Part 4: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Theme — Quiz
Question 17 • English IV
Read the excerpt from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The court was very cool and a little damp, and full of premature twilight, although the sky, high up overhead, was still bright with sunset. The middle one of the three windows was half-way open; and sitting close beside it, taking the air with an infinite sadness of mien, like some disconsolate prisoner, Utterson saw Dr. Jekyll. "What! Jekyll!” he cried. "I trust you are better.” "I am very low, Utterson,” replied the doctor drearily, "very low. It will not last long, thank God.” How does this event best connect to the theme "Secrets isolate people”?
Answer
A
Dr. Jekyll is trapped at home because he is afraid the truth will be discovered.
B
Dr. Jekyll feels excluded from his friends and their secrets.
C
Dr. Jekyll’s friends are concerned, and they think he is physically ill.
D
Dr. Jekyll’s feelings are low because he does not get enough physical activity.
Explanation
Jekyll is sitting alone at a window and is compared to a “disconsolate prisoner,” which suggests that he feels confined and cut off from others. His secret forces him to stay hidden, connecting his isolation to the theme that secrets isolate people. Choice A best captures this idea: he is trapped at home because he fears the truth will be discovered.
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