The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde by Robert Stevenson

The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde by Robert Stevenson

In this assignment, I will be reading through the opening chapter of

this novel and trying to explain to what extent the characters reveal

things about themselves and what they keep to themselves. Also I will

illustrate the way people’s reputation is presented. I will use

examples from the text itself to back up my explanations and focus on

the four main characters which are Utterson, Enfield, Jekyll and Hyde.

I feel that privacy and reputation is very important to the plot of

this story.

Mr. Utterson is a lawyer, he is described as a man of ‘rugged

countenance’, that was never lightened by a smile; cold, scanty and

‘embarrassed in discourse’; ‘backward in sentiment’; lean, long,

dusty, dreary, ‘and yet somehow lovable’. He seems to be insecure with

the fact that he keeps things to himself. He only has a few friends

whom are related therefore he has become very acquainted with them for

a very long period of time.

He is not very social and appears not to favour visiting places. ‘He

enjoyed the theatre, but had not crossed the door of one for twenty

years’.

Mr. Utterson freely reveals that he is a true believer of ‘Cain’s

heresy’, which at that moment in time was generally thought to be

wrong.

I feel this is why he was very lonely.

I think that he thought that everyone had an evil side lurking inside

of them, little did he know that Dr. Jekyll had invented such a

formula to separate the good from the evil in human beings. I have

found out that the one thing that Mr.Utterson hasn’t revealed about

himself is why he has such a bond with his fellow kinsman ...

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...but aren’t

100% sure whether it is the well respected doctor who is to blame.

That’s why they want to keep private what they know so that no one

else will find out.

This suggests that things are best kept private as there are lots of

secrets about everyone and if you would like your reputation then it’s

in your best interests that they are never leaked out. Respect for

Jekyll is clear and Utterson and Enfield are sure that this will

affect him in a great deal. Even Jekyll would now that his livelihood

is under jeopardy and his evil side should be kept private no matter

what.

I have shown how important these can be, especially in this time

period, you’re life could depend on your reputation and you must keep

that intact at all costs. You must keep your ‘evil’ side private for

it to stay that way.

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