Language and Dialogue (Scottish Highers English): Revision Notes

Language and Dialogue

Stevenson crafts distinct speech patterns for different characters in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The way characters speak reveals their social position, emotional state, and moral standing. The novel's formal narrative voice contrasts sharply with moments of violence and emotion, creating a tension that mirrors the central theme of duality.

The gentlemen's dialogue reflects their anxieties

Victorian gentlemen in the novel maintain a facade of politeness and restraint, even when deeply troubled. Their speech patterns reveal how they struggle to reconcile their private fears with social expectations.

Utterson's speech

Utterson expresses himself in measured and proper terms throughout the novel. When faced with potential scandal, he avoids giving direct opinions, preferring vague phrases such as "Tut-tut" rather than stating what he truly thinks. This linguistic evasion protects him from becoming embroiled in matters that might damage his reputation.

Despite his usually cautious manner, Utterson can assert himself when necessary. When questioning Jekyll about his will, he insists on "one word more", showing that his politeness has limits when protecting a friend. His language also reveals a dry wit, as demonstrated when he says, "If he be Mr Hyde... I shall be Mr Seek." This wordplay lightens the dark subject matter while showing Utterson's determination to uncover the truth.

Jekyll's speech

Jekyll constantly guards his words, attempting to avoid difficult questions. Rather than speaking freely, he frequently chooses silence as a defensive strategy. When Utterson asks about his will, Jekyll shuts his mouth tight and communicates only through nods, physically preventing himself from revealing too much.

As Hyde's influence grows stronger, Jekyll's carefully maintained linguistic control breaks down. His speech becomes "feverish" and his voice changes, losing its formal qualities. He begins to stutter—"I have — I have"—unable to complete his thoughts coherently.

Lanyon's speech

At the beginning of the novel, Lanyon speaks in a hearty and "theatrical" manner. He jokes about his long friendship with Jekyll and "chuckled" when recounting their history. Unlike the more reserved Utterson, Lanyon openly voices criticism, accusing Jekyll of "unscientific balderdash" with a "little spirt of temper". His willingness to express disagreement openly marks him as more emotionally direct than his peers.

After witnessing Jekyll's transformation, Lanyon's language transforms dramatically. His speech becomes vague and repetitive: "I saw what I saw, I heard what I heard." He refuses to write down what he witnessed, showing that language itself has become inadequate for expressing the horror he experienced. The trauma has stripped away his earlier confidence and theatrical manner, leaving him unable to articulate his experience clearly.

Poole's dialogue reflects his social class

The butler Poole speaks differently from the gentlemen, revealing the rigid class divisions of Victorian society. His speech patterns mark him as a servant while also showing his emotional honesty.

Poole consistently addresses Utterson as "Mr Utterson" or "sir", and refers to Jekyll as "master". These terms of address demonstrate his awareness of social hierarchy and his acceptance of his subordinate position. In contrast, Utterson occasionally calls Jekyll "Harry"—a familiar nickname for 'Henry'—revealing their equality as friends of the same social class. This difference in address patterns makes the class boundaries visible through language alone.

When Poole speaks, his dialogue often uses colloquial expressions and non-standard grammar. When Utterson asks whether Jekyll trusts Hyde, Poole replies, "Yes, sir, he do indeed." The incorrect verb form "he do" instead of "he does" stands out sharply from Utterson's grammatically correct narrative voice.

Unlike the restrained gentlemen, Poole does not conceal his emotions behind polite formality. When speaking to Utterson about his suspicions regarding Jekyll, his speech becomes anxious and urgent. He shouts at other servants with "ferocity", openly displaying anger that the gentlemen would suppress. This emotional directness makes Poole more immediately readable to other characters and to readers, as he says what he means without the layers of politeness that obscure the gentlemen's true feelings.

Hyde's dialogue is uncivilised

Hyde's manner of speaking marks him as fundamentally different from respectable society. His dialogue reveals his aggressive nature and suggests something inhuman beneath the surface.

Hyde speaks with anger that gentlemen would consider inappropriate. When he first meets Utterson, he speaks "with a flush of anger." Utterson scolds him for not using "fitting language", alarmed not just by what Hyde says but by how openly he expresses emotion.

His dialogue lacks the elaborate politeness of gentlemen's speech. Hyde uses short, direct sentences and blunt questions like "What do you want?" Utterson finds this rude because gentlemen would frame such a question more politely, perhaps apologising for asking or adding deferential language. Hyde's directness strips away social niceties, revealing the aggression underneath.

Stevenson describes Hyde as having a "whispering and somewhat broken voice". The whispering quality associates him with secrecy and conspiracy—he sounds like someone concealing wrongdoing. The broken quality suggests he cannot speak smoothly, as if proper speech is unnatural to him.

Hyde also makes sounds that are not fully human. He makes a "hissing" noise and screams in an "animal terror". These inhuman vocalisations suggest he exists outside humanity, representing Jekyll's most primitive instincts given physical form. Where Jekyll struggles to maintain proper speech, Hyde sometimes abandons language altogether for animal sounds.

The language in the main narrative is mostly formal

Stevenson narrates most of the novel from Utterson's perspective, using language that mirrors the lawyer's controlled personality. This formal narrative voice shapes how readers experience the story.

The narrative employs formal and controlled language throughout. This linguistic restraint reflects Utterson's personality—measured, rational, and cautious. Readers experience the mystery through Utterson's perspective, which means we share his careful, methodical approach to uncovering the truth.

Plot details unfold in an orderly fashion. When describing Utterson's search of Jekyll's cabinet, the sentences are organised with conjunctions (connecting words like 'and') and prepositions such as "next", "on" and "at". These words create a sense of systematic progression, moving logically from one detail to the next. The language of the narrative is as organised as Utterson himself, giving readers a sense of methodical investigation.

Stevenson uses vivid description alongside formal language

Although the main narrative maintains formal control, Stevenson creates vivid imagery through descriptive passages. These moments bring the story alive while maintaining the overall tone of restraint.

Similes

Stevenson constantly describes Hyde using similes—comparisons using 'like' or 'as'. Hyde is "like a madman", "like a rat" and "like Satan." These comparisons reveal an interesting problem: characters can only compare Hyde to other things rather than describing him directly.

Metaphors

London is described as a "drowned city", a metaphor that suggests the dense fog has smothered everything beneath it. This image makes the fog seem overwhelming and oppressive, more than just weather. The metaphor implies the city is suffocating under something that obscures clear vision—appropriate for a story about hidden identities and concealed truths.

Personification

The back of Jekyll's laboratory is given human qualities through personification. It "thrust forward" onto the pleasant street around it and has "a blind forehead". These descriptions make the building seem like a rude and secretive person, pushing itself aggressively into spaces where it doesn't belong. The "blind forehead" suggests a building without windows—unable to see or be seen into clearly.

Stevenson uses double meanings to create secrecy

Stevenson emphasises the theme of duality by using words and phrases that carry more than one meaning. This technique adds to the atmosphere of uncertainty and reinforces the tension between appearance and reality.

Words with multiple meanings appear throughout the novel, creating layers of interpretation. This linguistic ambiguity mirrors the central theme of dual identities—just as Jekyll and Hyde are two interpretations of one person, many statements in the novel can be read in two different ways. The double meanings add to the atmosphere of uncertainty and create tension between what appears to be real and what actually is real.

Jekyll's own statements contain hidden double meanings that his friends fail to recognise. When Jekyll says he will never set eyes on Hyde again, Utterson interprets this as a promise to end their association. Jekyll is actually talking about looking in a mirror—he won't literally see Hyde's face reflected back at him. His friends don't realise there's a deeper meaning to what he says, which helps him hide his secret while technically telling the truth. This linguistic concealment shows how Jekyll uses language itself as a tool for maintaining his double life.