Robert Louis Stevenson
The Strange Case of
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Chapter 1: Story of the Door
The narration of the novel begins with two men, Mr. Utterson, a quiet, respectable lawyer and his distant
relative Mr. Richard Enfield, taking a walk through a crowded street in London. On their way, they
encounter a mysterious cellar door which prompts Mr. Enfield to recount a strange experience that
happened on this very street.
At three o’clock one night, Mr. Enfield was coming through town when he saw a disfigured man, "a
Juggernaut," maliciously trample an eight-year old girl (who was in the street because she was sent for a
doctor) in the street. After apprehending the man, Enfield, the doctor, and the family of the girl decide that,
instead of sending for the police, they would blackmail the man to give a hundred pounds to the girl¹s
family. Amenable, the mysterious man, later identified as Mr. Hyde, disappears behind the strange door
that Utterson and Enfield originally encountered. He returned with ten pounds in gold and a check signed
by a very respectable third party. Fearing that the check is a forgery, the doctor, Enfield, and the family
force the man to stay with them until the banks open and he can cash the check. When the banks open,
Enfield cashes the valid check, assuming Hyde has possession of the check because of blackmail.
Throughout the narrative, the man whose name was on the check was not revealed. At the end of
Enfield’s story, Utterson, under a great "weight of consideration" asks if the man used a key to get into the
door. Enfield confirms this and the two vow never to speak of the incident again.
Chapter 2: Search for Mr. Hyde
That evening, Mr. Utterson returns home and removes Dr. Jekyll’s will, which had strange stipulations. It
provided that in the case of the death of Henry Jekyll, all his possessions should revert to the mysterious
Edward Hyde. Even stranger, in case of the disappearance of Dr. Jekyll for three months, Edward Hyde
should step into Henry Jekyll’s shoes without delay. After considering the implications of the will with what
he has learned about Edward Hyde, he sets off for the residence of Dr. Lanyon, another dear friend of Dr.
Jekyll. When they begin talking about Jekyll, Utterson discovers that Lanyon has not been friends with
Jekyll for ten years because of a disagreement over "unscientific balderdash." He, however, had never
heard of Hyde.
After leaving Lanyon, Utterson begins to imagine the scene described by Enfield with Mr. Hyde, as well as
the reason behind the relationship of Hyde and Jekyll, and ponders that if he can only see the face of
Hyde, he might see a reason for his friends’ relationship with the man. From that point forward, Utterson
begins to haunt the streets around the mysterious door, looking for Mr. Hyde. One night, he runs into Mr.
Hyde and confronts him as he was about to enter the door. Utterson introduces himself as an old friend of
Dr. Jekyll, and Hyde questions how Utterson knew him. Hyde then asks for Utterson’s address and
Utterson, in response, gives him a business card. Utterson, not replying, asks for a favor, to be able to see
Hyde’s face. After complying, Hyde asks how Utterson knew him, and Utterson replies by description,
claiming that they have common friends, Jekyll for instance. Mr. Hyde angrily replies that Jekyll never told
him anything and disappears into the door.
After leaving this scene, Utterson goes to see Dr. Jekyll, but only Poole, his butler, is at home, Jekyll is
out. Utterson gleans from his conversation, however, that Jekyll’s house, around the corner from the
mysterious door, is in an L shape, and that Hyde only enters by the old dissecting room door, but does not
dine in the house. After leaving Jekyll’s home, Utterson walks home and decides that Hyde is blackmailing
Jekyll. In an effort to remedy this situation, he decides to look for something in Hyde’s past to blackmail
him with, if Jekyll will let him.
Chapter 3: Dr. Jekyll was quite at Ease
In Chapter 3, the scene is two weeks later, when Dr. Jekyll holds a dinner party at which Mr. Utterson is a
guest. After the guests leave, Utterson confronts Jekyll over the matter of his will and tells him that he has
been learning something about Mr. Hyde. Jekyll becomes upset when he hears of this and tells Utterson
to drop the subject. Utterson urges Hyde to confide in him, but again Jekyll tells Utterson to leave the
subject alone and that he can be rid of Mr. Hyde at any point. As Mr. Utterson gets up to leave, Jekyll tells
him that he does have a great interest in "poor Hyde" and apologizes for his rude behavior, but begs him
to make sure that he takes care of Hyde when Jekyll is no longer there.
Chapter 4: The Carew Murder Case
Chapter 4 begins nearly a year later, with the murder of a respected member of London society, Sir
Danvers Carew. A maid was gazing out her window, romantically, when she saw an aged man, with white
hair, meet another, smaller man, someone she recognized as Mr. Hyde. Suddenly, Mr. Hyde broke out in
anger and attacked the other man, brandishing him with a cane and trampling him to death and the maid
fainted in response. The maid called the police when she came to, a few hours later. The police found on
the body of the victim only a purse, some gold, and a letter addressed to Mr. Utterson. Subsequently, the
police contacted Mr. Utterson who identified the body as Sir Danvers Carew. Mr. Utterson then takes the
police chief, Professor Newcome, by cab to the home of Mr. Hyde. At the home of Mr. Hyde, the police
find the rooms ransacked, clothes strewn everywhere, half of the cane used to murder Danvers Carew,
and a half-burnt checkbook. The police, however, were unable to find Mr. Hyde anywhere, or a trace of his
past.
Chapter 5: Incident of the Letter
On the same day of the killing, Mr. Utterson makes his way to Dr. Jekyll’s house, and meets with Jekyll in
his laboratory. Utterson and Jekyll discuss the unfortunate news that Sir Danvers Carew is dead,
presumably killed by Mr. Hyde. Jekyll swears that he is not hiding Hyde and that he is "done with him in
this world." He also claims that he has received a letter from Hyde, which he shows to Utterson. The letter
thanked Jekyll for his kindness and urged him that he did not need to worry over his safety, as he had a
sure means of escape. Dr. Jekyll, however, did not have the envelope because he claimed that he burned
it. His butler, Poole, however, claimed that nothing had been delivered that day.
Later, when he gets back to his office, Utterson receives a dinner invitation from Jekyll. Just as Utterson
has his assistant, Mr. Guest, examine the writing on the letter supposedly from Hyde, a dinner invitation
from Dr. Jekyll arrives and the assistant astutely recognizes that both handwriting samples are from the
same person. Angry, Utterson assumes that Jekyll has forged a letter for a murderer.
Chapter 6: Remarkable Incident of Dr. Lanyon
At the beginning of Chapter 6, we learn that "time has passed" and no one has been able to capture Hyde.
Jekyll, however, free from the evil influence of Hyde had become a new man, he came out of seclusion,
entertained, and suddenly found religion. Early in January, Utterson attended a dinner party at Jekyll’s
where Lanyon was present, and all were friends. Shortly there after, Jekyll secluded himself. Five days
later, after not being able to see Jekyll, Utterson proceeded to Dr. Laynon’s house. Upon seeing Dr.
Lanyon, he was shocked by his appearance: "he had his death-warrant written upon his face." The reason
for this, explained Lanyon, was that "he had a shock and he shall never recover." When Utterson
mentions that Jekyll is also ill, Lanyon adamantly replies that he wishes never to speak of Jekyll again.
Utterson returns home and writes Jekyll a letter, asking for an explanation of his mysterious behavior. His
reply, which comes the next day, stated that "I have brought on myself a punishment and a danger that I
cannot name." A week later, Dr. Lanyon was dead but left Utterson a letter that instructed him not to read
it until the death or disappearance of Dr. Jekyll.
Chapter 7: Incident at the Window
Chapter 7 begins the same way Chapter 1, with Mr. Enfield and Mr. Utterson walking by the mysterious
door. Through one of the windows, Utterson spots Dr. Jekyll. Utterson tells Jekyll that he should get
outside more. Jekyll replies that he wishes that he could, but he doesn¹t dare. As he finished his words,
his smile disappeared from his face and was replaced by a look of utter terror, a seizure had overtaken his
body. The two men only glimpsed it briefly before the window was shut, but were overcome with disgust
with what they had seen.
Chapter 8: The Last Night
One night, about a week later, Poole, Jekyll’s butler approaches Utterson, who is afraid because Jekyll
has locked himself in the basement and will not come out. The only communication that Poole receives
from Jekyll has been notes that are begging for a pure form of powder. He has also heard a voice crying
and walking all day. The only relief for a week has been a bit of a break when a new sample comes from
the chemist. Utterson follows Poole to Jekyll’s house where they hear strange sounds coming from the
laboratory basement and the two make their way to a cabinet where they hear a voice. Initially, they
believe that the voice is their friend but they soon realize that it is not their friend, but another voice, that of
Hyde's. The pair speculate that Hyde has killed Jekyll and that Hyde is hiding in the cabinet. Poole swung
the axe into the cabinet and after they finally got through the tough wood, a body of a contorted and still
twitching body lay in front of them: Hyde had killed himself. After the body is dead, the pair examine the
laboratory and find traces of chemical work heaped with the white salt that Poole continuously brought
Jekyll. Additionally, they uncovered a copy of a pious work annotated with startling blasphemies. Utterson
also discovered a large envelope addressed to Mr. Utterson. Inside the envelope, was the same, eccentric
will that was originally drawn by Jekyll, except the recipient this time was Utterson and not Hyde. Also,
there was a note from Jekyll that instructed Utterson to read the documents that Lanyon had provided. If
he wished to know more, Jekyll left a detailed description.
Chapter 9: Dr. Lanyon’s Narrative
This chapter is composed entirely of Dr. Lanyon’s narrative regarding Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He begins
by recounting a strange letter that he received from his school companion, Henry Jekyll, the night after the
already described dinner party. Urgently, the letter instructed Dr. Lanyon that his "life, honor and reason"
depend upon him. Jekyll instructs Lanyon to go to his house and into the cabinet and draw out a drawer
full of powder, a phial and a paper book and return to his home. At midnight, he furthers, someone will call
on him in Jekyll’s name and Lanyon is to give this man the contents of the drawer. The letter is ominous in
nature, concluding that if no messenger calls, he will "know that [he has] seen the last of Henry Jekyll."
Lanyon, thinking that Jekyll is insane, nonetheless, follows his wishes. When he examines the contents,
the book was an "ordinary version book" containing dates over a period of many years, but ceased a year
ago. The word ‘double’ occurred in several times. In addition, there was the described phial, a paper of
salt, and a record of a series of experiments that had failed.
At midnight, Hyde knocks on Laynon’s door and excitedly asks, "Have you got it?" When given the
contents of the drawer, he sighed an immense relief of pain and made a mixture of the powders that
changed from red to purple to green. Before drinking the potion, he cautioned that "what follows is under
the seal of our profession." He drank the possession, and then transformed into Henry Jekyll. Lanyon
concludes his narration by simply stating that what was told to him in the next hour, he couldn’t bring his
mind to set on paper because his soul was so sickened. This was what had brought about his sudden
demise, his death.
Chapter 10: Henry Jekyll’s Full Statement of the Case
Jekyll begins his narrative by describing his metaphysical views, that the soul is made up of two separate
distinctions: the good and the bad. His quest is to find a drug that separates the two elements, so that the
two do not have to live in bondage to each other and in constant competition. He prepared the potion and
describes in bitter and horrific detail the painful transformation that occurs after taking the potion and
transforming into Hyde. He postulates that the evil side of his nature was less developed, smaller, younger
than Henry Jekyll. Evil had "left on that body an imprint of deformity and decay." But, Jekyll recalls, he was
not repulsed because "this too was myself." Edward Hyde, "alone in the ranks of mankind was pure evil."
Shortly after becoming Hyde, he drinks a second potion and returns to being Henry Jekyll.
After this initial experiment, Jekyll describes the feelings that he did not want to grow older in his
respectable life, and he only had to drink the potion in order to escape the bonds of Jekyll and become
Hyde. Carefully, he described taking an apartment and maid in Soho and introducing Mr. Hyde to his own
servants and granting him full power over his home. Jekyll felt no remorse for the crimes committed by
Hyde because it was Hyde, and Hyde alone, that was guilty.
For some months, this behavior continued until one moment, "I had gone to bed Henry Jekyll, I had
awakened Edward Hyde.” This moment began to alert Jekyll that the character of Hyde might irrevocably
stay, he might lose voluntary control over this at all. The point had come to choose: regretfully, he chose to
give up the liberty and freedom of Hyde and for two months his decision stayed. However, this did not stay
as we was tortured with Hyde's longing and in an "hour of moral weakness," once again took the potion.
On that night, the evil that was released was stronger than ever and Dr. Carew was murdered. Because of
the manhunt for Hyde, Jekyll swore him off forever and set out to try to remedy the evil.
Because evil was inside him though, because Hyde lived in him, Jekyll was unable to complete this
transformation. One January day, Jekyll sat in Regent’s Park and relished in the memories of evil and
before he knew it, he was transformed once again into Edward Hyde. Realizing that he could not return to
his house, he sent the letter to Dr. Lanyon and Poole and went immediately to a hotel. He went home
once again but every time he would go to sleep, he would once again revert to Dr. Jekyll. Consequently,
he desperately tried to remain awake. Soon, his potions failed to work and he ran out of the salt needed
for the potion. Consequently, Hyde launches a desperate search across London for this potion. The new
potion, however, was "without efficiency," because the first supply was impure and that unknown impurity
made the draught effective.
The last paragraph of the book is extremely poignant, alternating between the perspective of Hyde and
Jekyll - Hyde wishing to kill Jekyll, Jekyll hoping that Hyde will kill both of him and leave the manuscript
intact, which is of course, the end result.
Chapter 1 - Analysis:
The opening chapter of Jekyll and Hyde brilliantly begins a novel that is largely allegorical. First, the structure of this
novella is unique in that it is not cast entirely as a first-person narration, as it would have been possible to tell the
story in the manner of a confession from Jekyll¹s point of view. Stevenson deliberately opted for a discursive
treatment in three distinct parts, the first of which is employed here, a leisurely account of the two main characters
and some distant connection between the two. The structural and linguistic devices employed by Stevenson create
an unusual atmosphere which surrounds the story. This atmosphere - one of controlled suspense, a gradual building
up of a sense of horror and destruction - is achieved through a slow accumulation of unemotional detail, which
begins in this chapter.
The well-known basic theme of the novel involves the duality between good and evil, but it also involves a study in
hypocrisy, as encompassed by Jekyll and Hyde. The book has been referred to as "one of the best guidebooks of
the Victorian times," because of its piercing description of the fundamental dichotomy of the 19th century - outward
respectability and inward lust. Making a child the first victim of Hyde¹s cruelty emphasizes the moral awfulness of his
behavior from the beginning. The description of the street in the first chapter reinforces this theme of duality. The
street is described as merely an anonymous street in London, whose shop fronts "like rows of smiling women" have
a brightness that stands out in contrast to the dingy neighborhood. And yet on this street, two doors from the corner,
stands a dreary, Gothic house, which "bore in every feature the marks of prolonged and sordid negligence." As we
proceed further in the novel, Jekyll¹s house itself will be seen to have an innate duality: congenial, prosperous,
respectable, as well as threatening, mysterious, and sinister. This duality is manifested by each of its two facades:
the respectable, Jekyll side of the house stands out in contrast with the seediness of its neighboring structures. The
Hyde façade is bleak, neglected, and lowering on a street in which it stands out among thriving, well-kept, and
prosperous commercial structures. The theme of duality is also marked by the symbolic nature of the name, Hyde.
Hyde derives from the more familiar word Œhide,¹ and stands for the hidden aspects of Jekyll as encompassed by
Mr. Hyde. Indeed, later in Chapter 2, Mr. Utterson claims that "If he shall be Mr. Hyde . . . I shall be Mr. Seek."
The first chapter also contains elements foreshadowing the evilness and future crimes of Mr. Hyde. In the end of
chapter 1, Enfield refers to Hyde as "really like Satan." A few lines later, Hyde remarks "No gentleman but wishes to
avoid a scene," is the first hint that we have that Hyde is an ally, or a manifestation, of the devil. Stevenson is playing
on the well-known remark of Percy Bythe Shelly¹s in Peter Bell the Third that "The devil is a gentleman." Hyde¹s
assertion that he is a gentleman (especially considering his recent behavior) with the class implications of the word
represents the irony implicit in the way Stevenson uses the word.
The symbolic nature of the mysterious cellar door that Hyde disappears through is important to note, which is
referred to five times in the space of two pages of text. Doors are traditionally powerful and mysterious symbols,
representing the possibility of things hidden or revealed, or traditional moments of finality. Stevenson himself wrote a
1882 short store, "The Sire of de Maletroit¹s Door,¹ in which the young Denis de Bealui reaps the consequents, of
walking through the wrong door. In addition, doors have powerful allegorical reference in biblical works, works
Stevenson read throughout his childhood. In Genesis 4:7, it reads "sin lieth at the door," which means that the sinner
must avoid sin. The door, in this case, then represents the literal path to evil.
It is also interesting to note the absence of female characters in this novel, especially compared to theatrical or film
adaptations of the novel. There is female which plays a large part in this novel, instead, it is a novel concerned for
the most part with middle-age gentlemen (with the possible exception of Hyde, but even he is described as a
gentleman in this chapter).
Chapter 2 - Analysis:
It is interesting to note the description of Mr. Hyde, as he first appears in the novel during this chapter. Although the
reader is continually reminded that Hyde is akin to the devil and evil, Hyde¹s qualities are never attached to any
nameable detail. We are meant to think that decent people instinctively know that there is something morally wrong
with him. Stevenson makes him seem less than a fully evolved human, more akin to animals than the rest of
mankind, with imagery as the "hissing intake of breath" in this chapter. Shortly after Hyde leaves Utterson in the
courtyard, Stevenson again emphasizes Hyde¹s animality. Utterson thinks about Hyde as he walks away: "pale and
dwarfish . . deformity. . .husky. .. murderous." But again, though we are told that Hyde inspires "disgust and loathing
and fear," we are never told precisely how, simply that this is the result. In contrast to this description, however,
Hyde¹s behavior towards Utterson, initially, was extremely civil.
The major theme of the book, good versus evil and the dual nature of human beings is explored in this chapter,
although tacitly. It is shrewd of Stevenson to have his dry-as-dust narrator, from whose point of view the Jekyll
problem is first put before us, to wonder abut the degree to which he is himself capable of iniquities, in the end of the
chapter. The allegory of the book, that we all have elements of good and bad deep within us, thus, has universal
application if Utterson, a man of "fairly blameless" life, is "humbled to the dust by the many ill things" that he has
done.
Another aspect of the theme can be resolved by asking the question of why Jekyll is living in a tawdry
neighborhood? While this question proves puzzling, part of the answer may be that if Jekyll¹s choice of residence
reflects the insecure hold Jekyll had on decency and respectability even before he meddled with his potion and
released Hyde. Thus, it reinforces the theme of hypocrisy and the idea that everyone has something hidden deep
inside of them. Jekyll, because of the presence of the despicable Hyde, was deep, down a negative and evil person
as well.
One symbol explored in these chapters is the symbol of bells, especially church bells. Before Mr. Utterson meets Mr.
Hyde, "six o¹clock struck on the bells of the church that was so conveniently near to Mr. Utterson¹s dwelling." To the
casual reader, this might not be significant but to Stevenson these bells represented something ominous. In The
Inland Voyage, Stevenson writes of bells that "there is often a threatening note, something blatant and metallic, in
the voice of the bells, that I believe we have fully more pain than pleasure from hearing them." The bells that
Utterson hear, therefore, are representative of the evil that he is about to meet. It is also interesting to note that every
bachelor in the novel not only drinks wine excessively, but are also wine connoisseurs. This is a single that these
men are gentlemen, in the English sense of the word.
Chapter 3 - Analysis:
It is interesting to note the description of Dr. Jekyll at the beginning of chapter, of a "smooth-faced man of fifty with
something of a slovish cast." As with Hyde, Jekyll¹s hypocritical character has left its mark on his features, although
not in such an obvious way as the deformity of Hyde. Another interesting description contained within this chapter is
Dr. Jekyll¹s description of Lanyon, a "hide-bound pedant for all that; an ignorant, blatant pedant." There is a pun
hidden deep within the description then (Hyde=hyde-bound) which links Lanyon to Hyde in a certain way. While
Lanyon turns out to be above circumspect, a reliable individual, this applies that we do not know all his secrets and
that he too has something to hide.
The main point of this chapter is the introduction of the theme of hypocrisy. Starting with his description (as
described above), although Utterson describes the spotless Jekyll, the reader glimpses another side of Jekyll, a
more disturbing side. The entirety of the chapter is full of Jekyll repeatedly lying to Utterson, something that
foreshadows the discovery of Jekyll¹s lies to all of society.
Another interesting aspect involved is Jekyll¹s statement, "I can be rid of Mr. Hyde at any point." While this may be
true, it is an issue of control versus the lack of control. This debate is encountered throughout the novel and is
central to the issues involved within the book - does Jekyll have control of Hyde or is it something that is merely out
of his control. The latter seems more true. Some critics have seen and likened Jekyll¹s dependence on Hyde to an
addiction, like that of drug substance abuse. While those victims repeatedly say, "I could stop whenever I want," in
reality, like Dr. Jekyll, they are not in control.
Chapter 4 - Analysis:
First, without minimizing the atrocities of Mr. Hyde, it is notable that in a story as famous for horror as Jekyll and
Hyde, there are only two identifiable victims of Hyde¹s horror: the murder of Sir Danvers Carew in this chapter and
the trampling of the young girl at the beginning of the novel. Also, another side note in this chapter is the presence of
fog in London. During the 1880¹s, London was known for its fog because of the preponderance of coal factories,
something that we would deem smog in our society.
The first long narrative paragraph of this chapter is a significant literary achievement, something that reinforces the
theme of duality that runs throughout the book. In the foreground is the maids description of a horrific murder but in
the background, or underlying the murder, is the beautiful description of the setting: the soft, clear night, the romantic
nature of the maid, the full moon, and the sweet loveliness of the old man. The entire scene is beautifully intertwined
with the small man who commits the graphic murder. The scene, accompanied by the brutal events, is another
example of Stevensons¹ use of duality and the theme of good versus evil, or the beautiful versus the ugly.
Another interesting aspect of the duality involves the inter-textual images and allusions that Jekyll and Hyde invokes.
In this chapter, the maid romantically gazing at the moon directly parallels a Keats poem, "Eve of St. Agnes." The
"dream of musing" is reminiscent of the soft lovingness Keats in his description of the breathless Madeline. This is
not the only example, however. The opening of Dicken¹s Bleak House is reflected in Utterson¹s and Newcomen¹s
journey through the fog in quest of Hyde.
Once again, the maid¹s description of Hyde, stresses the intrinsic knowledge that he is a bad person and that all of
society knows an evil and descipicable from merely their looks. Never are Hyde¹s individual features described - we
merely learn that he is short and "disgusting looking." This description implies Stevenson¹s views of the world of
certain, inherent evilness in people, something that can be detected by merely glancing at a person.
Beginning in this chapter as well, we see the importance to the novel of written documents and the relationship with
Mr. Utterson. In the beginning of the novel, the central thing that arises curiosity by Mr. Utterson is the mysterious
will. In this chapter, it is a letter (of which we never learn the nature of, nor the nature of the relationship between Sir
Danvers Carew and Mr. Utterson) addressed to Mr. Utterson in the pocket of Sir Danvers Carew that brings Mr.
Utterson into the scene in order to identify the body, and consequently to notify Dr. Jekyll of the mysterious
circumstances. In later instances in the book as well, including the letters and narratives from Dr. Laynon and Dr.
Jekyll addressed to Mr. Utterson, we will see the same driving force.
Chapter 5 - Analysis:
Again, in this chapter you see the presence of the theme of duality. In every major scene in the book, as in the scene
when Utterson confronts Jekyll, contrasts two men. In this case, it is Utterson and Jekyll. Although on the surface,
both are well-respected men of the community, in this case Utterson is the only one acting as such. Jekyll¹s defense
of Hyde, as demonstrated by the mysterious letter and its subsequent falsity, stands in sharp contrast to Utterson¹s
quest for the truth. The differences between Jekyll and Utterson serve to strengthen the hypocrisy of Jekyll,
something that Stevenson believed were "Jekyll¹s greatest fault." While Jekyll is busy lying and covering for Hyde,
Utterson¹s moralistic behavior stands in sharp contrast.
By paying specific attention to the details of the Jekyll residence, the reader gains insight in the character evolution
of Dr. Jekyll. As Utterson is in the laboratory, he describes "three dusty windows barred with iron" A year ago,
however, Mr. Enfield described the same windows from the outside as "always shut but they¹re clean,"and this
demise of the windows foreshadows the larger change in Jekyll¹s fortune.
At this point in the novel, it is important to examine what Utterson suspects of Jekyll. While Jekyll clearly is acting
abnormal, Mr. Utterson is blind to the fact that this is truly Dr. Jekyll¹s problem and instead blames Mr. Hyde for
blackmail. The question remains, blackmail for what? Originally, Utterson merely says that his "wild youth" has
haunted Jekyll. In this chapter, however, he expands and speculates about the "beast that has no name," implying
homosexuality that Mr. Hyde is either blackmailing Jekyll about or engraining in as a partner.
The entire situation surrounding the letter also lets the reader glimpse Jekyll¹s shabbiness well before we discover
his real situation. The letter is skeptical, not reflective of the great and well-respected person that the reader has
heard about in earlier descriptions. In the same way, Jekyll¹s moral character is considerably more jaded than he
presents to society.
Another interesting aspect to consider is the relationship between chemistry and anatomy in this book. The person
who had owned the house previous to Jekyll had been a surgeon, thus the presence of the laboratory, etc. beneath
Jekyll¹s house. While Jekyll is a chemist, there is a certain innate relationship to anatomy and the human body in his
work - he is trying to cure the soul of the human. Thus, it is important to realize that this mixing happened in this
room and in Jekyll¹s own experiments.
Chapter 6 - Analysis:
The most remarkable aspect of this chapter, as well as chapter 7, is the lack of detail provided. Throughout both of
these extremely short chapters, Stevenson is extremely up front and precise in his descriptions, using them as a
means to get to an end. The lack of detail plagues all of this work, and often questions remain considering elements
of the plot.
It is also remarkable to note the further importance of wine in these two chapters. Whenever wine is possible or
present, positive things happen in the novel. The absence of wine, however, situates the reader in the more negative
and ominous situation. Wine can also be created as a symbol of evil, a lesser degree the sign of hypocrisy of
gentlemen. Like the potion that Jekyll consumes to become Hyde, too much wine can transform a gentleman and
demonstrate his true colors.
It is also significant to evaluate Lanyon¹s reaction to the mystery of Jekyll. From the drastic consequences of this, for
the first time the reader and Mr. Utterson understands the severity of Jekyll¹s secret. This foreshadows and
increases the suspense to understand what the secret contains and why it could be that drastic. Also, once again
reference is made to the "disappearance of Dr. Jekyll," something that is quite strange to the casual observer.
It is also interesting to note that Jekyll claims, "I have brought on myself a punishment and a danger that I cannot
name." While later in Jekyll¹s own confession there is a tendency to downplay the harm that he is done and his
hypocrisy shines through, this statement tends to accept the responsibility and preserve his façade, for know at
least.
Again, in this chapter the importance of written documents is illustrated. Not only does Utterson communicate the
mysterious "do not open document," but all communication between Jekyll and Utterson is done through written
methods as well. Written word, something concrete, forwards the plot and reveals secrets in Stevenson¹s Jekyll and
Hyde.
Chapter 7 - Analysis:
Remarkably, Chapter 7 begins the same way as Chapter 1, with Mr. Enfield and Mr. Utterson on a walk. Mush,
however, has changed since the time of their first walk. Only a year has passed (approximately), but instead of just
being an interesting story about a strange door, a mystery has evolved and both Mr. Utterson and Mr. Enfield have
more questions, rather than less, about Jekyll, Hyde, and their relationship.
The iron bars on the window of Jekyll¹s house are also significantly symbolic. To Jekyll and Utterson, and to the rest
of the world at large, Jekyll has imprisoned himself both literally and figuratively. Just as he has literally imprisoned
himself, Jekyll feels imprisoned by the constraints of society and this feeling motivates his dangerous experiments
with Mr. Hyde.
By this point in the text, the mystery has unfolded itself. The reader is meant to be left "in the dark," and only know
will Stevenson begin to let the strange and horrifying conclusion out. This horrific is foreshadowed by the death of Dr.
Lanyon when he learns the secret that Dr. Jekyll is harboring - it creates a more suspenseful and stressful situation
for the reader because both Laynon and Utterson clearly are witness to things that are dreadful.
Mr. Enfield¹s presence in this chapter is a bit surprising and sudden. Since the beginning chapter, we have not heard
of him (even though initially the reader thought that he was important as the witness to Hyde¹s first crime). After this
chapter, he is not heard from again in the book.
Chapter 8 - Analysis:
The first signal that something is going to be terrible wrong in this chapter is the "wine left untasted" when Poole
arrives at Jekyll¹s residence. In the home of a wine connoisseur, this is clearly a signal of bad things to come. In
addition, the presence of wine at this particularly climactic part of the book reinforces the theme that wine symbolizes
evil happenings.
Another important symbol in this chapter is the key to the laboratory. The importance of this key has been
emphasized from the first (see chapter 2, chapter 4). Hyde has had possessions of the key, consequently, he holds
the key to the mystery at hand. One does not need to look far for the symbolic significance of a key: it represents
power, authority, especially in religious connotations. In the context of this fiction, the key bestows satanic (therefore
doomed and damned) power, as Hyde is the one who can change back. The search for the key, and the failure to
find it, represents the failure of Utterson and Poole to overcome the satanic power. It also represents the fact that
Utterson and Poole do not have access to evil - they are sinless in the story, because they do not and cannot hold
the key.
Throughout the novel, Stevenson has emphasized the tension between order and disorder, another aspect of the
duality themes. Utterson is the supremely orderly fellow. Jekyll, the hypocrite, maintains a façade of order. Now here,
Utterson (with the help of his accomplice, the equally orderly Poole), entered the domain of chaos that was the
laboratory. This is the one place where order and disorder meet each other (just as Jekyll and Hyde meet each
other). While in general there are copious notes and records of the scientific proceedings that occurred in the room
were neat and orderly, parts of the room were disturbingly unclean, more like the Hyde part of the Jekyll personality.
Another interesting to note is that despite the fact that Jekyll and Hyde are composed of opposite aspects of a single
self, they have one thing in common: they both like civilized comforts. Presumably this is not so surprising in the
case of Dr. Jekyll, whose façade is civility and middle-class respectability. Hyde, on the other hand, to whom animal
characteristics are frequently attributed, out not to need - or want - silver plate, a fine tea service, or a comfortable
fire. The most obvious explanation for what might otherwise seem contradictory is that the person behind the door is,
and has been for some time, a continually metamorphosing creature who is alternately Jekyll and than Hyde.
In this chapter, the full name of Mr. Utterson is also revealed: John Gabriel Utterson, which has additional
significance. Gabriel is one of the four archangels, usually given the role of a divine messenger. John, Utterson¹s
middle name, is shared by several important New Testament figures: John the Baptist who sent the Apostle John to
Jesus; John, who wrote the three epistles; and, finally, there is John, who wrote Revelations. The point is that both of
Utterson¹s names, Gabriel and John, allude to men who were revealers or explainers of the truth - which is
Utterson¹s task in this fiction.
Chapter 9 - Analysis:
An important literary element of both this chapter, and the next chapter, is the concept of overlap. At this point, the
reader already realizes some of the things that Lanyon has described. This time, however, the reader gains a
different perspective that illuminates the situation and makes it clear. By knowing how the story concludes,
Stevenson brings more detail to the process of this transformation and thus highlights the books focus on the
intellectual aspects of the transformation of Jekyll to Hyde and the consequences this reaps.
Again in this chapter, Stevenson is vague about the source of the strange uneasiness and feelings of repulsion
people feel in the presence of Hyde, as demonstrated by Lanyon¹s description of Hyde in this chapter reiterates.
Lanyon believes that deep in the nature of man there is an instinctive and noble capacity to recognize evil and shrink
from it.
The scene between Lanyon and Hyde, therefore, in which civility and formality play so large a part has some
similarity to that between Utterson and Hyde when they met. What is notable is that Hyde, who has been described
as animal-like as recently as four paragraphs earlier, behaves with considerable, almost courtly, courtesy. The
question then becomes why would Hyde, who relishes evil, be so eager for the potion that will turn him into Jekyll,
his drearier self? The answer could be that Hyde is not all-pure evil, he has some conscious.
The death of the doctor, finally explained because of his exposure to the pure evil of the Jekyll¹s experiment gone
wrong, is extremely interesting in this allegorical novel. The evil that is exposed by Jekyll/Hyde in this chapter literally
poisons the pure and good Dr. Lanyon, therefore, reinforcing the theme that pure evil lies in all of humanity and that
its exposure is a catastrophic mistake.
Chapter 10 - Analysis:
This chapter is the most revealing, intriguing, and powerful of the entire novel. In it, Jekyll¹s inner experiment with
good and evil are explored and the dire consequences laid before the reader. It is important to note from this chapter
that in Hyde, you have no Jekyll, but in Jekyll there is always some Hyde, reflective that there is no mechanism for
humanity to free itself from its dual nature. Therefore, the horror of Jekyll and Hyde is a cerebral kind, not a bloody or
violent type that is typical in the theatrical and cinematic adaptations of the book. Hyde, therefore, is not a separate
person, but merely a projection of Jekyll. The story¹s main theme, therefore, illustrates the darker side of a decent
man, an aspect of our natures whose presence all has to acknowledge.
The story, as we see from this chapter and throughout the novel, however, is not merely an allegory between bad
and good, but also a study in hypocrisy. Part of Jekyll¹s ambivalence lies in his attitude to evil, in the fact that he
regards the throwing off of moral control as liberation. It is not so much that he wishes to embark on a journey of lust,
is that he cannot tolerate the notion that certain behavior is absolutely prohibited. In this ambivalence, Jekyll
embodies the hypocrisy that Stevenson sought to expose. An example of this hypocrisy is evident when Jekyll
describes hiring a maid for Hyde¹s apartment whom he is familiar with her decorum and silence. This statement is
extremely revealing: he evidently has used her for some elicit purpose in the past. Jekyll¹s sin is not in being evil, but
in living the sedate lifestyle while hypocritically wishing for, and indulging in, the opposite. By assuming the façade of
Hyde, Jekyll is able to pursue his wildest imaginations without assuming the consequences. In this way, he
maintains his respectability while also pursuing a career in crime. The story is a parable, therefore, on the dual
nature of man and on the double standards man applies to his own behavior.
Throughout this chapter, Stevenson shifts in alternating points of view, from first-person narrative to third person and
then back again do two things. First, they mimic feeling the dizzying pace of the oscillation between Jekyll and Hyde
and second, they reflect the revulsion Jekyll feels for his counterpart. Jekyll is using language to put as much
distance himself and his "other" can.
The imagery of the last paragraph announces the imminent closure of a circle. Our story began with Jekyll¹s desire
to separate the moral aspects of his self so that he might have vibrant and wicked experiences without remorse. The
cost of this pilgrimage, however, was a deadly reversal of dominance.