English Lit Essay Practice Marking

Can anyone help me mark this piece as ChatGPT is extremely inconsistent and unreliable with its marking.

P.S. I am fully aware that I won't be able to write this much when it comes to my mocks and exams but I need to know that my content, quotations and context are all accurate. Thanks! Also my conclusion is a bit iffy so if anyone could give tips that would be really helpful.

Starting with this extract, how does Stevenson present Mr Hyde as a frightening outsider?

Write about:
how Stevenson presents Mr Hyde in this extract  
how Stevenson presents Mr Hyde as a frightening outsider in the novel as a whole.  

In the 19th century Gothic novella, Jekyll and Hyde, Stevenson explores the theme of evil through Edward Hyde, a character who embodies some of the Victorian society’s greatest fears such as crime, violence and unsuppressed desires. Stevenson presents Hyde as a frightening figure through his disturbing animalistic behaviour, regressive appearance and devilish nature – ultimately highlighting the darker side of human nature that Victorian society sought to suppress.

Stevenson presents Hyde as frightening through the description of his animalistic traits. When he met Utterson for the first time, he ‘snarled aloud into a savage laugh.’ The verb ‘snarled’ and adjective ‘savage’ evokes an image of an animal and suggests that he is violent and uncontrollable ‘like a monkey’. He also is described to have ‘shrank back with a hissing intake of breath’ which is a mannerism that would usually be associated with an animal such as a cat. The sibilance in the verbs, ‘shrank’ and ‘hissing’, depicts a sinister and unsettling image of Hyde. The beast-like image that is portrayed of Hyde would have alarmed most of Stevenson’s readers at the time, especially as they lived in a society where middle class men were expected to uphold strict moral codes and repress baser instincts, this would have been particularly disturbing as Hyde serves as a reminder of what could happen if those instincts were acted upon.

Furthermore, Hyde is described as ‘something troglodytic’. The adjective ‘troglodytic’ suggests how he is in a primitive state of mind and appearance, similar to cavemen or wild monkeys. This would have invoked fear in many of Stevenson’s readers as the 19th century was a period of unprecedented technological and scientific progress. There were anxieties around the theory of evolution that developed as most people were Christian and believed it to be incompatible with their religion. By describing Hyde with such bestial terms, Stevenson exploits these fears and reinforces the idea that the primitive ‘savage’ nature that Hyde displays is hidden deep within every human.

Hyde is also illustrated as an outsider through the descriptions of his appearance. He was described to give ‘a strong feeling of deformity’ and a look that was ‘something displeasing, downright detestable’. The noun ‘deformity’ suggests a physical irregularity; however, since no physical deformity is clearly named, we can infer that it is his soul that is deformed, stemming from his moral corruption. Enfield also remarks that he was ‘so ugly it brought out the sweat in [him],’ showing how Hyde’s corruption outwardly affects others and invokes an instinctive feeling of disgust. The alliteration used in ‘downright detestable’ also places emphasis on the repulsion that Hyde’s appearance brings out from regular citizens such as Enfield, showing that he did not belong to this society and that the people did not accept him.

Stevenson also uses satanic and devilish imagery to describe the character of Hyde as frightening. He is shown to have ‘Satan’s signature’ and to be the ‘child of Hell,’ Jekyll also refers to Hyde as ‘[his] devil who had long been caged.’ The noun ‘child’ used within this context also contradicts the image of innocence that is shown, suggesting that his corruption and sin extends to pure goodness. In addition, the noun ‘signature’ is a symbol of one’s identity which shows that one can draw a parallel with Hyde and Satan. The phrase ‘Satan’s signature’ also provides an image of evil and darkness which was a core fear of Victorian society, evoking terror in the majority of Stevenson’s readers.

Moreover, to the average Victorian middle-class man, Jekyll is a relatable character as he shares the same status as most of Stevenson’s readers. The reference to ‘[his] devil’ being ‘caged’ could represent the Freudian theory of the ego, superego and id. Hyde is a representation of the id which is the part of one’s mind where base instincts are found. The id operates on the pleasure principle and requires immediate gratification and it is hidden and locked at the bottom of one’s mind. This means that Hyde is a pure embodiment of the id in everyone’s mind which creates a fearful image for everyone as it once again augments the point that there is a devil within all of us.

Throughout the novel, Stevenson presents Hyde as an individual who embodies the fears of the 19th century such as crime, sin and the idea that savagery is within every person. Overall, Hyde is shown to be an anathema to a controlled Victorian society and it is consistently reinforced that he does not belong and is ultimately a frightening outsider to regular citizens.

Reply 1

Gabi26

Hi. I'm in Y13 doing A level lit, I haven't studied Jekyll and Hyde at GCSE, so I can't really say anything on accuracy of quotes, but I think you have a very strong essay, it is perceptive and thoughtful, your interpretation are interesting, which would definitely make for a top band essay. I think the idea of id could be cut down, you don't want to delve too deeply into psychological theories, just enough to make a point. Though I including of a psychological reading is really advanced, it is something you are meant to do at A level. You have a good range of judicious quotations and a good amount of terminology and method analysis. The essay is very context heavy, though I don't think it detracts from the essay, it aids reader perception and how meanings are shaped within the text. I think you maintain a good argument throughout, maybe specifically linking back to the question about fear could be something to think about.
Something that you could think about is this part "an image of evil and darkness which was a core fear of Victorian society,", I think here you could be a bit more specific, what particularly about evil and darkness frightened the Victorian society, what evil and dark things did they fear.
Obviously I am not an examiner and you would always benefit from asking your teachers to mark your work, but I would say you have a very strong response. Maybe even with a few slight tweaks you could write about most if not all the things you have here in the exam.

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