Category: Unit 2: Ghosts & Transformations

I really enjoyed A Midsummer Night’s Dream because it connects with a few of my interests, like romance, and drama. The play explores love in so many different ways, and shows how unpredictable and ridiculous it can be. Shakespeare uses magic, and conflicts to prove that love isn’t always as straightforward as people make it seem.

While reading the dialogue and watching the play, it made me think about how easily love can be manipulated and how emotions are not always what they might be perceived as. The play gives many examples of how quickly people can change their feelings, which made me think about the difference between true love and love influenced by people around. At the same time, the play made me think about how imagination plays a role in love and relationships. 

One of the most interesting aspects of the play is how it introduces different varieties of love. There’s passionate love, like what Hermia and Lysander have, but also forced love, which is what Helena and Demetrius initially had. There’s even love made by magic, like when Titania falls for Nick Bottom in the form of a donkey. While some of these relationships seem genuine, a good amount are obviously fake. The realest love in the play is probably between Hermia and Lysander since they genuinely care for each other and fight to be together, while the love between Titania and Nick Bottom is unnatural because it’s caused by a spell. Even Demetrius’ love for Helena is questioned, because he only actually falls for her after Oberon’s spell.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading and watching A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The mix of romance, and humor made it entertaining and really easy to understand and digest. The way Shakespeare shows varieties of love kept me thinking about the story even after I got out of the lesson.

While reading A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, I thought that it was written very well, and you can tell by the flow and wording of his writing that he really had a passion for storytelling. Even though I don’t usually enjoy reading Shakespeare, I can still appreciate how creative and imaginative this play is. It made me think what Shakespeare was thinking about when he wrote this text, or what was happening in his own life at the time to inspire such a story. Was he thinking about love in his own relationships? Those thoughts made me more curious about the person behind the words, even if the actual language was difficult to follow. Something I found hard for me in this text was the Old English style of writing. I find it hard to focus when the language is so unfamiliar, and I had to reread certain parts just to figure out what was even happening. That being said, once I understood the scenes, I found some of them really interesting, especially the relationship between Titania, the Queen of the fairies, and Bottom, an ordinary man who is magically given the head of a donkey. I find this relationship especially interesting because I think Shakespeare was making a point about how love can make people completely blind. Titania doesn’t fall for Bottom because of who he is — she falls for him because of a magic spell, but the way she showers him with love and attention reminded me of how people sometimes convince themselves that someone is perfect, even when they clearly aren’t. It’s like when people put someone on a pedestal and only see what they want to see, instead of who the person actually is. Shakespeare might be exaggerating it for comedy, but the truth behind it is pretty real.

I really liked A Midsummer Night’s Dream because I found I very funny. My favorite part of the entire thing was when Puck turned Nick Bottom into a Donkey. It was really funny to see what the other people thought of him when they saw his face as a donkey. Another funny part was the play. I found that it funny because they always messed up their lines so it added a bit of comedy because they just stood their not knowing what their line was. I really liked the play overall because I found it the perfect combination that makes it a good play. My favorite in this play was Nick Bottom. I really found it funny how he was turned to a donkey and how he gets his words mixed up. Like when he says ” Sweet moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beams”. I found this funny because moons are not sunny. I also liked how in the play there were 3 different stories but in the end they all sort of linked. I found this interesting because normally stories have 1 or 2 stories in them. One part I did not like was when Nick was the donkey and he was with Titania Puck was just watchin. I found it kind of odd and a little weird. One part I found hilarious about Pyramus and Thisby was how the person playing Thisby was a guy. I found it hilarious because he had to go in a higher voice which did not sound normal at all. And also whenever someone messed up a line there was a guy that yelled. Whenever the camera was on the guy that yelled it was super funny because he always had this mad expression from how bad the play was. But overall I found this play a good play and I really liked it.

After watching the movie of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I would say that it is definitely my favourite text we have worked with so far in English class. I found that it was very interesting and always had something new going on. When we first started the text, I thought that I would struggle a lot because of the Shakespeare but it was actually quite easy to understand. At least it was much better than I had thought. I liked in the movie how they portrayed the strong love triangle between Hermia, Helena and Lysander. I think this was a huge part of the book and it allowed the book to have many twists and turns. For example, at the start Hermia and Helena were best friends and then in the middle of the book they were enemies because Lysander was in love with Helena and then at the end their relationship was salvaged and brought back to peace. There was also Hermia and Lysander’s story which I also quite enjoyed. I thought it was more of a classic love story that we don’t see too often anymore. Then, towards the middle of the story, I like how the fairies became a huge part of the story. If you think about the story as a whole, the fairies were really the centre of the story and the main catalyst because they were the ones who changed Lysander and Demetrius. If the fairies weren’t in the story I feel it would have been much more boring and uninteresting because they were the main reason all the drama started in the movie. Lastly, I liked how Shakespeare had many subtle laughable jokes and made some of the scenes funny how people would mix up words and say a joke but not make a bug deal about it. Overall, I really enjoyed this text and I hope we can read more similar to this. Even though it is older, it can still please a young audience which is hard to do.

One of the elements I enjoyed when reading A Midsummer Night’s Dream was the love triangle between Lysander, Hermia, and Helena and the way their relationship and constant shifting in and out of love added intrigue and comedy to the story. Something else I enjoyed reading was how this love triangle explored themes of jealousy and unrequited love. Watching the characters navigate their feelings, whether it was awkwardly or humorously, etc, was also entertaining and added layers to their characters, making their emotions feel more real. One of the characters who did this very well was Helena, as she struggled to gain Demetrius’s affection. Her vulnerability and desperation despite her loyalty and efforts, and how she was unable to get the love she deserved, made me empathize and root for her even more.Another thing I also liked about the play was the ending of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as it provided a sense of harmony after all the chaos. Despite the confusion and misunderstandings caused by magic, the characters found their way back to each other, and everything was set right. I thought the reunion between Lysander, Hermia, Helena and Demetrius was very sweet, and I liked how it brought an end to the love triangle, proving that, despite the chaos, true love was able to win in the end. Something I didn’t enjoy as much was how quickly the characters’ feelings changed. While it added to the comedy, it also made their love seem shallow at times. The way Demetrius suddenly loved Helena just because of magic felt hurtful and made me feel bad for Helena because she was treated so poorly. Overall, A Midsummer Night’s Dream was an enjoyable and well-written play. Even though some of the romance felt unrealistic, the humor, creativity, magical elements and unpredictable twists and turns in the plot made it an intriguing and good read.

 

I really enjoyed reading “A Midsummer Nights Dream” because it was funny, chaotic, and full of unexpected twists. The way Shakespeare made it so unpridictable and maybe sometimes confusing due to the characters changing who they loved almost every second made it all the better. I liked the humour and I think it really added to the play and made it more fun. One part that stood out to me was when Lysander, who is in love with Hermia, suddenly wakes up and falls for Helena when Puck puts the potion in his eyes. He tells Helena “Not Hermia, but Helena I love”. Before that, he wanted to run away with Hermia, but now he completely forgets about her. This was both funny and frutrating because he doesnt even realize how ridiculous he’s being. I felt bad for Helena cause she thought they were making fun of her when Demetrius also fell under the same potion. She got what she wanted but in the worst way possible. I liked how the play mixed dreams and reality. When Bottom turns into a donkey and Titania falls in love with him, it feels so random and weird. I love how over-the-top everything was. The love potion made the characters act in such perculiar ways, and I liked how the faries added so much chaos. I though the fary world would become more serious, but it eneded up being the funniest part of the play. The whole play made me think about how things arent always how they seem and that’s what made it so interesting in my opinion. I liked how different the play was compared to other ones I have seen. Overall, A Midsummer Nights Dream was really enjoyable, and I liked how it didn’t take itself too seriously. I can see why people still love it after so many years.

Watching A Midsummer Night’s Dream was fun and interesting. I think the movie made the story come alive in my mind, and it was way easier for me to understand it, especially with all the magic and mix up between Helena, Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius, and Titania.

The play had a lot of funny moments, like when the love potion messes everything up and people end up falling in love with totally different people then intended. Some parts of the movie made me laugh, especially with how confused the characters were about their love interest. Some of the scenes were really overdone, but that made them more enjoyable to watch, like when bottom ends up with a donkey’s head. It’s one of those weird things you wouldn’t expect but it adds to the story.

One thing that stood out to me in the movie was how everything seemed very fantasy like, with the fairies and the magic. It made me think about how fun it would be to live in a place like that. Although I didn’t really like was how they spoke, I understood that during that timeline that’s how they spoke, but I feel like I would have been able to understand the play more if they were talking how people talk today.

I am excited to do the play soon. I think performing it will be a bit of a challenge, but it’ll also be fun. There are so many different characters with different personalities, so I’m curious to see how we will present them. I already know that it will be funny because of how the class was casted, but I think it also be tricky to get the proper emotions.

Overall, I did really enjoy the play, and I would watch the movie again, considering it has some actors that I like. I would rate the play a solid 9.5 out of 10.

The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a famous story. In my personal opinion, I think this story was dark and kind of gothic. I like the story; I think it gives a lot of really detailed and specific moments. For me the story is an 8/10. It was really interesting. This was a cool story that I will recommend for everyone. I enjoyed reading this book.

 

I rate the Christmas carol a 7/10. It’s a classic story. I didn’t enjoy reading this book, but it was an assignment, so I was forced to do it, but in the end, everything helps to improve. This book made me get a little bit lost in the story because it was a little bit difficult for me because it changed from scenario really radically, and it had a lot of jokes that I didn’t understand, but this was a good book I will recommend for an intermediate level of reading.

I think that so far A Christmas Carol  has been one of my favorite things that we have read this year. One of the reasons that I enjoy it so much is because there is a good moral to the story and a lot of character development, which we can see by comparing Scrooge’s behaviors in the beginning of the book to his behaviors in the end. I have also always enjoyed the idea of ghosts and spirits, and have always enjoyed that they are featured in this story. I also think that the book was written in an incredibly unique and creative way, which has greatly contributed to its popularity, and lead to the several different versions of the story that have been produced over time. It also makes me think about how peoples early lives can affect their actions and behaviors later in life, because Scrooge wasn’t born as a grumpy old man, when we are born we are only born with 2 fears, falling, and loud noises, the rest are learned and that is the same for opinions and behaviors. The book also makes me think about the fact that people can’t often choose the situation that they are in, but they can always choose how to react to it. So to some degree, Scrooge is to blame for the way he has chosen to act and think. Another interesting part about the book is that we get to see things from very different points of view. Scrooge starts out by being very wealthy and really couldn’t care less about his family. Whereas the Cratchits don’t have a lot of money, and are in a difficult situation, but still show love and kindness towards their family. I also thought that this story had the end that everyone was hoping for, which was nice because I feel like some of the other things that we read this year didn’t have very satisfying endings to be honest. I enjoyed “Our Town” but I mean SERIOUSLY WHY DID THEY KILL EMILY?????!!!!! Anyways that is how I feel about A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

I think the book A Christmas Carol  by Charles Dickens was an overall good read, I personally enjoyed it more than some of the other books we have read, but it’s also not my favourite. I think out of all the books we’ve read, it was probably 2nd or 3rd on my list. This is a very famous book, and I have watched movies about it, read variations of it, even preformed a play of it at school, so the basic idea of the book is not uncommon, and I already knew what it was. But reading the original thing was different. There are certain details that are only in the original book, such as exactly where each ghost takes Scrooge and what he sees, and what he does before meeting Marley, and what he does after. I think overall the idea of changing someone is an idea that is closely related to real life, and how despite what people think, everyone has the ability to change, whether they want to or not is their decision, and whether they can by themselves or not just depends on the person. I think the lesson behind this book is valuable, saying that even if it seems like someone doesn’t have the ability to change, and will always be the same, that with maybe some help from the right people, that person can indeed change and become a better person. The book again, was written in an older English style, so it was a lot harder and took a lot longer to read, as it was written in a confusing, unusual way. I think what all the ghosts combined showed Scrooge were all very interesting and valuable things to show, and it makes you think about how each event or moment in your life compares to both someone else’s life and your life in later years.

Reading a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, I thought it was fun to read something I had heard so much about and pieces of this book through my childhood. When Scrooge’s journey in the book took him from greedy and rude to joyful and generosity shows that nobody is exempt from changing. This book also made me think how compassion and kindness can really change lives. It really shows how people can let their past define them and allow their circumstances to become more closed off, especially towards others.  Scrooge’s transformation is proof that everyone can change and it’s necessary if they want to live meaningful lives. This book makes me think about how Scrooge was taking his privileges for granted and not sharing them with others, like his family. This book for me was very slow for reading and I felt a little bit bored while reading it because I had heard parts of it my whole life and felt like I was just re-reading it. I also tend to not like older books because of the type of language they use and I find it harder to read because it is more confusing. I noticed how Dickens depicts the joy of simple human connection. The Cratchit’s, despite their poverty, are very warm and loving, contrasting the sharp and coldness of Scrooge. In the end the Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, reflects on people taking life for granted, and how they need to be more kind and loving to anyone because you never know what they are going through.

I really liked this book because it was very interesting and it really made me think about what the author was trying to tell us. My favorite part is when Scrooge decides he is going to buy a turkey for the Cratchit family. This is my favorite part because it really show the transformation of Scrooge. At the start of the book he does not like Christmas and thinks happiness comes from money. At the end of the book he is just as exited as everyone else and he tries to change what people think of him. At the end of the book he is a lot happier then at the start this made me think that change can be a good thing and it is okay to try and be open minded to new things. A part I found interesting was when Scrooge said that he would rather see his nephew die before expecting the invitation. This was interesting because this is not something you would say to anyone especially to someone in your family. I would say I did not have a least favorite part of the book because the author made it very clear what was happening so I knew what was going on at all times which really makes me enjoy the book more. This makes me like the book more because I know what is happening where as if I did not I would not be interesting because I do not know what is happening so I cannot picture what everything looks like in my head which really helps me when I read a book. This book makes me think that there is no time to be a bad person and to respect others and live my life to be the best I can. It also makes me think that anybody can become a better human being no matter what they were like before. This makes me feel that anybody is good and to give everyone a chance.

After reading A Christmas Carol, I thought it was pretty good. This was a classic story that i’ve heard many times. I do always enjoy reading the story or listening to it because it reminds me of my childhood and my Nana. Sometimes I did find that it got a little bit boring during parts because I have heard the story so many times and I already know whats gonna happen.

This story does bring a sense to joy as well when reading it. It brings out the Christmas spirit of me and does make me happy. I like how some of the lines make me laugh and giggle. I think it is cool how Dickens slips in little comments that make the reader laugh if you can figure it out.

In many ways the book explores the concept compassion. Scrooges transformation is a big idea because if you look at how he started from the beginning of the book to how he ended in you would see a drastic change in his compassion. After the visit of the three ghosts Scrooge became to realize that maybe he has done some wrong in life but his compassion slowly grows when he decides to change. Bob Cratchit also shows a great sense of compassion because he is kind to all and still stays humble. Even though Bob isn’t in the best place and doesn’t have a great financial situation he puts that behind him and is always happy. He puts his family first and helps his son Tiny Tim get better. Bob was probably my favourite character because he was all around a great person which I think is really important. Lastly I think Fred shows that he is very compassionate because he is always loving Scrooge. He loves his uncle and forever will even if at the start of the book Scrooge did’t really love him.

Overall I did like the book. It wasn’t my favourite book we’ve read this year it will still good ad made me get in the Christmas spirit.

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was an enjoyable, sweet but short story. The story shows how easy it is to let greed consume us, like what happened to Scrooge. The story shows how Scrooge’s actions didn’t only hurt others but also left him lonely and sad.

The visits from Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come were important because they made Scrooge see his actions. It made me think about how important it is to reflect on my actions, and realize the impact they might have on other people.

Reading this book made me feel different emotions. In the beginning, I really didn’t like Scrooge’s attitude, but as the story went on, I liked his transformation. It teaches a lesson and shows that even the most unkind people can change if they’re willing to open their eyes and admit their wrongs.

One thing I found interesting about this story was that it focused on kindness and changes within people. It shows how living with love can bring overall happiness. The story left me thinking about how small acts of kindness can change peoples lives.

What I also liked about A Christmas Carol was how Dickens used a horror element in an interesting way to tell this story. The ghosts weren’t just there to scare Scrooge, but they all had a purpose and represented something different. The Ghost of Christmas Past reminded him of the innocence and happiness he used to have, while the Ghost of Christmas Present showed him the struggles of people who were still finding joy even in circumstances they had. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come was the most powerful because it forced Scrooge to face the reality of what his future could look like if he didn’t change.

Overall, the story reminded me of the importance of having compassion and empathy for others, and making the most of the time we have with each other.

I enjoyed reading A Christmas Carol, Its a great holiday classic that I find myself reading every year. Considering this, I am very comfortable with the book and I could probably tell the story off by memory. I do really like the idea of the story; I like how Dickens had the idea to send ghosts to visit Scrooge from the past, present, and future, to warm him of what is coming if he doesn’t change. There is also a movie based on the book and I watch it every year, I find it very interesting to see all of the tiny differences between the book and the movie. Off from the beginning of the book it is a little bland and slow moving, but towards 1/4 into the book I feel like I am in the pages. Personally my favorite ghost is the “Ghost of Christmas Past” because when I think of it, I think of a tiny little many wearing yellow pajamas and glowing with light. If I was Scrooge I wouldn’t be to scared. This ghost was also my favorite ghost in addition to when it took Scrooge to see himself young, all in which he was happy and not worried about money.

My favorite part of the book is the last stave when Scrooge wakes up and just changes, being kind to everyone and buying the little boy the biggest turkey, then giving Bob Cratchit a raise as well as a day off. Later on going to see his only family left and enjoys Christmas together as it should be spent.

Every time I read this book I feel very much in the Christmas spirit as well as joy and kindness. This book has a very meaningful lesson; teaching the reader that there is good in everyone, and everyone can change no matter the circumstances. It makes me think how lucky I am and how family is much more valuable then money.

Furthermore I liked the book and I would read it again, I liked the concept of it and the plots it had. I would rate this book a 8.5/10 and 100% recommend.

 

The Christmas carol by Charles Dickinson was In my opinion the Christmas carol is a good book but started off slow, hard to read and made me tired reading it but the parts it picked up and was getting interesting I did like reading it. I liked the way that Scrooge was seen as a grumpy man who couldn’t show happiness or remorse for anyone going through anything and not having a care in the world about anyone or anything ever. I espesally liked the way Charles Dickson portrays Christmas and the three ghosts as people and kids who weren’t there to hurt him but to guid him. I liked Christmas past and Christmas future and what they showed Scrooge and showing how no one cares about death in till you realize it’s right around the corner. I like the way he portrayed the ghosts and the lessons they teaching him especially at the end of the story teaching him to be grateful in the moment instead of taking advantage of the people around him and the people who where asking for his help, anyone who wanted to help, him and his neglect for the ones who love him. Me personally I like the amount of detail in the story and the little things like him responding to Jacob Marleys name even if he was dead or they way the ghosts where all like hallucinations where he would go on these long adventures through time and all these places to be left back at home in bed like nothing was or is happening to him. The Christmas carol was a slow moving book that felt like it was going no wear but had big meaning behind it that we all don’t have very much time to why waste it being rude and grumpy when you can enjoy the little things in life

I don’t know how I keep getting so behind on these things! Actually, I do, it’s procrastination. BUT! Getting back to the point, I really enjoyed the book and thought it was interesting with many plot twists that were unpredictable (even though I know the story so I knew they were coming). It was relatively easy to read with certain words here and there that I didn’t understand to make it a bit more of a challenge. How long does this have to be? 300 words seems a little bit excessive. I find it strange that when Dr. Jekyll transforms he looks different because it is still the same person, just the not so good side of that person. I also found it strange that he left everything to Mr. Hyde because he knows that Hyde is the evil version of himself and will most likely misuse and mistreat his things should he ever come back there would be nothing left for him to find. I also don’t think that it was wise to try and separate the bad side of himself because we will all make mistakes and be put in tough situations, but in the end it is still up to us to decide how to react. So I actually have a theory that Dr. Jekyll didn’t want to separate himself in the first place, but Mr. Hyde did. Mr. Hyde was the bad part of Dr. Jekyll so even before the experiment he was still there just waiting for a way to break free and take full control over Jekyll’s body and actions. A smart man of science would surely see the risks involved in such a process, but the illogical, uncontrollable, violent, and abusive side of him would take advantage of the situation to gain full control.

I really enjoyed reading The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The dark, mysterious mood of the story grabbed my attention right away, and I was fascinated by the way it explored identity, morality, and the human mind. From the start, the strange character of Mr. Hyde caught my interest, and as the story went on, I became more curious about the relationship between him and Dr. Jekyll. Stevenson created a lot of suspense, keeping me eager to find out the truth behind their connection.

What I liked most about the book was how it showed that good and evil are not completely separate but are part of the same person. Dr. Jekyll’s struggle to control the darker side of himself, represented by Mr. Hyde, made me think about how everyone has their own inner battles. The way Jekyll changes into Hyde after drinking the potion was a powerful way to show how easy it is to give in to bad instincts when there are no consequences. I also found it interesting how Hyde represented the parts of society that people often hide or ignore. His complete lack of care for others made him the opposite of Jekyll, who tried to be good and respectable. This made the story both a thrilling mystery and a warning about the dangers of hiding or ignoring darker feelings.

The way the story was told kept me hooked. The mystery, told through letters and key moments, made me want to keep reading. Stevenson revealed the connection between Jekyll and Hyde bit by bit, and when the truth came out, it was both surprising and made sense. The book made me think about the darker side of human nature, and I liked that it didn’t give simple answers. It left me thinking about it long after I finished, especially about the good and bad sides that we all have within ourselves.

 

After reading The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I thought it was such an interesting story. It made me think about who we really are as humans, having two sides to our personalities, and how we act around different kinds of people depending on who they are. The difference between Jekyll’s kind, respectable self, and Hyde’s evil showed how much control we really have over our personalities, and how quick it is to change our personalities. It was scary to see how fast Jekyll lost control once he gave Hyde power. 

While reading the book, I found myself thinking about whether people who commit evil acts can truly change or be transformed into better versions of themselves. I believe that while everyone’s way to growth is different, if someone learns from their mistakes and makes an effort to do better going forward, they deserve a second chance. While Hyde’s acts of murder can’t be justified because of his sense of evil, but in a more realistic scenario, I think people are capable of change and growth into a better person overall. 

Stevenson heavily uses supernatural elements in the story to keep the readers engaged and interested in the story. When I was reading, the vocabulary in the story left me speechless at some points, and after reading The Carew Murder Case chapter, it showed me how well Stevenson used adjectives, and objects to capture the moment in time, get a picture in their head of what they think could possibly be happening, and make readers reflect on what happened during that moment. 

Overall, the book also made me think about how society pushes people to hide parts of themselves that they don’t want people to see. While it also kept me hooked on the book, and left me thinking about human behaviour, and if we do actually hide our personality depending on who we’re with sometimes.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was the best book that I have read in school. It was so much better than all of the other books that I have read. The way the story was made was great too. It was really entertaining. From the mysteries to all of it adding up slowly to the reveal at the end. There were some parts in the book that were entertaining like the part when Mr. Utterson and Poole broke into Dr Jekyll’s lab because they thought that there was something wrong with Dr Jekyll. Another part that was entertaining is the twist at the end about Hyde and Jekyll being the same person was another part that I liked. The characters were good like Mr. Utterson who was my favorite character. He was one of the most central characters in the book. He is described as a rational, calm, and trustworthy individual who really values his friendships and that was one of the reasons why I liked him. He was a close friend to Dr Jekyll and he was trying to find the connections between Mr. Hyde and Dr Jekyll. By the end of the book he was able to add all of the information together to find out the truth about them at the end. This shows how much Mr. Utterson values the safety of his friends and I really liked that part about him. Dr Jekyll’s and Mr. Hyde’s characters were good too. How the connections of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are slowly revealed was another part that I liked about them. For example in chapter 1 when Mr. Hyde walks over a girl and pays 90% of what he owed to the girls family under Dr Jekyll’s name and only 10% with his own money which is what started the investigation into their connections. Than it starts to become more clear like when Mr. Utterson finds the broken cane that Mr. Hyde used to kill sir Danvers. The cane is the one that he gave to Dr. Jekyll in chapter 4 and the way Hyde’s hand writing is very similar to Jekyll’s. Than there is the reveal that Jekyll and Hyde are the same person and how Jekyll has been experimenting to separate his good side from his bad which resulted in the creation of Mr. Hyde. Overall the book was great with its entertainment and mysteries and I would definitely read it again in the future .

While reading ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ I thought it was very interesting. I did really enjoy this book and I would recommend it to other people. I really liked the mystery of this book and the genre, as it is similar to other books I like. This book makes me think that Dr. Jekyll is crazy and that the twist and turns of this book were very fitting for his character. It also made me think about how many people struggle with the conflict of their own identity, which is a very complex thing to include in a book, especially that was written in 1886, which would have not really been accepted at the time. How Stevenson uses the supernatural elements to the story is very interesting again considering the time it was written. I think that the way that stevenson told the story was successful and using the supernatural / imaginary elements were good for the story, as he was able to express what he was trying to say easier and maybe in a more interesting way for readers. The way that Stevenson wrote this book kept readers interested in the story, with how he built suspense and the way that he described things made the way he wrote more compelling. The ending of this story was not what I excepted and I think it could have been described more as I think Stevenson ended the story abruptly and in a more boring way. In the end I enjoyed reading ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ and I would recommend this book to people. Throughout the year this is one of the books I enjoyed the most, and I did really like that this book was not very long so it kept my attention. 

The strange case of dr.jekyll and mr.hyde was a very interesting book. R.L. Stevenson really dived into the complex natures of a human, and its two sides, good and evil. It teaches us that we have to embrace that humans have a natural tendency to do evil, but we also have the tendency to do good.

I love the way stevenson creates a mysterious atmosphere with his vivid descriptions of the scene and various characters. for example when he said, “He lay and tossed in the gross darkness of the night and the curtained room, Mr. Enfield’s tale went by before his mind in a scroll of lighted pictures.” (pg. 12) He describes the room he is in, in such a way that creates a very eerie and depressing feeling. The reader can tell this by the way he describes the lighted pictures, curtains, and the night.

Another thing that interests me in this story is his psychological depth in the characters. He really shows his ability to do this when Dr. Jekyll confesses, saying, “I am very low, Utterson,” “very low. It will not last long, thank God.” (pg. 40) this quote really builds up tensions as it foreshadows death and a little bit of suicidal thoughts. He used this quotation to show how fragile the human mind could really get and how different people think about or deal with the battle of good and evil within them.

All of these aspects, put in one book, make a great, deep, psychological and emotional novella that pushes the reader through many different emotions. I would describe this book as a rollercoaster, because we never know what is going to happen next, especially with Mr. Hyde, because of the way he is portrayed and described by Stevenson. I would definitely say this is a good book to read in class, and even an interesting book for the next class to come. I enjoyed it, and I am sure many others will.

For the novella Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde I enjoyed this book and I found it a very interesting novella. I like how detailed Stevenson makes the crucial parts of the novella. A prime example of this would be when Hyde brutally kills Sir Danvers. He makes it very specific what was going on in the scenario. Like how Hyde killed Sir Danvers with his walking stick and then started jumping on him. This is a good thing for me because it helps me understand what is happening right away and it is not confusing at all. And I can picture what is happening in my head. Another very detailed part of the book was when Lanyon says “I saw what I saw, I heard what I heard and my soul sickened at it”(p.66). One of the key parts in this quotation is when Lanyon says my soul sickened at it. This was a key part because it really helps me understand the pain he feels after his visit with Dr. Jekyll. An interesting part in this novella is when we find out that Dr. Jekyll is Mr. Hyde and the other way around. This was a crucial part for me because it answers so many questions that I had before this part of the story, like why does Hyde have a check with Jekyll’s name on it. It also helped me find out why Jekyll gives everything in his will to Hyde. I think this ending really connects all the pieces of the story together and just makes everything much more clear. The way I see Mr. Utterson as a character throughout the novella completely changed throughout as the story went along. Throughout the story I see him as a little selfish because he keeps trying to change Jekyll’s mind about having Hyde in his will. But as the story went on I began to realize that he really cares about Jekyll and will try to help him in any way possible. A part that I did not like about the novella is when Utterson and Poole are breaking into Jekyll’s house because I did not quite understand what is happening until we went into it in depth during the class. It just was not very clear in my opinion because so much was going on. I would say my favorite part of the book is when Hyde bumps into the girl and goes to get money to pay the family. This is just a funny interaction in my opinion because it really shows that some people think they can get off the hook by paying their way out. It also really shows his personality and how he behaves in a situation. In conclusion I really enjoyed this novella I loved the plot of the story and all the characters and the different roles they play and the effect the have on the story. This was probably my favorite out of all the novella’s we have read.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a famous gothic story. From the very beginning I felt that the book was very dark and emotionless. I could easily tell from the beginning that the book had kind of an eerie feeling to it and that there was kind of some mystery and darkness to it. Like for example when they talk about the setting in the book

“by-street in a busy quarter of London. The street was small and what is called quiet, but it drove a thriving trade on the weekdays. The inhabitants were all doing well, it seemed and all emulously hoping to do better still, and laying out the surplus of their grains in coquetry; so that the shop fronts stood along that thoroughfare with an air of invitation, like rows of smiling saleswomen. Even on Sunday, when it veiled its more florid charms and lay comparatively empty of passage, the street shone out in contrast to its dingy neighbourhood, like a fire in a forest; and with its freshly painted shutters, well-polished brasses, and general cleanliness and gaiety of note, instantly caught and pleased the eye of the passenger.” Pg.2

 

I could tell that the characters Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde were keeping so many secrets and that there would be many crazy events that would happen in the story involving them. Something that I thought gave the book its personality was the amount of suicides , deaths and tramples that happened in it. Although I found the book a mystery for some time and I enjoyed reading most parts of it there were definitely some parts that had a dark twist to them like when Jekyll took his own life so that he wouldn’t have to live as Mr. Hyde.  Another moment which i found just as crazy was when Mr. Hyde kills Sir Danvers Carew the murder was pretty brutal but there weren’t any emotions to it, it was kind of just like an act of violence that happened without reflection. This made me think about the good and bad inside all of us. These things all made me think of the idea that we all have good and evil inside of us. Jekylls struggle with his evil side can show how different people can easily lose control over their actions and it really made me think, if he ended his life instead of facing the consequences of his actions and fixing things, making it right, it kind of made me wonder if he ever accepted himself as a good person or not. One more thing that this book made me think about was the evil that certain people contain and how easily we or they can be affected by it.

 

 

 

 

I found “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” very interesting, creative and fascinating. I liked the action but disliked the murder scenes because I found that they were very odd. For example, when Carew was killed, it says Mr. Hyde jumped on him and killed him with a cane, which grossed me out, the thought of it made me uncomfortable. I really enjoyed the plot twists, more specifically when we found out Dr. Jekyll was Mr. Hyde, since nobody suspected it when the book first started. The plot was creative, and I hadn’t read anything like this book before, so it was something new for me. I would rate this book a 7.5/10, maybe even an 8/10, because it had an interesting storyline and included many thrilling chapters. It is a classic book, but it didn’t quite blow me away like other books have. But I still loved the creativity and influence it’s had over time. The book has an interesting look at human nature and the struggle between good and evil, which I found intriguing. I found that the book focused on certain parts but forgot about other points. Some sections were thrilling, but others dragged, especially towards the end when Jekyll’s confession was laid out. Although Dr. Jekylls transformation kept me engaged, seeing as it was so intriguing. This wouldn’t be a book that I would necessarily choose off a bookshelf, but I’m glad I got the opportunity to read it, and I would read it again when I am older because I feel like I would enjoy it more. Even though I think it has flaws, I can see why it is a classic; it’s a short but powerful read. Overall, I think “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll Mr. Hyde” was enjoyable and interesting but not a personal favourite.

After I read the book The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, I thought it was quite interesting. Before we started reading the book, I decided to read the blurb to get a better understanding of what I was going to be reading, and it was quite different then I expected. When I saw the title of the book, I thought the book was going to be about a doctor (Dr Jekyll) and his patient (Mr Hyde) but I was completely wrong. I thought the concept of having one person play two characters without the readers knowing was very cool. I didn’t realize or get this idea until about three quarters into the book. I think Stevenson did a very good foreshadowing this scenario as there were very slight clues but it was not obvious to the reader. Stevenson also stated that Hyde was “deformed” and “detestable” which were very smart foreshadowing moments. This concept allowed the reader to have their own imagination as well. Readers could picture Hyde as anyone they chose. During the story, they could continue thinking to themselves: Who is Hyde? Where did he come from? etc. I also picked up on that during the book Stevenson used the concept good vs evil quite clearly. For example Dr. Jekyll really embodies a good person and was a respectable scientist while on the other hand you have Mr Hyde who was a rude man and he only cared about himself. Hyde embodied Jekyll’s alter ego. And the funny thing is that these two people are the same person. This could indicate that all people have part good and part evil in them. Even though Jekyll is a good person, he creates this evil person. Hyde helps Jekyll with the violence needs he has and creates a new purpose for him. Finally, something else I thought was cool is how Stevenson made Utterson tell the story. As he plays the protagonist, the story still does talk about Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde much more. Overall, I did like the book. It wasn’t my favourite book but I was still interested because it always had something going on. I was able to stay engaged in the book even though it wasn’t my favourite.