Topics for Discussion

1. What was Dr. Henry Jekyll trying to discover?

2. What do his colleagues and friends do when they feel anger and revulsion at Mr. Edward Hyde? Do they treat him as he did weaker people?

3. In what ways does Jekyll contribute to his situation? What are the choices he has made? Are all of his choices mistakes?

4. Why do the servants wait eight days before Poole brings Mr. Utterson to see what has become of Dr. Jekyll?

5. What societal and behavioral expectations contribute to Jekyll’s original search? What expectations make it harder for his friends to determine what is happening?

6. In what ways is Dr. Jekyll a product of his time and place?

7. In what ways is Mr. Hyde also a product of his time and place?

8. What do we learn of Poole and the other servants? What role do they play in the story, beyond the superficial one of keeping house for Dr. Jekyll?

9. What do we learn of Guest and other secondary characters? Are they well defined as people? Is the author, or Utterson, at all comfortable with them?

10. What kind of a man is Mr. Utterson? What does he learn about himself, as he learns more about Jekyll and Hyde?

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*