Ask the Expert Tutor: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
As part of our ‘Ask the Expert Tutor’ series, we will be discussing Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, frequently studied as part of IGCSE English.
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde has long been a common choice for study at IGCSE. It’s easy to see why.
The novella may be short, but it is a fascinating story filled with twists and turns, evocative language ripe for analysis, and thematic explorations of good and evil. This makes it a perfect text for IGCSE students. Stevenson explores themes and debates present in nineteenth century Britain that remain relevant today. Framed as an epistolary novel (where letters, rather a traditional narrator, convey the story), Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde follows its two title characters – the good and respectable Dr Jekyll, and his unspeakably evil double, Mr Hyde.
When it comes to understanding the novella, IGCSE students should aim to have some knowledge of the context in which it was written. Stevenson was writing from Edinburgh, in Scotland, but set the novella in London, England. It serves as a commentary on the way city life changed and evolved over the nineteenth century in the aftermath of the industrial revolution and the subsequent social changes.
The middle and upper classes in the Victorian Era were particularly obsessed with the notion of respectability, and Stevenson uses this in his novella to underline the hypocrisy of this societal obsession. The story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde both demonstrates the dangers of atomised city life and the hypocrisy of a Victorian society obsessed with the appearance of morality, while also indulging in poor behaviour.
IGCSE candidates are faced with the challenge of answering two questions based on a short extract from their texts. The extract is roughly a page in length and can be from any point in the text.
For IGCSE students studying the Edexcel syllabus, this question has two parts. The first is a close reading of the extract itself. This is designed to test students’ knowledge of literary devices, and ability to see how an author’s choices help convey meaning. There are many ways to effectively prepare for such a task. Perhaps the most effective is to pick a randomly selected page of the novel and write a commentary to time, paying close attention to literary devices and other authorial choices.
However, IGCSE students are also faced with another task, where they are required to connect a key theme of the extract to the work as a whole. Here, IGCSE students are expected to put the extract into its appropriate context, and demonstrate a deep understanding of the novella. Organising a quotation bank by theme can be a useful revision exercise when preparing for this question in IGCSE English Literature.
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a great opportunity for IGCSE students to showcase their skills and abilities in the subject, while also getting to read a classic of English literature. However, all exams are daunting, and IGCSE English Literature is no exception.
At BartyED, we have coached countless GCSE, IGCSE, A-Level, and IB learners in all aspects of literary analysis. Our expert tutors are trained to recognise and target areas of weakness in students so as to assist these young learners in improving their critical thinking and writing skills. If you believe that you or your child, be they studying GCSE, IGCSE, A-Level, or IB, could benefit from the guidance of an experienced tutor, please reach out to us today by phone (+852 2882 1017) or email (enquiries@bartyed.com).