The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde — OCR GCSE English Literature

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a Victorian Gothic novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in 1886, which explores the duality of human nature through the respectable Dr Henry Jekyll and his monstrous alter ego Edward Hyde. For OCR GCSE English Literature, students must analyse Stevenson's use of language, structure, and contextual influences such as Victorian repression, Darwinism, and the fear of degeneration.

This topic covers Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 Gothic novella 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde', a core text for OCR GCSE English Literature. Students must explore the novella's themes, characters, language, structure, and the contextual factors that shaped its creation, including Victorian anxieties about science, religion, and human nature.

Studying this text is essential because it develops skills in close textual analysis, understanding of literary heritage, and the ability to construct a coherent argument. It also provides a rich opportunity to engage with the Gothic genre and the enduring theme of duality, which resonates across literature and culture.

• →Duality: The central theme that every human being possesses both good and evil aspects, explored through Jekyll and Hyde.
• →Repression and Victorian Society: The strict moral codes of Victorian England forced individuals to hide their darker desires, leading to hypocrisy and psychological conflict.
• →The Gothic Genre: Stevenson employs Gothic conventions such as mystery, horror, the supernatural, and decaying settings to explore taboo subjects.
• →Narrative Structure: The novella is told through multiple perspectives (Enfield, Utterson, Lanyon, Jekyll), which builds suspense and gradually reveals the truth.
• →Science vs. Religion: Jekyll's experiments represent the tension between scientific progress and religious morality in the Victorian era.

• 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.

• 💡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.
• 💡Always embed quotations smoothly into your sentences and analyse specific words for their connotations and effects.
• 💡Integrate contextual knowledge (AO3) into your analysis of language and structure, rather than treating it as a separate section.
• 💡Plan your essay to ensure you cover the whole text, including the beginning, middle, and end, and consider the novella's structure and form.

• 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.
• Students often think Hyde is a separate person from Jekyll. Correction: Hyde is a physical manifestation of Jekyll's repressed self, not a distinct entity; they are two sides of the same person.
• Students may assume the novella is purely about good vs. evil. Correction: Stevenson presents a more complex view: good and evil are intertwined, and Jekyll's experiment shows that suppressing one's darker side can lead to its uncontrollable emergence.
• Students sometimes ignore the importance of the novella's structure. Correction: The fragmented narrative and multiple viewpoints are deliberate techniques that mirror the theme of duality and gradually unveil the mystery.

1. 1Week 1: Read the novella twice. First for plot and characters, second for themes and language. Annotate key quotations and note Stevenson's use of Gothic conventions.
2. 2Week 1: Create a timeline of events and a character map to understand the structure and relationships. Research Victorian context and Stevenson's life.
3. 3Week 2: Practice analysing short extracts, focusing on language and structure. Write timed essays on themes, characters, and settings.
4. 4Week 2: Review mark schemes and examiner reports to understand assessment objectives. Use flashcards for quotations and contextual facts.
5. 5Ongoing: Use active recall and past paper questions to test your knowledge and refine your exam technique.

• 📋Extract-based question: You will be given a short extract and asked to analyse how Stevenson presents a theme or character in the extract and the novella as a whole. Advice: Start with the extract, then broaden to the whole text, ensuring you address both parts.
• 📋Whole-text essay question: A question on a theme, character, or setting, requiring you to explore the whole novella. Advice: Plan your argument, select relevant quotations from across the text, and link to context.
• 📋Context-focused question: Sometimes a question may specifically ask about the influence of context. Advice: Integrate context into your analysis of language and structure, showing how it shapes meaning.