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Get every literary device explanation for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HydePlus so much more...
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Personification
Explanation and Analysis—Slumbering Virtue:
Jekyll’s confession, which appears at the end of the novella, is marked by a refusal to take responsibility for actions taken by Hyde (though he admits that Hyde is an extension of his personality). His self-delusion is especially apparent when he personifies his "virtue," claiming that it was asleep when he discovered the potion that can divide the good and evil sides of of his personality:
At that time, my virtue slumbered; my evil, kept awake by ambition, was alert and swift to seize the occasion; and the thing that was projected was Edward Hyde.
He reflects that in his decision to move forward in experiments with Hyde, his “virtue slumbered.” Rather than speak in the first person and take ownership of the choice to move forward in his experiments, Jekyll describes his “virtue” as if it were its own autonomous entity. This rhetorical choice is a subtle means of abdicating responsibility.
Throughout his letter, Jekyll admits to privately indulging his own “undignified” urges. It seems that, through his own persistent interest, he has nurtured his darker side for many years. In this paragraph, he deflects responsibility for this, too. He personifies his “ambition” (presumably scientific or academic) as the force that has kept his “evil” side awake and ready to spring free after taking the potion. In this way, he uses personification to downplay and dismiss his poor decision-making.
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