
Stevenson also presents food and evil through the juxtaposition of Hyde to his victims. For example, when the ‘troglodytic madman’, that is Hyde meets the ‘aged’ and ‘beautiful’ Carew, Hyde kills him with a ‘storm of blows’. Whilst this may just seem like an attack, Carew was a part of parliament. Stevenson may have been trying to further exacerbate that the suppression of speech and set morals in Victorian society may lead to uncontrollable violence, and even a revolt against the British government and monarchy. Hyde killing Carew is literally a metaphor for those at the bottom of society murdering those in power, who don't change the inflexible Victorin standards. Hyde’s other victim is also the ‘little’ girl. She may have been employed by Stevenson to frighten the Victorian society with a barbaric man trampling the girl who stood for innocence and purity. This metaphor of Hyde having ‘Satan’s signature’ trampling the pure girl may be a nod to religion and a religious battle of god against Satan.
Stevenson also presents good and evil with evil being manifested in Hyde himself. Hyde is described as being ‘disgusting’ and ‘revolting’ which highlights how repulsive he is to even look at. Hyde is also described with animalistic qualities such as ‘snarled, savage and hissing’. The verb ‘hissing’ may be describing the devil, with further references being Hyde described as having ‘Satan’s signature upon a face’. These animalistic qualities have been designed to play upon Victorian fears of inferiority. Victorians, being christian, would also have been terrified of Hyde being close to the devil. These animalistic qualities may be a link to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and how Hyde is a devolved, degressive part of humanity.
Stevenson presents good and bad as not two separate things, but as the duality of man. He suggests we all have control over what we do, and that ‘man is not truly one but truly two’.
I was wondering whether someone could give me some feedback on my answer to this GCSE question, where I could improve and what grade (9-1) you think this will be ?
Thankyou in advance !
How does Stevenson present good vs evil in Jekyll and Hyde ?
Innocence. Guilt. Truth. Throughout this novella, one dominant theme is that of good vs evil. This may have been because Stevenson was trying to convey the hypocrisy of the Victorian society and how everything was based on reputation.
One way in which Stevenson presents good and evil is in Jekyll himself. This is shown in the extract when Hyde is described as being ‘wicked’ and having ‘deformity and decay’. Stevenson describing evil (Hyde) as being ‘deformed’, is interesting because it connotes that whilst evil does exist, it’s less powerful than good, which suggests he believes everyone has good inside of them (as well as evil). In this extract, evil is also described as a ‘new life’ and a ‘freshness’. This suggests Stevenson doesn't like the Victorian standard of reputation and that doing ‘bad’ is refreshing, but also highlights how no one can be good all of the time. Infact, Jekyll remarks that his new appearance is ‘delightful’. This suggests that Stevenson doesn’t like suppressing his emotions and could even be suggesting that the suppression of thoughts and feelings and censorship could be the collapse of Victorian society.
Stevenson also presents food and evil through the juxtaposition of Hyde to his victims. For example, when the ‘troglodytic madman’, that is Hyde meets the ‘aged’ and ‘beautiful’ Carew, Hyde kills him with a ‘storm of blows’. Whilst this may just seem like an attack, Carew was a part of parliament. Stevenson may have been trying to further exacerbate that the suppression of speech and set morals in Victorian society may lead to uncontrollable violence, and even a revolt against the British government and monarchy. Hyde killing Carew is literally a metaphor for those at the bottom of society murdering those in power, who don't change the inflexible Victorin standards. Hyde’s other victim is also the ‘little’ girl. She may have been employed by Stevenson to frighten the Victorian society with a barbaric man trampling the girl who stood for innocence and purity. This metaphor of Hyde having ‘Satan’s signature’ trampling the pure girl may be a nod to religion and a religious battle of god against Satan.
Stevenson also presents good and evil with evil being manifested in Hyde himself. Hyde is described as being ‘disgusting’ and ‘revolting’ which highlights how repulsive he is to even look at. Hyde is also described with animalistic qualities such as ‘snarled, savage and hissing’. The verb ‘hissing’ may be describing the devil, with further references being Hyde described as having ‘Satan’s signature upon a face’. These animalistic qualities have been designed to play upon Victorian fears of inferiority. Victorians, being christian, would also have been terrified of Hyde being close to the devil. These animalistic qualities may be a link to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and how Hyde is a devolved, degressive part of humanity.
Stevenson presents good and bad as not two separate things, but as the duality of man. He suggests we all have control over what we do, and that ‘man is not truly one but truly two’.
Hi there - I see this was posted a while ago so not sure if my comments still matter, but here's my two cents: I think you have a solid grasp on the contextual influences of the text and are able to weave that in your analysis, so that's good, but perhaps be careful not to lean too much towards an autobiographical approach ("Stevenson may have been trying to further exacerbate that the suppression of speech and set morals in Victorian society may lead to uncontrollable violence, and even a revolt against the British government and monarchy.") Rather, it's best to focus on the specifics of the characters and the text itself, i.e. what Jekyll and Hyde reflect about Victorian social mores. Another point re structure: it's largely clear, but I'd suggest swopping the order of paragraphs 3 and 4 - to me, it would make more sense to read about Hyde's manifestation of evil before moving on to looking at how Hyde interacts with his victims. If it helps at all, here are two videos I've created analysing the themes of good vs evil and duality in 'Jekyll and Hyde'. See if they help?
What past paper question is this from ?
Original post by LWalsh78
Hi there,
I was wondering whether someone could give me some feedback on my answer to this GCSE question, where I could improve and what grade (9-1) you think this will be ?
Thankyou in advance !
How does Stevenson present good vs evil in Jekyll and Hyde ?
Innocence. Guilt. Truth. Throughout this novella, one dominant theme is that of good vs evil. This may have been because Stevenson was trying to convey the hypocrisy of the Victorian society and how everything was based on reputation.
One way in which Stevenson presents good and evil is in Jekyll himself. This is shown in the extract when Hyde is described as being ‘wicked’ and having ‘deformity and decay’. Stevenson describing evil (Hyde) as being ‘deformed’, is interesting because it connotes that whilst evil does exist, it’s less powerful than good, which suggests he believes everyone has good inside of them (as well as evil). In this extract, evil is also described as a ‘new life’ and a ‘freshness’. This suggests Stevenson doesn't like the Victorian standard of reputation and that doing ‘bad’ is refreshing, but also highlights how no one can be good all of the time. Infact, Jekyll remarks that his new appearance is ‘delightful’. This suggests that Stevenson doesn’t like suppressing his emotions and could even be suggesting that the suppression of thoughts and feelings and censorship could be the collapse of Victorian society.
Stevenson also presents food and evil through the juxtaposition of Hyde to his victims. For example, when the ‘troglodytic madman’, that is Hyde meets the ‘aged’ and ‘beautiful’ Carew, Hyde kills him with a ‘storm of blows’. Whilst this may just seem like an attack, Carew was a part of parliament. Stevenson may have been trying to further exacerbate that the suppression of speech and set morals in Victorian society may lead to uncontrollable violence, and even a revolt against the British government and monarchy. Hyde killing Carew is literally a metaphor for those at the bottom of society murdering those in power, who don't change the inflexible Victorin standards. Hyde’s other victim is also the ‘little’ girl. She may have been employed by Stevenson to frighten the Victorian society with a barbaric man trampling the girl who stood for innocence and purity. This metaphor of Hyde having ‘Satan’s signature’ trampling the pure girl may be a nod to religion and a religious battle of god against Satan.
Stevenson also presents good and evil with evil being manifested in Hyde himself. Hyde is described as being ‘disgusting’ and ‘revolting’ which highlights how repulsive he is to even look at. Hyde is also described with animalistic qualities such as ‘snarled, savage and hissing’. The verb ‘hissing’ may be describing the devil, with further references being Hyde described as having ‘Satan’s signature upon a face’. These animalistic qualities have been designed to play upon Victorian fears of inferiority. Victorians, being christian, would also have been terrified of Hyde being close to the devil. These animalistic qualities may be a link to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and how Hyde is a devolved, degressive part of humanity.
Stevenson presents good and bad as not two separate things, but as the duality of man. He suggests we all have control over what we do, and that ‘man is not truly one but truly two’.
I was wondering whether someone could give me some feedback on my answer to this GCSE question, where I could improve and what grade (9-1) you think this will be ?
Thankyou in advance !
How does Stevenson present good vs evil in Jekyll and Hyde ?
Innocence. Guilt. Truth. Throughout this novella, one dominant theme is that of good vs evil. This may have been because Stevenson was trying to convey the hypocrisy of the Victorian society and how everything was based on reputation.
One way in which Stevenson presents good and evil is in Jekyll himself. This is shown in the extract when Hyde is described as being ‘wicked’ and having ‘deformity and decay’. Stevenson describing evil (Hyde) as being ‘deformed’, is interesting because it connotes that whilst evil does exist, it’s less powerful than good, which suggests he believes everyone has good inside of them (as well as evil). In this extract, evil is also described as a ‘new life’ and a ‘freshness’. This suggests Stevenson doesn't like the Victorian standard of reputation and that doing ‘bad’ is refreshing, but also highlights how no one can be good all of the time. Infact, Jekyll remarks that his new appearance is ‘delightful’. This suggests that Stevenson doesn’t like suppressing his emotions and could even be suggesting that the suppression of thoughts and feelings and censorship could be the collapse of Victorian society.
Stevenson also presents food and evil through the juxtaposition of Hyde to his victims. For example, when the ‘troglodytic madman’, that is Hyde meets the ‘aged’ and ‘beautiful’ Carew, Hyde kills him with a ‘storm of blows’. Whilst this may just seem like an attack, Carew was a part of parliament. Stevenson may have been trying to further exacerbate that the suppression of speech and set morals in Victorian society may lead to uncontrollable violence, and even a revolt against the British government and monarchy. Hyde killing Carew is literally a metaphor for those at the bottom of society murdering those in power, who don't change the inflexible Victorin standards. Hyde’s other victim is also the ‘little’ girl. She may have been employed by Stevenson to frighten the Victorian society with a barbaric man trampling the girl who stood for innocence and purity. This metaphor of Hyde having ‘Satan’s signature’ trampling the pure girl may be a nod to religion and a religious battle of god against Satan.
Stevenson also presents good and evil with evil being manifested in Hyde himself. Hyde is described as being ‘disgusting’ and ‘revolting’ which highlights how repulsive he is to even look at. Hyde is also described with animalistic qualities such as ‘snarled, savage and hissing’. The verb ‘hissing’ may be describing the devil, with further references being Hyde described as having ‘Satan’s signature upon a face’. These animalistic qualities have been designed to play upon Victorian fears of inferiority. Victorians, being christian, would also have been terrified of Hyde being close to the devil. These animalistic qualities may be a link to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and how Hyde is a devolved, degressive part of humanity.
Stevenson presents good and bad as not two separate things, but as the duality of man. He suggests we all have control over what we do, and that ‘man is not truly one but truly two’.
What past paper question is this?
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