Sunday 2 December 2012
Saturday 1 December 2012
My feelings
My feelings about reading in English
I have to confess that I started reading this book in a bad mood. On that moment I was reading a book that was entitled Mockingjay, from The Hunger Games saga, and having to read an English book didn't make me happy.
However, the situation changed when I was watching and episode (in English, of course -everything has to be said-) from the TV series The Vampire Diaries in which the young, evil but sweet with the girl, and attractive vampire mentioned the book of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. That day I started my school lecture.
At first, and as it can be seen in my first summaries, I wasn't very convinced about the book. I didn't like Mr Utterson, he seemed to have no personality, but that changed in chapter 7 (a bit late, I know). Other characters that I liked more were Dr Jekyll (although obviously not Mr Hyde), Dr Lanyon and Poole, who is the servant (I explained why do I like him in the summary of chapter 7 -I've just realised that everything changes there!-)
So, after all, this book hasn't been as bad as I had imagined. In fact, it was good compared to English lectures from other years. It wasn't a difficult book, and there weren't many words that I had to look for in the dictionary (except for the two or three last chapters).
One thing that I didn't like about this book is that it doesn't explain why did Dr Jekyll leave all his money to Mr Utterson, just because he's his friend? I wouldn't want to be this the reason. I loved the end of the book, and, just maybe, I'll read the whole version in a future. But I'm not sure I'll read it in English, that'd be too long!
Here I live some quotes from the book that I particularly liked:
"Every man has two sides to his character. He is two people. They live together -often uncomfortably- in the same body."
"Everyone is a mixture of good and evil."
"My good self and my evil self were fighting for my mind and body - and my evil self was winning."
C9: Opinion
Chapter 9: Doctor Jekyll's confession
Personal opinion:
This chapter is the last one, and it's obviously the longest. I could finally find out why did Dr Jekyll decide to become Mr Hyde and how could he do that. Although some of the things in his confession were not really important, the major part of it was. His words make us understand the fight that he had inside his body, because although he had fun at first, as time passes he become scared and worried about Mr Hyde. Doctor Jekyll shows us that the good part of humans doesn't always win, and we have to do something agains that while we have time. Summarising, this was the best ending for the book.C9: Vocabulary
Chapter 9: Doctor Jekyll's confession
Vocabulary list:
- Unashamedly: not embarrassed about your behaviour or attitude, even if other people might not approve it. [descaradament, sense vergonya]
- Tremble: a part of the body that shakes because you're nervous or upset. [tremolar]
- Bitter: that has a strong sharp taste, not sweet. [amarg]
- Dull: boring, not interesting. [avorrit]
- Delight: a feeling or great happiness and pleasure. [plaer]
- Masterful: skilled at controlling people and situations. [imperiós, autoritari, dominant]
- Wound (p.s. of 'wind'): a serious injury. [ferir]
- Wintry: cold and typical of winter. [hivernal]
- Onwards: if something happens or exists from a particular time onwards, it starts at that time and continues to happen or exist. [a partir d'ara]
C9: Summary
Chapter 9: Doctor Jekyll's confession
Summary:
This is the last chapter of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It explains Dr Jekyll's life and the experiment that allowed him to turn into Mr Hyde. Here's the story:
Mr Hyde became a very important doctor at a very early age, so when he was young he seemed to be old. However, as he says, everbody has two faces. In his case, Mr Hyde was a good and a well-working man, and his other face was fun-loving and irresponsible. He then had an idea: What would happen if he could separate both characters?. He started doing an experiment to achieve that dream, but it had to be perfect, because if it failed he could die. One day he decided to drink it, and he turned into Mr Hyde, his evil part. Then he bought a mirror to look his appearance. Mr Hyde did bad things, but he had fun, so Dr Jekyll kept doing that. However, the day that Mr Hyde kicked the child, Dr Jekyll knew that he had to change something. One day, he went to sleep as Dr Jekyll, but he woke up being Mr Hyde, and he became nervous. Hyde had become stronger in his body while Jekyll was everyday weaker. Things got worse when Hyde killed Sin Danvers Carew, and until then Jekyll decided to stop being Hyde, but it was impossible. One day he was in a park and he suddenly turned into Hyde, thing that worried and scared him. That was when he decided to contact Dr Lanyon, who never believed in his experiments. The horror on Dr Lanyon's face made Dr Jekyll realise that he had an important problem, and he changed his feelings, but it was too late because Mr Hyde took his body whenever he wanted.
That was when Dr Jekyll decided to write a letter to Mr Utterson confessing his true story. After that, he died.
C8: Opinion
Chapter 8: Doctor Lanyon's letter
Personal opinion:
This chapter gives the explanation of Dr Lanyon's death. It could be said that the doctor died of horror. Both letters (Dr Lanyon's and Dr Jekyll's) finally answered the mysterious question: Who was Mr Hyde?. I feel sorry for Dr Lanyon, although I already knew that Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde were the same person. Now let's see what happens in the last chapter.
C8: Vocabulary
Chapter 8: Doctor Lanyon's letter
Vocabulary list:
- Locksmith: someone whose job is to fix locks on doors and windows and to open doors for people who have lost their keys. [manyà, serraller]
- Bent (p.s. of 'bend'): to become curved or folded and not straight. [inclinar]
- Shake off (ph.vb.): to get rid of something bad. [treure's de sobre]
C8: Summary
Chapter 8: Doctor Lanyon's letter
Summary:
This chapter starts with Dr Lanyon's letter. There he explains that one day he received a letter from Dr Jekyll, who apologised for all the disagreements that they had during their life. In the letter he gave Dr Lanyon some instructions so as that he could save his life. And that's what Lanyon did.
He went to see Poole, who took him into Dr Jekyll's room, from where he took some packets that contained a bottle of liquid, and a book. As the letter said, Dr Lanyon returned to his house and waited for a mysterious visitor until midnight. The visitor took all the liquids and drunk them. After some time, the man became Dr Jekyll. Finally, in Lanyon's letter, he tells Mr Utterson that the visitor was the man that killed Sir Danvers Carew: Mr Hyde.
C7: Opinion
Chapter 7: The last night
Personal opinion:
Although this one was the largest chapter until now, it's one of the most interesting ones. Maybe it's the most interesting one until now. Finally Poole decided to visit Mr Utterson to ask for help. I really like Poole, maybe bacause I've always had a soft spot for servants. They've always been attractive to me although they don't usually have an outstanding presence in the stories, but maybe it's because of that, because they're always loyal, quiet, respectful, polite and they always keep secrets. I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me that the servant is the character that knows all of the secrets of all the characters in a story.
Anyway, let's return to the opinion. Finally Mr Utterson did something by himself!. At first he was reluctant to think that something wrong was going on at Dr Jekyll's home, but with Poole's help he decides to break the door of Dr Jekyll's study and there he finds his body. It's surprising the fact that the doctors gives all his money to Mr Utterson, and I wanna know why. Another thing that I want to know is what's on that letter. I'm going to read the next chapter NOW.C7: Vocabulary
Chapter 7: The last night
Vocabulary list:
- Shut: to close something. [tancar]
- Fetch: to go and search something. [buscar]
- Lit (p.s. of 'light'): to make a place brighter by giving it light. [il·luminar]
- Axe: a heavy stick with a sharp piece of metal on the end; used for cutting trees. [destral]
- Weep: to cry because you feel unhappy or have some other strong emotion. [plorar]
- Tore (p.s of 'tear'): to damage something. E.g. from the book: It tore my heart. [trencar, estripar. Ex. del llibre: Em va trencar el cor]
- Inwards: towards the inside of something. [cap endins]
- Saucer: a small round flat dish where you put a tea or a coffee cup. [sotacopa]
C7: Summary
Chapter 7: The last night
Summary:
This chapter is longer than the others, so there are lots of things to be explained about it. Mr Utterson receives a visit from Dr Jekyll's servant, Poole, who said that he was worried for the doctor, so they both went to his house. When they opened the door, all the other servants were in the room. They were scared of the situation. Poole took Mr Utterson into Dr Jekyll's room, and the man who answered wasn't the doctor, as they both agreed. Poole said that someone must have killed his master. Poole explains to Utterson that the man inside the room had asked him for some chemicals which the servant had to get in a chemist, but none of them were really good enough, so he had to go to another chemist, and like this a lot of times.
Mr Utterson and Poole decide to break the door to find out the murderer of Dr Jekyll, but all they found was a silent and comfortable room with a body lying on the floor. It was Mr Hyde. He was dead.
Dr Jekyll's study contained strage things, like a mirror (why would he want a mirror on his study?), and Mr Utterson found in the desk a large packet adressed to him. He oped it and found lots of letters that contained the doctor's will. They said that all Dr Jekyll's money was to Gabriel John Utterson, it is, Mr Utterson. Between those letters they found one that had been writen that day. It was from Dr Jekyll and it said that Utterson should look inside Lanyon's letter, so Mr Utterson went home to find out what was going on.
C6: Opinion
Chapter 6: The face at the window
Personal opinion:
This one is a short but intense chapter, because lots of things happen in two pages of lecture. Mr Enfield appears again after not hearing from he since the first chapter. However, he doesn't have much importance in this sixth chapter, only at the end. Well, it was good to see him again. At the end of the chapter we don't know is Dr Jekyll is finally dead or not. I'm sure I'll find out in the next chapter.C6: Vocabulary
Chapter 6: The face at the window
Vocabulary list:
- Overhead: above your head. [per damunt, sobre teu]
- Courtyard: a square area that is surrounded by buildings or walls. [pati]
- Hopelessness: a situation that is very unlikely to succeed or improve. [desesperança]
- Nod: to move your head first downwards and then upwards to answer 'Yes' (or 'No', in this case) to a question or to show that you agree, approve or understand. [assentir o negar]
C6: Summary
Chapter 6: The face at the window
Summary:
Mr Utterson and Mr Enfield were having a walk together when they arrived to Dr Jekyll's house. They both know now that the mysterious door of the first chapter is a door to get into Dr Jekyll's laboratory. They were talking with Jekyll, who didn't want to go outside with them, when suddenly they heard a shot. They quickly hide in the street, but when Mr Utterson asked Mr Enfield to help Dr Jekyll, he just nodded his head.
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