Year 11 - English
'Jekyll and Hyde': a critique of unchecked scientific ambition
'Jekyll & Hyde': the dark side of the Industrial Revolution
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils explore 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' within the context of the Industrial Revolution. They first look at the importane of technology and industrialisation within the period and novella, before looking at the social consequences and implications of the Industrial Revolution.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain how Stevenson draws on Victorian anxieties about unchecked scientific progress in his depictions of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Key Notes
- Significant scientific advances during the height of the Industrial Revolution often used unethical practices.
- Stevenson draws on the 'mad scientist' trope to emphasise how the pursuit of knowledge can lead to a loss of humanity.
- Jekyll represents the respectable public face whereas Hyde represents the repressed desires he keeps hidden.
- Lanyon's horror at Hyde's transformation reflects Victorian fears that unchecked ambition led to horrifying outcomes.
- Jekyll describes his transformation as painful yet enjoyable because it frees him from moral expectations.
Vocabulary To Learn
- unethical: acting against moral principles or accepted standards of conduct
- archetype: typical example or original model of a character, theme or pattern in literature and art
- transcend: rise above or go beyond limits, often in terms of understanding or experience
- unchecked: not restrained, controlled, or regulated
- succumb: give in to pressure, temptation or weakness; to yield or surrender
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- All scientific developments during the Industrial Revolution were positive in terms of their impact on society.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Significant scientific advances during the height of the Industrial Revolution often used unethical practices. Stevenson draws on the 'mad scientist' trope to emphasise how the pursuit of knowledge can lead to a loss of humanity.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'unethical'
acting against moral principles or accepted standards of conduct.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: All scientific developments during the Industrial Revolution were positive in terms of their impact on society. Correction: While the Industrial Revolution was considered to be the 'golden age' of scientific development and innovation, much of the pioneering research was conducted under unethical conditions.
More Lessons In This Unit
- 'Jekyll and Hyde': moral decay and respectability Study Guide
- 'Jekyll and Hyde': progress versus primal instincts Study Guide
- 'Jekyll and Hyde': repression and fragmented identities Study Guide
- 'Jekyll and Hyde': technology and dehumanisation Study Guide
- 'Jekyll and Hyde': urbanisation and social divisions Study Guide
- Writing an extended response about 'Jekyll and Hyde' Study Guide
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