This introduction covers One Man, Two Names within Theme: Duality & Identity for GCSE English Literature. Revise Theme: Duality & Identity in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for GCSE English Literature with 10 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 1 of 17 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📖 One Man, Two Names
Jekyll's experiment begins with a thesis: "man is not truly one, but truly two." He believes the two selves can be separated — that respectability and impulse can each live cleanly, without contaminating the other.
Stevenson spends ten chapters proving him catastrophically wrong.
By the end, both Jekyll and Hyde are dead. The two selves, forced apart, destroyed each other. Stevenson's answer to Jekyll's thesis is the novella itself.
Practice questions for Theme: Duality & Identity
Which of the following is Jekyll's central thesis about human nature, as stated in Chapter 10?
Identify one technique Stevenson uses in Jekyll's thesis — 'Man is not truly one, but truly two' — and explain what it achieves. (2 marks)