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Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Chapter 1 The story begins with a description of Mr. Utterson, a lawyer in
London. Mr. Utterson is a reserved, conservative man who does not reveal
his true, vibrant personality. He tolerates the strangeness and faults of
other. Early in his life, he watched as his brother fell to ruin, and it is
noted that he is often the last respectable person that men who are turning
to evil or ruin have to talk to. This foreshadows Utterson's involvement
with upcoming evil.
Mr. Utterson is friends with Richard Enfield, although the two are totally
different from one another. They always took walks with each other on
Sundays no matter what else they might have to do. As they walk down a lane
on Sunday that would usually be crowded with merchants and children during
the week, Enfield points out an old building without many windows, and only
a basement door.
Enfield tells a story of how, one night at about 3:00 am, he saw a strange,
deformed man round the corner and bump into a young girl. The strange man
did not stop but simply walked right over the young girl, who cried out in
terror. Enfield rushed over and attended the girl along with her family.
Still, the strange man carried on, so Enfield chased him down and urged him
back. A doctor was called and Enfield and the doctor felt an odd hatred of
the man, warning the man that they would discredit him in every way
possible unless he compensated the girl. The strange man agreed to offer
100 British pounds.
Enfield notes that the man is like Satan in the way he seems emotionally
cold to the situation. The strange man presented a cheque signed by an
important person, which they together cashed the next morning. Enfield
states that he refers to the building as Black Mail House. Utterson asks
Enfield if he ever asked who lived in the building, but Enfield explains
that he doesn't ask questions about strange things:
"the more it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask."
The building appears lived in, and the two men carry on their walk. Enfield
continues that the strange man he saw that night looked deformed, though he
could explain how. Utterson assures Enfield that his story has caught his
interest. The two agree never to talk about the story again.
Chapter 2 The same evening, Utterson came home. Instead of reading until
sleep at midnight, he poured over the will of his friend Henry Jekyll, a
doctor and very educated man. The will stated that Jekyll's possessions and
position should be handed over to Mr. Hyde, a friend that Utterson had
never heard nor met. Utterson went to the house of Dr. Lanyon, an old
school and college friend of Utterson's and Jekyll's, and asked him about
Hyde, but Lanyon had never heard of him. Lanyon uses several evil
references when talking about Jekyll, such as "devilish", and "gone wrong",
foreboding evil relations between Jekyll and Hyde. Utterson knows something
is wrong between the two. Utterson can't sleep for the rest of the night.
Utterson considers how the strange man Enfield spoke of could trample a
child and care nothing for it. Utterson staked out the door of the strange
building looking for the strange man, whom he also believed was Mr. Hyde.
One night, he found him. He confronts him as he is about to go inside the
strange door, and finds the strange man is indeed Mr. Hyde. Hyde is
unpleasant, cool, defiant, and confident. Utterson convinces Hyde to show
his face, and Hyde suggests Utterson should know his address, implying that
he knows of Jekyll's will. Utterson refers to Hyde to himself as
"troglodytic", meaning a primitive human being, detestable and unpleasant.
Utterson decides to try and visit Jekyll at the late hour.
At Jekyll's home, he learns from the servants that Hyde never east dinner
at Jekyll's house, but is always there in the laboratory, with his own key.
The servants rarely see him, but they have orders to obey him. Utterson
leaves, and reflects upon his own life, what evil deeds he may be guilty of,
and what bad things his friend Jekyll may have done in his life. He decides
that this Hyde must be gravely evil, far worse than anything Jekyll may
have ever done. Utterson decides to try and discover what evil things Hyde
has done and may be doing, but fears that his friend Jekyll will object. To
finish, Utterson again considers the strange will of Jekyll, specifically
that it he disappears for longer than three months, that his estate should
be turned over to Hyde. Utterson fears that Hyde might kill Jekyll for the
will.
Chapter 3 Dr. Jekyll has a dinner party and Utterson attends. Utterson is a
well liked and respected man, by Jekyll as well as anyone. Utterson stays
behind after the party, and talks with Jekyll about the will. Jekyll tries
at first to politely and jovially avoid the topic towards his scientific
rivalry with Dr. Lanyon, but Utterson insists. Utterson explains that he
thinks the will is a bad idea, and Jekyll wishes to stop talking about it.
Jekyll states that he is in a unique situation that can't be fixed through
talking, but Utterson promises that he can be trusted to help in confidence.
Jekyll insists that he is in control, that he can be rid of Mr. Hyde at his
own discretion. He begs Utterson to leave the matter alone. He explains
that he has great interest in Hyde, and that Utterson follow his will and
secure Jekyll's estate for Hyde if Jekyll passes away. Utterson promises to
fulfill this duty.
Chapter 4 One of Jekyll's maid servants is watching out her window on a
foggy night and sees Hyde and Sir Danvers meet by chance, They talk under
her window, and without warning, Hyde explodes with rage and strikes
Danvers with his heavy cane. Hyde stomped upon the man, crushing his bones,
while the maid faints.
The maid wakes up, calls the police. They find a purse and gold watch, and
an envelope for Utterson on the victim, but no papers or cards. They find
part of Hyde's splintered, broken cane. Utterson goes to the police station
to see the body. Utterson identifies the victim as Danvers, and notices
that the piece of cane resembles one he gave to Jekyll a long time ago.
Utterson leads the police to Hyde's house in Soho. As they arrive at Hyde's
house, Utterson notices the darkness from the brown fog, and considers the
fear people must have of the law and the police. At Hyde's, an very white
skinned woman with grey hair and an evil face tells them she hadn't seen
Hyde for 2 months. At first the woman protests, but she seems happy to
learn that Hyde might be in trouble.
In the house, Utterson and the police inspector find that only a few rooms
are being used. They find clues to show that Hyde was responsible for the
murder:
Hyde's clothes had been ransacked, a burnt cheque book, the other part of
the cane, and at the bank, Hyde's account had several thousand pounds
(British money) in it. The inspector believed that they could simply catch
him when he returned to the bank, but found that without an accurate
description of Hyde, they could not prepare the bank to recognize Hyde when
he came in again.
Chapter 5 Utterson goes to Jekyll's house, and up to his cabinet (bedroom),
where he finds Jekyll sick, not even getting up to say hello. Utterson
tells Jekyll that Danvers was a client of his and asks if Jekyll is hiding
Hyde. Jekyll declares that Hyde is safe, and Utterson finds it strange that
Jekyll can be so sure. Jekyll gives Utterson a letter written by Hyde where
he apologizes to Jekyll for causing so much trouble, although Jekyll is
afraid that the letter might harm his own reputation. Utterson finds this a
selfish consideration. Utterson believes that Hyde told Jekyll how to make
his will, and tells Jekyll that he is lucky because Hyde was going to kill
him. Jekyll is upset and says only, Oh what a lesson I have learned!".
Jekyll tells Utterson that the letter came to him by delivery, not through
the mail, but as Utterson leaves, he asks the servant, who tells him that
no letters came by delivery...
That night, Utterson has his assistant, Mr. Guest, over to look at the
letter, so that he might hear his thoughts on the matter. Guest notices
that Hyde's handwriting is the same as Jekyll's, except slanted differently.
Utterson cannot imaging why Jekyll would forge Hyde's letter for him.
Chapter 6 The police's investigation into Hyde's background showed that he
had a violent reputation. In the meantime, Jekyll seemed better than ever
in his life. On January 6th, Jekyll had a dinner party, and Utterson and
Lanyon went. However, after that date, Jekyll refused to allow any visitors.
Utterson decides to visit Lanyon, but finds that Lanyon seems deathly sick,
and won't discuss why except that he "has had a shock". He seems that he
has been terrified, and begs not to be reminded of Jekyll.
Utterson goes home and writes a complaint to Jekyll about not taking
visitors, and about Lanyon. The next day, Jekyll replies that he is sorry
and doesn't blame Lanyon for not wishing to ever hear of Jekyll again, but
doesn't say why. Jekyll asks Utterson to let me be alone to suffer for a
great evil deed that he has committed. Utterson feels that there must be
some very serious explanation for the strange behavior of both Lanyon and
Jekyll.
A week later Utterson receives a letter from Lanyon. Inside is another
letter marked that it shouldn't be opened until the time that Jekyll
disappears. Utterson is tempted to open it, but honors the order on the
envelope not to open it yet. Utterson checked in with Poole, Jekyll's
servant, who said that Jekyll stayed in his room, laid awake, did not read
and was miserable. Utterson tried to visit less and less.
Chapter 7 On a walk with Richard Enfield again, he and Utterson resolve
never to see Hyde again. Enfield tells that he now knows that the building
Hyde entered that night long ago was Jekyll's house. As they strolled by
Jekyll's house, they saw him in a window. Utterson urges him to come for a
walk, but Jekyll refuses. They agree to talk while Jekyll sits at the
window. Suddenly, a look of terror comes over Jekyll's face, and the window
blind is shut in front of him, hiding him from the sight of Utterson and
Enfield. Frightened, the two men look at each other. "God forgive us!"
cries out Utterson, and the two men walk on.
Chapter 8 Poole comes to Utterson's house in a panic, saying that Jekyll is
locked up in his room again. Poole fears that Jekyll has been murdered and
that the killer is still in his room, pacing back and forth and moaning and
crying out. Utterson agrees to go to Jekyll's house with Poole. When they
arrive, they find all the house servants crowded around the fireplace in
fear of what goes up in Jekyll's room. Poole tells Utterson that he wants
him to hear what is going on in Jekyll's room. They proceed, and Poole
calls out to his master, saying that Utterson is there to visit. A voice
answers that is certainly Jekyll, pleading for Utterson to leave him alone.
Poole reports that the person in the room tosses out papers with orders for
chemicals from every company in London, but with every delivery,
Jekyll/Hyde refuses them and sends them back claiming they are not pure.
They examine the notes, and find that the writing is Jekyll's, but with a
strange slant like Hyde's.
Poole mentions that he saw the person in the room at one point, but it
looked like
Hyde, not Jekyll
Poole and Utterson decide to break down the door and find out what has
happened in Jekyll's room, using an axe. They post two other servants near
the door to prevent Jekyll/Hyde from escaping should he get past Utterson
and Poole. Utterson and Poole consider that they face some danger in doing
this. While they wait for the other servants to get into position, they sit
in the old surgery theatre, where Poole describes how Jekyll/Hyde paces
back and forth across the floor and sometimes cries out. After the servants
are ready, Utterson warns Jekyll that he is coming in, and the voice begs
him not to.
They burst in and find Hyde twitching and dying on the floor. They look
around and find various articles, but no sign of Jekyll's body. They find
chemicals, a book, a cheval-glass, and a strange drug. They search the
house, and still do not find the body. Utterson finds Jekyll's latest will
and learns that it leaves his estate to Utterson, not Hyde. Utterson finds
this strange because Hyde was in the room and cold have destroyed this will
in favor of the one that names him the recipient of the will. Utterson
finds a note written in Jekyll's handwriting, and is afraid to read it. In
it Jekyll says that he has disappeared, that Utterson should read the
letter Lanyon sent, and also Jekyll's own confession which is included with
this note. Utterson returns to his office where he will read the two
important documents.
Chapter 9 - Lanyon's Narrative On January 9th, Lanyon receives a letter
from Jekyll. It tells Lanyon that this is a matter of life and death.
Lanyon is to go to Jekyll's house, and "The door of my cabinet is then to
be forced; and you are to go in alone; to open the glazed press (letter E)
on the left hand, breaking the lock if it be shut; and to draw out, with
all its contents as the stand, the fourth drawer from the top or (which is
the same thing) the third from the bottom". This is to get Jekyll's drug.
Then, Lanyon is to return to his own home's consulting room, and wait for a
visitor at midnight from Jekyll. Lanyon does this and finds the drug that
Jekyll must have made because it is not as neatly done as a chemist would
do. He returns to his home and waits for the visitor, keeping a gun with
him (revolver) should he need to defend himself.
At midnight, Hyde shows up, and is very excited to get the drug, almost
crazy, but he stays calm enough. Once Lanyon gives it to him, a scary smile
comes over Hyde's face. He tells Lanyon that Lanyon was a fool, and that he
would now see proof of "transcendental medicine". He drinks the drug and
changes into Jekyll in a terrifying way that haunts Lanyon for the rest of
his few days until he dies. Lanyon ends his letter by saying that he cannot
tell what Jekyll told him because it is too terrible, other than that
Jekyll and Hyde are the same person.
ADDITIONAL FEATURED ESSAYS
Robert Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson began writing during the Victorian era. His style was unlike anyone else’s and his stories
Dr. Jekyll And Mr Hyde
Chapter 1 The story begins with a description of Mr. Utterson, a lawyer in London. Mr. Utterson is a reserved, conservat
Dr Jekyl And Mr Hyde - Chapter
The story begins with a description of Mr. Utterson, a lawyer in London. Mr. Utterson is a reserved, conservative man wh
Dr Jekyl And Mr Hyde - Chapter Summary
The story begins with a description of Mr. Utterson, a lawyer in London. Mr. Utterson is a reserved, conservative man wh
English 2
Often the most meaningful and revealing statement in a text tends to be its final statement, either concluding the entir
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