3rd Period
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: the Movie vs. Book
Themes, Symbols, and Messages
Novel vs. Film
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The novel being with Utterson speaking to Enfield, while the film begins with at a church and a choir singing “The Lord is my shepherd,”
which Poole recites at the end of the film over Jekyll’s dead body.
In the novel, Jekyll does not associate with women. In the film, he has a fiancé (Beatrix) and a mistress (Ivy).
In the film, he made several potions, in the novel only one. He had to keep trying in the film because his first attempts killed his animal
test subjects.
In the novel, Utterson and Lanyon are the only ones who learn the truth, but in the film, the authorities are led to Jekyll by Lanyon.
In the novel, Jekyll killed himself, but in the film he is shot by Lanyon because he’s going to stab Lanyon.
There is no will in the film. No Utterson, no Enfield. In the book, Sir Charles is murdered and isn’t his future father-in-law.
In the film, he ends up going to Lanyon because he can’t get to his potion, but in the novel he kills someone and is a wanted man, and
therefore cannot return home.
In the novel, the potion is just for Jekyll and he gives it to no one else. In the film, he wants to help people, and tests it on animals and
tries to test it on a man—WITHOUT permission. (Secretly, behind everyone’s back.)
In the film, he took the potion only after he found out Beatrix was going away. He CONTINUED to take it so he could have sex with Ivy and
beat her without feeling guilty.
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Symbols in the Novel
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Jekyll: good, intelligence, inner conflict, upper class, creation
or reconstruction, restoration, healing (Dr.)
Hyde: evil, destruction, abuse, envy, violence, no sense of
guilt or morality, lower class
Jekyll/Hyde: Very different, in both personality and looks.
Utterson: the middle—he struggles to remain good enough
for Victorian morals, but is overall a good person. He lets his
friends do what they want, good or bad, without interfering.
Women: What women?
The Will: Transferring, “get out of jail free”
The Door: lets someone/something in, or keeps it out,
separation, “behind closed doors” means secret or private.
(Like Jekyll, Utterson, or society.) Can also mean security, like
protecting yourself from bad people.
Symbols in the Film
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Jekyll: Shares his thoughts and ideas and experiments. Is more
open and laid back. More affectionate and flirtatious than is
acceptable in Victorian society.
Hyde: still violent and evil
Jekyll/Hyde: Not as big a difference as in the book. He and
Jekyll both like women and shock society
Beatrix: Rich, upper class, inexperienced, naïve, sheltered,
light hair/eyes represent goodness and purity
Ivy: Poor, lower class, knows harsh reality, lives in the “real
world,” dark eyes/hair represent evil and temptation
Dream Sequence: Water lilies represent goodness. The pale
and dark horses represent Beatrix and Ivy. He is whipping
them, and they turn into Beatrix and Ivy. This suggests Jekyll is
a man with evil desires.
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Conflict: Jekyll’s problem is that he wanted to separate what was good
and evil in himself.
Conflict: Jekyll’s problems revolve around Beatrix and Ivy.
Themes in the Novel
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Themes in the Film
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The genre text is about abstract concept, and reveals
an aspect or attribute of human experiences.