Starter quiz
- What appears at the top of a Freytag's pyramid?
- climax ✓
- denouement
- falling action
- rising action
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- Which word beginning with 'e' can describe 'Jekyll and Hyde'? This word refers to a novella made up of letters and other documents as part of its narrative structure.
- 'epistolary' ✓
- In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', the motif of the mask best relates to which theme?
- false appearances ✓
- repression
- religion vs. science
- human curiosity
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- The narratives of which two characters end 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'?
- Lanyon's and Jekyll's ✓
- Utterson's and Jekyll's
- Lanyon's and Utterson's
- Enfield's and Lanyon's
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- What is the correct definition of 'illicit'? Here it is used in a sentence: 'The secret warehouse held an illicit stash of stolen goods.'
- Illegal or disapproved of by society ✓
- Disliked and unpopular with society
- Encouraged and supported by society
- Tolerated and overlooked by society
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- What is the correct definition of transgressive? Here it is used in a sentence: 'Her art was lauded for its transgressive themes.'
- Involving violation of moral or social boundaries ✓
- Involving vindication of moral or social boundaries
- Involving creation of moral or social boundaries
- Involving destruction of moral or social boundaries
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Exit quiz
- The novella 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' contains:
- a single narrative.
- multiple narratives. ✓
- a chronological narrative.
- a historical narrative.
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- In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', Jekyll is a typical gothic protagonist: egotistical and ______.
- isolated ✓
- insane
- inadequate
- inhuman
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- In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', Jekyll's experiments violate social or moral boundaries. As such they are ...
- transgressive ✓
- transactional
- liminal
- gothic
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- Complete the following quote which seems to suggest Jekyll relishes his dual nature in ch10 of 'Jekyll and Hyde': 'it delighted me like ______.'
- 'wine' ✓
- Complete this quote, which highlights Jekyll's realisation of the true nature of man in 'Jekyll and Hyde', ‘I have been doomed to such a dreadful shipwreck: that man is not truly one, but truly ______'.
- 'two' ✓
- In 'Jekyll and Hyde', the use of documents as part of the narrative structure, arguably, give the story a sense of verisimilitude. Why?
- The use of official documents, from reputed characters, makes it seem realistic. ✓
- The different accounts add mystery, leaving the audience in the dark.
- They tell the story gradually, which raises tension.
- We know all narrators are likely to be biased, which makes us question them.
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Jekyll is a typical gothic protagonist: egotistical and isolated.
- The story dramatises Jekyll's inner struggle between good and evil and the same duality within society.
- Liminal and altered states are a gothic convention that is central to this story.
- Drawing on gothic conventions allows Stevenson to explore transgressive behaviour and illicit desires.
- Using multiple narrators is a gothic trope that plays with ideas of verisimilitude, linking to science vs. supernatural.
Common misconception
Stevenson just replicates or reiterates common gothic conventions.
Many common gothic conventions are used but subverted too (the setting of Regent's Park subverts gothic settings).
Keywords
Verisimilitude - The appearance of being true or real.
Liminality - At a boundary or transitional point between two contrasting elements.
Illicit - Illegal or disapproved of by society.
Trope - A commonly used literary device is known as a trope. A gothic trope would be isolated settings.
Transgressive - Involving violation of moral or social boundaries.
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