This exam focus covers Reputation and Secrecy in Paper 1 Questions within Theme: Victorian Reputation & Secrecy for GCSE English Literature. Revise Theme: Victorian Reputation & Secrecy in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for GCSE English Literature with 12 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 15 of 17 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.

🎯 Reputation and Secrecy in Paper 1 Questions

Reputation questions often disguise themselves as Utterson questions or "how does Stevenson present Victorian society" questions. Any time a question asks about secrecy, respectability, Victorian professional life, or Utterson's role — this is the theme to deploy.

Direct theme question: "How does Stevenson present ideas about secrecy and respectability?" — use MASK → THREAT → EXPOSURE.
Character question: "How does Stevenson present Utterson?" — Utterson is the gentlemen's code embodied; his priority is always Jekyll's reputation, not truth.
Context question: Victorian professional culture, the role of lawyers and doctors as reputation-managers, the consequences of exposure.

Marks at stake: Section B = 30 marks. Reputation intertwines with duality — essays that connect both themes score higher.

Practice questions for Theme: Victorian Reputation & Secrecy

In Chapter 1, when Utterson hears about Hyde, what is his first instinct?

A. To protect Jekyll's reputation at all costs
B. To call the police and report Hyde's violent behaviour
C. To confront Jekyll directly and demand an explanation
D. To investigate Hyde's true identity by asking Lanyon

1 markfoundation

Name one technique Stevenson uses in 'If he be Mr Hyde, I shall be Mr Seek' and explain what effect it creates for the reader. [2 marks]

2 marksstandard

Quick recall flashcards

Mnemonic for the reputation and secrecy trajectory?

MASK → THREAT → EXPOSURE. Mask: reputation IS identity — characters introduced by profession, not personality; Utterson as embodiment of discretion. Threat: Hyde threatens the mask; gentlemen's code enables Jekyll's isolation; Utterson protects rather than saves. Exposure: posthumous documents only — truth arrives after death; no public reckoning; the mask outlasts the man. Remember: Stevenson presents reputation-protection not as a virtue but as the mechanism of destruction.

What are the three stages of the reputation and secrecy trajectory?

MASK → THREAT → EXPOSURE. Mask (Ch.1-3): all characters introduced through professional standing — reputation IS identity; Utterson embodies the gentleman's code. Threat (Ch.4-8): Hyde threatens the mask; the gentlemen's code means Utterson protects rather than confronts; secrecy isolates Jekyll. Exposure (Ch.9-10): posthumous documents only — Lanyon's letter, Jekyll's statement; truth arrives after death; no public reckoning; the mask outlasts the man.

Reputation's Trajectory in Three Words

Moving from Level 3 to Level 5 on Reputation

Reputation and Secrecy in Paper 1 Questions