Theme & Key Quotes: Appearance vs Reality

Theme: Appearance vs Reality

Stevenson uses the duality of Jekyll’s character to highlight the theme of appearance vs reality.
Jekyll appears to society as a respectable gentleman, while he hides his alter ego, Mr. Hyde, representing his real, darker nature.
The physical contrast between Jekyll and Hyde demonstrates two extremes of humanity: good and evil.

“Mr. Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation.” This quote describes Hyde’s initial appearance, manifesting the lurid, darker reality hidden beneath Jekyll’s respectable facade.
“I knew myself, at the first breath of this new life, to be more wicked, tenfold more wicked, sold a slave to my original evil…“ Jekyll realizes the realities of his darker side when he transforms into Hyde, showing the struggle between maintaining appearances and acknowledging reality.

Stevenson uses Dr Jekyll’s scientific experiments as a critique of the hubris of science trying to overstep its boundaries, highlighting the conflict of science vs religion.
The character of Dr. Lanyon represents moral and religious values while Dr. Jekyll exemplifies scientific exploration, setting the stage for a conflict.

“Unscientific balderdash,” uttered by Dr. Lanyon, signifies the clash between new scientific ideas and traditional beliefs.
“I had learned to dwell with pleasure, as a beloved daydream, on the thought of the separation of these elements.” This Dr. Jekyll’s quote emphasizes his obsession with his experiments, ignoring the moral implications echoing the religious perspective.

It’s essential to understand these themes and correlate them with relevant quotes from the text to enhance textual analysis skills.