GCSE English Literature – Paper 1: Jekyll & Hyde

🏆 Mastering Stevenson: How to Analyse Like a Grade 9 Student

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde isn’t just a horror story – it’s a psychological thriller, an exploration of human duality, and a critique of Victorian repression. Stevenson crafts a world where science, morality, and identity collide, forcing readers to confront the darkness within themselves.

What do examiners want?
✅ A deep exploration of duality – How does Jekyll/Hyde symbolise the struggle between good and evil?
✅ Sophisticated contextual links – How do Victorian anxieties about science, reputation, and repression shape the novel?
✅ High-level vocabulary – No “Stevenson shows Hyde is evil” here! Use “Stevenson constructs Hyde as the grotesque manifestation of Jekyll’s repressed desires, embodying Victorian fears of moral degeneracy.”

Let’s break it down. 🚀

📍 Section A: Extract-Based Analysis

💡 What You Need to Do:

• Analyse a key extract, then explore how the theme develops across the novel.

📚 Extract: The First Encounter with Hyde (Chapter 1 – Story of the Door)

This passage describes Hyde’s brutal trampling of a young girl, a scene that immediately establishes him as a figure of moral and physical repulsion.

“It wasn’t like a man; it was like some damned Juggernaut. I had taken a loathing to my gentleman at first sight. So had the child’s family, which was only natural. But the doctor’s case was what struck me. He was the usual cut and dry apothecary, of no particular age and colour, with a strong Edinburgh accent and about as emotional as a bagpipe. Well, sir, he was like the rest of us; every time he looked at my prisoner, I saw that sawbones turn sick and white with the desire to kill him.”

📝 Exam-Style Question

💡 How does Stevenson present Hyde as a disturbing figure in this extract and the novel as a whole?

✅ Grade 9 Model Answer

In this extract, Stevenson constructs Hyde as a visceral embodiment of humanity’s darkest instincts, evoking revulsion, violence, and the uncanny. The simile “like some damned Juggernaut” is particularly powerful, connoting an unstoppable force of destruction, which contrasts with the helpless innocence of the trampled girl. This juxtaposition heightens the horror, positioning Hyde as a figure of pure malevolence.

Furthermore, the dehumanising language (“it wasn’t like a man”) strips Hyde of individuality, presenting him as an aberration of nature, something so grotesque that it defies human categorisation. This aligns with Victorian anxieties surrounding degeneration theory, which suggested that criminals were physically marked by their immoral nature, a belief reflected in Hyde’s simian, atavistic appearance.

The reaction of the bystanders further amplifies Hyde’s unnerving presence. The doctor’s transformation from “cut and dry” to “sick and white with the desire to kill” suggests that Hyde elicits primal rage even in the most composed individuals, reinforcing his corrupting influence. This motif recurs throughout the novel, culminating in Lanyon’s traumatic death following his exposure to Jekyll’s transformation.

Ultimately, Stevenson uses Hyde as a cipher for Victorian fears of repressed desires, warning that the more society suppresses its darker instincts, the more uncontrollable they become.

📚 Extract: Jekyll’s Confession (Chapter 10 – Henry Jekyll’s Full Statement of the Case)

This passage occurs at the novel’s climax, when Jekyll finally reveals the psychological torment of his dual existence.

“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. And from an early date, even as a child, I had learned to dwell with pleasure, as a beloved daydream, on the thought of the separation of these elements.”

📝 Exam-Style Question

💡 How does Stevenson explore the theme of duality in this extract and the novel as a whole?

✅ Grade 9 Model Answer

Stevenson constructs duality as the novel’s central philosophical conflict, presenting Jekyll’s struggle as an existential crisis of identity. The phrase “of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness” transforms his internal battle into a militaristic struggle, emphasising the inherent violence of human duality. This aligns with the Freudian concept of the id and superego, wherein the rational, moral self is in constant battle with primitive desires.

Furthermore, Jekyll’s admission that he “dwelled with pleasure” on the idea of separation suggests that his actions were not purely scientific, but driven by a subconscious yearning for moral freedom. This subverts the Victorian ideal of the respectable gentleman, exposing the hypocrisy of a society that outwardly champions restraint yet privately indulges in vice.

Across the novel, Stevenson uses structural and symbolic devices to reinforce duality. The novel’s fragmented narrative, a series of testimonies rather than a linear plot, mirrors the disjointed nature of Jekyll’s psyche. Additionally, the symbolism of doors and thresholds (Jekyll’s cabinet, Hyde’s mysterious entrance) reflects the liminal space between repression and indulgence, underscoring the theme that identity is not fixed, but fluid and dangerously malleable.

Ultimately, Stevenson’s portrayal of Jekyll and Hyde transcends mere horror fiction, evolving into a philosophical exploration of identity, morality, and the human condition.

📍 Thematic Analysis: Science vs. Morality

💡 How does Stevenson explore the conflict between science and morality in Jekyll & Hyde?

✅ Grade 9 Model Answer 

Stevenson presents science as a double-edged sword – capable of both enlightenment and destruction. Dr. Jekyll’s experiments embody the tension between scientific ambition and ethical responsibility, reflecting the Victorian anxiety surrounding unchecked scientific progress.

The novel, written at a time when Darwin’s Theory of Evolution challenged religious beliefs, portrays Hyde as an atavistic figure, a regression to a primal state of being. His “ape-like fury” aligns with contemporary fears that science could dehumanise rather than elevate mankind.

Stevenson also constructs Lanyon’s perspective as a counterpoint to Jekyll’s, reinforcing the novel’s central debate. Lanyon represents traditional scientific principles, rejecting Jekyll’s experiments as “unscientific balderdash”. However, his eventual collapse upon witnessing the transformation suggests that Victorian rationality was ill-equipped to confront the chaotic, uncontrollable forces unleashed by experimental science.

Ultimately, Stevenson warns against the hubris of scientific overreach, suggesting that without moral constraint, intellectual pursuit can lead to existential ruin.

🎯 Top Tips for a Grade 9 Jekyll & Hyde Essay

✅ Embed context naturally – Connect Victorian repression, degeneration theory, and scientific ethics to your argument.
✅ Think beyond the obvious – What is Stevenson saying about identity, morality, and society?
✅ Use technical analysis – Explore symbolism, narrative structure, and contrasting perspectives.
✅ Challenge the question – Does Stevenson suggest that true morality is even possible?

🔥 Final Thoughts

Stevenson didn’t just write a horror story – Jekyll & Hyde is a psychological exploration of repression, duality, and scientific ambition. We’ve covered:
🔹 Hyde as a symbol of unrestrained desire
🔹 Jekyll’s struggle with identity and moral decay
🔹 Science vs. morality as a central conflict