Quote overview table

"my master is not at home"

Quote

"my master is not at home" (Chapter 8)

Context

Poole uses this phrase repeatedly to turn away visitors at Jekyll's door, maintaining his role as a loyal servant while hiding the increasingly strange behaviour occurring inside the house.

Analysis

• Character development/transformation shown - Highlights Poole's shift from unquestioning obedience to subtle unease, as his repeated use suggests growing internal conflict.
• Literary techniques employed by author - Stevenson employs repetition and understatement to create a facade of normalcy, contrasting with the underlying horror.
• Symbolism, foreshadowing, or imagery significance - The phrase symbolises the barriers of secrecy, foreshadowing the eventual breaking down of doors and revelations.
• Connection to broader themes - Ties into secrecy, showing how it protects reputation but erodes trust.
• Contextual importance within narrative structure if relevant - Delays the plot's climax, building suspense toward the confrontation.

Contextual connection

This evasion reflects Victorian social norms where servants like Poole were expected to uphold their masters' privacy, often at the cost of truth, echoing broader class expectations in 1880s Britain.

"All this last week (you must know) him, or it..."

Quote

"All this last week (you must know) him, or it, whatever it is that lives in that cabinet, has been crying night and day for some sort of medicine" (Chapter 8)

Context

Poole confides in Utterson about the disturbing cries and demands coming from Jekyll's cabinet, describing the occupant ambiguously as his concern escalates during their late-night discussion.

Analysis

• Character development/transformation shown - Illustrates Poole's progression from loyal servant to active investigator, as his hesitation reveals emerging courage.
• Literary techniques employed by author - Uses hesitant syntax with parentheses and pronoun shifts ("him" to "it") to convey confusion and build Gothic tension.
• Symbolism, foreshadowing, or imagery significance - The "crying" imagery symbolises inner torment, foreshadowing Jekyll's full revelation of duality.
• Connection to broader themes - Explores duality of human nature, as Poole senses the split identity without fully understanding it.
• Contextual importance within narrative structure if relevant - Advances the plot by motivating Utterson to intervene, shifting from mystery to action.

Contextual connection

Poole's description draws on Victorian fears of scientific experimentation, influenced by contemporary debates about evolution and morality, as seen in Stevenson's era of rapid scientific advancement. This moment underscores class dynamics in Victorian households, where servants often witnessed private horrors but were silenced by social hierarchy, mirroring real accounts of domestic service in the period.

"that thing was not my master, and there's the truth"

Quote

"that thing was not my master, and there's the truth" (Chapter 8)

Context

Poole declares this to Utterson while they stand at the cabinet door, convinced that the figure inside is not Jekyll but something monstrous, just before they force entry.

Analysis

• Character development/transformation shown - Marks Poole's full transformation into a truth-teller, overriding loyalty with moral conviction.
• Literary techniques employed by author - Employs blunt, declarative language and emphasis ("there's the truth") to contrast with the novella's more formal narrative voice.
• Symbolism, foreshadowing, or imagery significance - "That thing" dehumanises Hyde, symbolising the loss of identity and foreshadowing the tragic exposure.
• Connection to broader themes - Reinforces class hierarchy, as Poole's insight challenges upper-class denial.
• Contextual importance within narrative structure if relevant - Acts as a turning point, propelling the narrative to its climax and resolution.

Contextual connection

Poole's blunt honesty reflects the Victorian working-class perspective on upper-class excesses, influenced by Stevenson's own observations of Edinburgh's social divides.

Example analysis paragraph

Quote used: "that thing was not my master, and there's the truth" (Chapter 8)

Grade 9 PEE paragraph

Point

• Stevenson uses Poole's declarative language to expose the theme of duality, showing how a servant's intuition pierces through Victorian repression to reveal the monstrous consequences of unchecked science.

Evidence

• "that thing was not my master, and there's the truth"

Explanation

• The dehumanising noun "thing" and emphatic phrase "there's the truth" employ stark diction to contrast Poole's working-class directness with Jekyll's refined facade, highlighting how repression fractures identity.
• This creates dramatic irony, as Poole's words propel the plot toward revelation, underscoring Stevenson's critique of scientific hubris in an era of Darwinian debates.
• Alternative interpretations might see it as social commentary on class, where servants like Poole represent moral clarity against elite denial.

Grade 7 PEE paragraph

Point

• Through Poole's honest speech, Stevenson develops the theme of duality by showing a servant's recognition of Jekyll's transformation.

Evidence

• "that thing was not my master, and there's the truth"

Explanation

• The shift to "thing" instead of a name uses dehumanising language to convey horror and suspicion, building tension in the Gothic narrative.
• It emphasises Poole's loyalty turning to truth-seeking, connecting to how class influences perception of evil.
• Overall, this advances the author's purpose of warning against hidden inner darkness.

Grade 5 PEE paragraph

Point

• This quote shows Poole realising that the person inside is not really his master Jekyll.

Evidence

• "that thing was not my master, and there's the truth"

Explanation

• Words like "thing" make it clear Poole thinks it's something bad, not human, which helps build the story's mystery.
• It leads to them breaking the door and finding out the truth about Hyde.