Talk:2008 BM1 Assignment 3: Jekyll and Hyde

Student Discussion

Do you have any idea how the direct speech of Utterson fits to his character?

I am also unsure if I am supposed to write something about the focalisation in question 4. It asks for the narrative mode in this passage in relation to the narrative structure of the whole text. Now I am a little confused, because in my opinion the focalisation must be left out in this part, but on the other hand one cannot make always a clean cut between focalisation and narration. How do you think about about leaving out focalisation in this task?

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down.

And I do appreciate you being 'round.

Help me get my feet back on the ground,

Won't you please, please help me? [beatles]

all a question of what you want: "feet back" or "feedback"... --Olaf Simons 13:24, 20 June 2008 (CEST)

Hi! i have a little problem with task one.... are we supposed to interpret the characterisations or only identify characterisations and the say which mode they are made in???? HELP ; )!!! greetings --Marietta Sonnenschein 16:41, 23 June 2008 (CEST)

Concerning task 5: Is it really necessary that the topic, which I choose to discuss, is mentioned explicitly in the given passage or is it okay when the topic becomes important in a later part of the novel?

Model Solution

Assignment 3 – Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Question One

Aim: Distinguish between direct and indirect characterization, as well reinforcement of characterization by analogy.

• Examples for direct statements (by narrator):

• Utterson – “lawyer”, “yet somehow loveable”, “eminently human” (not in speech, in actions), “austere with himself”; “with envy”; “inclined to help rather than to reprove” (stands in contrast to “Am I my brother’s keeper”); “undemonstrative”, “his affections […] implied no aptness n the object”
• Enfield – “well-known man about town”
• Second paragraph: interpretation of character; “seemed to be founded in a similar”, “it is the mark of a modest man”; “no doubt” repeated

• Examples for indirect presentation:

• actions (commission/omission): “never lighted by a smile”; gin/vintages; theatre/does not attend; “never marked a shade of change in his demeanour”; Enfield and Utterson look bored during meetings (“many…”)
• characteristics of speech: “cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse”; “‘I incline …’”
• external appearance: “rugged countenance”
• environment: social connection to “distant kinsman”, “friends”

• Examples for reinforcement of character by analogy:

• Utterson – telling name? to utter
• Contrast and similarities: down-going men vs. last reputable acquaintance; contrast and similarity in relation to Enfield

• direct statements by narrator: [7pts]
• indirect presentation through action (commission/omission): [7pts]
• contrast/similarities, environment: [3pts]
• characteristics of speech/ external appearance/ telling names: [3pts]

Question Two

Aim: Distinguish narration and focalization; describe the level and involvement of the narrative voice (who speaks?), define focalization (who sees?), and comment on the shift in focalization in the second paragraph.

• Narration: extra-heterodiegetic narrator [5pts + 5pts]
• Focalization: external focalization from without (i.e. in friendly meetings etc.) [5pts]; focalization shifts in the second paragraph [5pts] “many…”, “it seemed”
• Bonus points for thoughts on gnomic statement: “It is the mark of a modest man…” (i.e. everyone knows that…), ulterior narration; perceptibility of narrator

Question Three

Aim: Draw from your results in questions 1 and 2, and comment in three steps on main character features, enigmatic points and incompleteness/unreliability of this information.

• Examples for main character features [up to 10pts]:

• contradictory characteristics – reservedness and self-denial; association with (envy of) people who are unreserved and who have contrasting features
• loyalty
• habits

• Examples for enigmatic points [up to 5pts]:

• why is it self-denial if you drink gin instead of wine? especially if wine makes you “eminently human”
• why is so bad about going to the theatre?
• meetings with Enfield – what is the connection between the two men? what can they see in each other?

• Examples for completeness/ reliability [up to 5pts]:

• not complete: family relations (only distant kinsman); why are these men down-going? what are their misdeeds?
• not reliable: lack of narrative authority in second paragraph: “no doubt”, “seemed” (limited knowledge, who sees? who is responsible for this information?)

Question Four

Aim: Draw from your results in question 2 and relate them to the overall narrative structure of the novel which creates an image of events based on multiple perspectives.

• this passage: extra-heterodiegetic and external-focalization (presentation of Utterson who becomes the main focalizer later on); rest of the novel: mainly Utterson as focalizer [10pts]
• narrative structure is open, enigmatic; addition of many individual perspectives (letters, maid in Carew case); towards the end: Lanyon and Jekyll (intra-homodiegetic narratives) [10pts]
• if narrative structure of entire text is described well but is not related to the passage in question: up to 12 pts

Question Five

Aim: Identify an aspect which is important for this passage and significant for the rest of the text. Use examples from the text and evaluate the significance of the chosen aspect.

• Examples: duplicity/duality/two sides of character in Utterson and Jekyll; motif of down-going men; different perspectives and uncertainty (“seemed”, “not to crack for many”); importance of Utterson’s character for the rest of the text etc. etc.
• aspect without relation [up to 5pts]
• aspect with relation [up to 10pts]
• aspect with relation, text passages, interpretation, reflection etc [up to 20pts]