Page 11 - The Vocabulary Expander US Grades 6-8

How Themes are Revealed in Literature | RL2 Key Ideas and Details: Themes and Summarizing

How Themes are Revealed in Literature
H o w T hemes ar e R e v ealed in Lit er a tur e

Writers may not explicitly use a theme word, such as ‘bravery’, but the themes will be evident
through key elements of the text, such as plot, characters, relationships and settings. Particular
details of a text reveal themes and the writers’ ideas.

A As conflict is at the heart of many stories, we often find opposite themes (antithesis) in
the same piece of literature. This is especially true when it comes to ‘good’ and ‘evil’. In
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll takes a potion to reveal the other side of his nature,
the ‘evil’ side (Mr. Hyde) and we see how the two characters come to represent the themes
of ‘good’ and ‘evil’. We will consider how the ‘evil’ of this new character is revealed in the
details.

I well remember the night I took the potion. I had bought a large quantity of a particular
salt that I knew would be the key catalyst; I mixed it with the other ingredients and watched
them boil and smoke and then, summoning up all the courage I had, I drank the potion. It
began working almost immediately: A grinding tore at my bones, I was racked with deadly
nausea, and when my mind cleared, I felt strangely younger, lighter, and happier. I felt

newborn, and, above all, absolutely free! I had no conscience. I was evil and wicked with no
constraints.

I stretched my hands out in joy and was suddenly aware that not only had I changed
inwardly, but that I had changed physically. I had become stunted. Desperately, I sought
a mirror and dashed from the laboratory, ran across the courtyard and into my bedroom,
where there was a mirror. There, for the first time, I saw my evil side, Edward Hyde, sickly
and deformed, despite the fact that I seemingly felt younger and happier. I realized, of
course, that my "professional" self had been rigorously trained. This "side" of myself which I
now saw had been kept secret for many, many years in the dark cellar of my soul.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson
1. Which 2 verbs in the second sentence tell us that this experiment is ‘evil’?
__________________ and __________________
2. In the second half of the first paragraph, we see the physical effects on Dr Hyde.
Pick 2 words which show the danger of this experiment on him.
__________________ and __________________
3. In the second paragraph, there are 3 words to describe Hyde’s physical appearance.
These all suggest he is evil. What are they?
__________________ and __________________ and __________________
4. In the final sentence, Stevenson uses a metaphor to describe how this evil nature had
been hidden away within him. Write out the metaphor.
______________________________________________________________
5. Another key theme here is ‘identity’. Dr Hyde does this experiment because he feels he
has a ‘dual’ personality with two sides to it. If he acts on his ‘evil’ desires, he will ruin
his reputation which was so important in the 19th century. Which 2 comparatives
reveal how he first feels about this new identity?
__________________ and __________________

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