How to Revise The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde — OCR GCSE English Literature
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a topic in the OCR GCSE English Literature specification. This guide covers learning objectives, examiner tips, common mistakes, and key terminology to help you revise effectively.
Examiner Tips for The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
- Always anchor your analysis in precise quotations, and embed these within your sentences to maintain fluency.
- Use topic sentences that directly address the question's focus on writer's methods or thematic concerns.
- Demonstrate awareness of the novella as a constructed text by referring to Stevenson's intentions and reader responses.
- In comparative essays, avoid simply describing characters or events; instead, evaluate how language, form, and structure shape meaning.
Common Mistakes in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
- Treating Jekyll and Hyde as two completely separate characters, rather than psychologically connected aspects of the same individual.
- Neglecting the significance of the novella's structure (e.g., the delayed revelation until Chapter 10) when analysing suspense and theme.
- Overlooking contextual influences, such as the rise of psychoanalysis and contemporary fears about drug use and addiction.
- Confusing the moral message by simplifying it to 'good versus evil' without considering the complexities of Jekyll's motivations.
Key Marking Points
- Award credit for identifying and explaining the significance of the epistolary structure and multiple narrators.
- Reward analysis of specific language choices (e.g., 'ape-like fury', 'troglodytic') that link Hyde to atavism and primitivism.
- Credit should be given for linking the theme of duality to contextual factors, such as Darwinian theory or the Victorian emphasis on respectability.
- Acknowledge sophisticated evaluation of Stevenson's use of pathetic fallacy and the London setting to reflect internal conflict.
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