Setting- the place or type of surrounding where something is positioned or where an event takes place.
CHARACTERIZATION: the creation or construction of a fictional character.
DR. HENRY JEKYLL- a respected doctor known for his charitable works in the community. Jekyll finds his childhood corrupt behavior a burden and wanted to do something to separate his good from bad personality.
"it was on the moral side, and in my own person, that i learned to recognize the thorough and primitive duality of man; I saw that, of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness, even if i could rightly be said to be either, it was only because I was radically both... (10.1) Jekyll believes that every man has both good and evil inside them and they have to be able to separate the two personalities.
MR. EDWARD HYDE- a very unsightly, short, and evil looking man. He is violent and cruel to everyone in the community. Hyde is obviously an outcast in the world of the story. He is Jekyll's evil side of his personality.
"He is not easy to describe. there is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something down right detestable." (1.13)
MR. GABRIEL JOHN UTTERSON: a very well respected lawyer in the community and friends with everyone. He has a very curious side that makes him want to figure out the situation with Jekyll and Hyde. He is a very determined man when it comes to figuring things out.
DR. HASTIE LANYON- a very well known doctor and formally friends with Jekyll. Stopped being friends with Jekyll because they had a scientific argument that made their friendship more civil than friendly. He eventually dies as a result of hearing some very shocking news.
"...but a hide-bound pedant for all that; an ignorant, blatant pedant." (3.24) Jekyll says this about Lanyon regarding their argument in the past. He says he pays too attention to the little details that don't matter.
Mr. Poole- Jekyll's loyal servant of 20 years that cares very deeply for his Master. So much so that he seeks out the help of Mr. Utterson when he is concerned about Jekyll.
MR. ENFIELD- a distant cousin and close friend of Utterson. The two enjoy walks around town sometimes sitting silently and enjoying the silence.
METAPHORE: a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.
"Poor Henry Jekyll, my mind misgives me he is in deep waters!" (2.20) Utterson is not saying that Jekyll is literally drowning, He means that Jekyll has a lot of problems to figure out.
"put your heart in your ears" (8.47). Poole is asking Utterson if he truly think that it is Jekyll that lies behind the door.
Allegory- a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
Soho, where Hyde lives, is a very dark, dingy, and eerie place which matches the kind of person he is. It's very fitting that the most evil character lives in the most evil looking place in town. However, the rest of the city is dark also so it gives the story an evil atmosphere.
The fog- it represents a sort of curtain covering around the town. There is also a covering around Hyde that hides who he really is. There is sunlight and moonlight throughout the story, but whenever something bad is about to happen, the fog comes out to give a mysterious, evil, and curious feeling.
POINT OF VIEW
The point of view is 3rd person limited which means the narrator picks one persons views and follows around one character (Mr. Utterson).
There are four narratives within the story: Mr. Enfield's story of the door, the maid describing Carew's murder, Dr. Lanyon's story, and Dr. Jekyll's confession.
Mr. Utterson was probably the least involved character because of the lack of information he had since the beginning of the story. We, as the reader, find out the truth about Jekyll the same time that Utterson did. Having him not know a lot, adds to the suspense throughout the novel. If it was in the point of view of Jekyll, there would be no secrets to figure out during the story.
TONE AND MOOD
Tone- the general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc. Mood-a temporary state of mind or feeling.
"a grinding in the bones, deadly nausea, and a horror of the spirit that cannot be exceeded at the hour of birth or death. Then these agonies began swiftly to subside, and I came to myself as if out of a great sickness." (10.4) The tone from the beginning to the very end of the story is mysterious and evil.
The mood of the story is fearful and suspenseful because we don't know what will happen in the story until the very end.
THEMES
GOOD VS. EVIL "It was already bad enough when the name was but a name of which he could learn no more. It was worse when it began to be clothed upon with detestable attributes" (2.1). Utterson knows that Jekyll is a good man he is confused why he can't learn more about Hyde and why he would give it to someone evil.
CURIOSITY- "If he could but once set eyes on him, he thought the mystery would lighten and perhaps roll altogether away, as was the habit of mysterious things when well examined."(2.13). Utterson is a very curious man and feels that any mystery can be solved by using intellect.
APPEARANCE- Mr. Utterson the lawyer was a man of a rugged countenance that was never lighted by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary and yet somehow lovable. (1.1). Utterson is one of the only characters that is true to himself from the beginning to the end. He is lovable, kind, reliable and a great friend to all.