In the 19th century novella of Christian morality, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Jekyll, and subsequently his alter ego of Hyde, is presented as mysterious in order for Stevenson to argue against Christian prejudice through philosophical standings of existentialism, while connoting there is duplicity in all of us, including the duality of caged homosexuality.
Notice this thesis has three things that Stevenson is trying to portray. This acts an essay plan for the rest of the essay.
Early in the novella, while Jekyll’s “caged” atavistic demeanour is embodied in Mr Hyde, he steps on and almost murders a little girl. Hyde is said to have been “like some damned juggernaut”. While the adjective “damned” implies eternity in Christian hell, the noun “juggernaut” connotes the pagan God Jagannath from Hinduism. In a ritual, Jagannath would be placed in a wheel and would roll over many devotees willingly stretched on the road underneath. In this context, Hyde is embodied as the heretical God and rolls over his innocent victims (the little girl and Carew).
(1) The examiner has been convinced that this context is relevant to the quotation, so it is awarded Level 3 AO2 and AO3. Level 3 awards ‘some explained comment’, which here simply means that the examiner is looking for more explained comments of this quality as we move through the essay. Then the level will go up.
This godlike demeanour of Hyde is further expressed when we learn that Jekyll mastered the alchemy to create such an entity. Hyde is also said to have “trampled calmly” over the girl. So if Hyde is like a god, he has succumbed to the violent atavistic nature which is within him, as connoted by the direct juxtaposition of “trampled” and “calmly”.
In the same scene the doctor, “sawbones”, is said to have a “desire to kill him”. This is the antithesis to his oath of saving lives, and Stevenson does this to connote how everything has a dual nature “caged” within: in essence, “man is not truly one, but truly two.”
(2) Linking these quotations together is judged to be Level 4 AO1 ‘references’ and AO2 because they form the beginning of a convincing argument. Because it is the beginning, the examiner is hedging their bets and treating this as ‘clear and explained’. You can also see how many quotations you need to show that you have a range of references for AO1.
As Jekyll succumbed once again to his dual nature, he performs yet another violent act towards Sir Danvers Carew. However, Carew (a man of “old world kindness”) is said to have “pointed” at Hyde with a pleased look. This may have been to imply homosexual attraction to Hyde, and Carew could only have practised such blasphemous behaviour (in a Christian context) on such a vile brute as Jekyll. This dual nature of the homosexual is portrayed as negative, much like the negative personification of violence that the animalistic Hyde performs on him “with apelike fury”.
This parallels homosexual desire with brutal violence, which gives the novella connotations of homophobia. This may have been to please his Christian readership who would have grown to believe that any homosexual act is “gross indecency“ as stated by the law amendment act passed in 1885, one year before the novella was publishing.
(3) This context about the ‘gross indecency’ act is integrated into an interpretation, so it is perceptive. The examiner has graded this Level 5 AO3. Most teachers don’t know about this act, and many are reluctant to teach the theme of homosexuality. However, enough teachers have seen my videos or read my guide to spread this interpretation, so the examiner is happy to accept it. Why? The ‘gross indecency’ act of 1885 is a fact, and it is linked to the interpretation.
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