Year 11 - English
'Jekyll and Hyde': technology and dehumanisation
'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 explore how Stevenson's depictions of Mr. Hyde draw on Victorian fears of dehumanisation caused by the Industrial Revolution.
Key Notes
- The Industrial Revolution led to advantages and disadvantages for society such as economic growth and urban poverty.
- Major concerns during the Industrial Revolution included fears of dehumanisation and loss of autonomy.
- In 'Jekyll and Hyde', scientific progress is linked to dehumanisation, moral degradation and loss of control.
- Hyde represents the primal, base desires of Jekyll, which come to the surface when moral control is lost.
- The novella warns readers about the ethical risks of technological advancements and loss of traditional values.
Vocabulary To Learn
- primal/primitive: early or undeveloped; relating to the first stages of human or societal development
- basic desires: fundamental human urges, such as hunger, survival, or reproduction
- dehumanising: to strip someone of human qualities, treating them as less than human
- cautionary tale: a story that warns of potential dangers or consequences of certain actions or behaviours
- ominous: suggesting that something bad or threatening is about to happen
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The Industrial Revolution was a wholly positive change for society because machines created jobs and allowed for foriegn travel.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
The Industrial Revolution led to advantages and disadvantages for society such as economic growth and urban poverty. Major concerns during the Industrial Revolution included fears of dehumanisation and loss of autonomy.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'primal/primitive'
early or undeveloped; relating to the first stages of human or societal development.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: The Industrial Revolution was a wholly positive change for society because machines created jobs and allowed for foriegn travel. Correction: While there were many advantages to the Industrial Revolution, there were also many disadvantages such as pollution, worsening of working conditions and a widening of the class divide.
More Lessons In This Unit
- 'Jekyll and Hyde': a critique of unchecked scientific ambition Study Guide
- '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': urbanisation and social divisions Study Guide
- Writing an extended response about 'Jekyll and Hyde' Study Guide
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