‘a bright, open fire’
(Jekyll, Duality → Chapter 2)
‘fire’ (motif of light/dark) → presents Jekyll as socially acceptable and morally upright, contrasting Hyde
‘bright’ (adjective) → connotes warmth, presenting Jekyll as welcoming compared to Hyde’s hostility
Marxist approach → wealth & materialism, Jekyll can afford to live a double life due to his class and public status, Stevenson’s criticism
‘middle one of the three windows was half-way open’
(Jekyll, Duality → Chapter 7)
‘half-way’ (adverb) → half Jekyll, half Hyde, stuck in a middle ground and presents duality as uncontrollable, contrasting ‘the moment I choose..’
‘three windows’ (noun) → may reflect id, superego, ego, and how Jekyll is trapped somewhere in between
Gothic trope → conveys liminality, neither Jekyll nor Hyde
‘like some disconsolate prisoner’
(Jekyll, Duality → Chapter 7)
‘prisoner’ (noun) → prisoned by Hyde and societal expectations to repress
‘disconsolate’ (adjective) → presents Jekyll as being hopeless, perhaps he accepts that duality cannot be controlled
Gothic trope → isolated protagonist, a consequence of duality/repression
‘smile was struck out of his face’
(Jekyll, Duality → Chapter 7)
‘struck’ (violent verb) → unexpected, reflects Hyde’s influence beginning to surface through Jekyll’s civilised exterior
‘smile’ (noun) → Jekyll’s polite facade is being destroyed by Hyde
sibilance → announces arrival of Hyde as Jekyll transforms
Alternatively, the ‘smile’ being ‘struck out’ could suggest not just Hyde emerging, but that Jekyll’s constructed identity is fragile, implying his civility is easily destroyed
‘window was instantly thrust down’
(Jekyll, Duality → Chapter 7)
‘window’ (motif of windows) → a physical barrier, went from ‘half-open’ to fully shut, rather than between Jekyll/Hyde, now fully Hyde
‘instantly’ (adverb) → violent, sudden and unexpected, representing how Jekyll is out of control in terms of how he transforms
‘thrust’ (violent verb) → emphasises violence
