Question

read the excerpt from the strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde. a change had come over me. it was no longer the fear of the gallows, it was the horror of being hyde that racked me. i received lanyons condemnation partly in a dream; it was partly in a dream that i came home to my own house and got into bed. i slept after the prostration of the day, with a stringent and profound slumber which not even the nightmares that wrung me could avail to break. i awoke in the morning shaken, weakened, but refreshed. i still hated and feared the thought of the brute that slept within me, and i had not of course forgotten the appalling dangers of the day before; but i was once more at home, in my own house and close to my drugs; and gratitude for my escape shone so strong in my soul that it almost rivalled the brightness of hope. how does dr. jekyll’s letter show his internal struggle? it illustrates the power he feels as mr. hyde and the weakness he feels as dr. jekyll. it explains others’ reactions to jekyll’s changing personality and confusing behavior. it demonstrates the drugs’ effects on his body and the physical effects of his transformation. it contrasts the fear he feels about becoming hyde with the peace he feels when safe at home.

Explanation:

To determine the correct answer, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The excerpt focuses on Jekyll’s internal feelings about Hyde and his own state, not on power as Hyde and weakness as Jekyll. The text emphasizes horror of being Hyde and relief at being home, not a power - weakness dynamic between the two personas.
• Option 2: The excerpt is about Jekyll’s own internal struggle, not about others’ reactions to his personality and behavior.
• Option 3: The excerpt does not discuss the drugs’ effects on his body or the physical effects of transformation. It is more about his emotional state.
• Option 4: The excerpt shows that Jekyll fears being Hyde ( “the horror of being Hyde that racked me”, “I still hated and feared the thought of the brute that slept within me”) and feels peace/safety at home ( “I was once more at home, in my own house and close to my drugs; and gratitude for my escape shone so strong in my soul that it almost rivalled the brightness of hope”). This option correctly contrasts his fear of Hyde with his peace at home.

Answer:

It contrasts the fear he feels about becoming Hyde with the peace he feels when safe at home.