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Chapters 1-10

by Dhruv Gupta, Surbhi Batra, and Shailza Chawla (India)

1  /  2  /  3  /  4  /  5  /  6  /  7  /  8  /  9  / 10

Introduction
Right and Wrong. Joy and Despair. Good and Evil. These are the themes Robert Louis Stevenson addresses in his work, 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.' The story is told from the point of view of John Utterson, a lawyer and friend to the brilliant scientist, Dr. Henry Jekyll. After relating a disturbing tale of an angry fiend assaulting a small girl, Utterson begins to question the odd behavior of his friend. As he investigates further into the life of Dr. Jekyll he uncovers a story so horrific, so terrifying, that he can hardly believe it. Truly a great work of English Literature, 'Jekyll and Hyde' is a magnificent story that takes the reader to the very edge of madness.

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.
On Sundays, Utterson always took walks with his cousin Richard Enfield. 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.
Enfield told that 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.

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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 decides to try and visit Jekyll at the late hour.
At Jekyll's home, he learns from the servants that Hyde never eat 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.

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Chapter 3
Dr. Jekyll has a dinner party that 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 maidservants 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.

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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 image 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, lay awake, did not read and was miserable. Utterson tried to visit less and less.

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Chapter 7
Chapter 7 begins the same way as Chapter 1 , with Mr. Enfield and Mr. Utterson walking by the mysterious door . Through one of the windows , Utterson spots Dr. Jekyll and tells him to get outside more. Jekyll replies that he wants to, but doesn’t dare. Just as he said the smile on his face was replaced by a look of utter terror. A seizure had taken over his body. Mr. Enfield and Mr. Utterson only had a glimpse of it but were overcome with disgust at what they had seen .
Chapter 7 begins the same way as Chapter 1 , with Mr. Enfield and Mr. Utterson on a walk . Much has changed since the time of their first walk . Only a year has passed but instead of being just a story about a strange door , a mystery has evolved and both the men have more questions about JEKYLL , HYDE and their relationship .

Chapter 8
One night , Poole , Jekyll’s butler, approaches Utterson, who is afraid as Jekyll has locked himself in the basement and will not come out . The only communication that Poole has received, have 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 new samples come from the chemist. Utterson follows Poole to Jekyll’s 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 realize that it wasn’t of Jekyll , it was of Hyde. The pair think that Hyde has killed Jekyll and that he is hiding in the cabinet. Poole breaks the cabinet and find that Hyde has killed himself . Inside the lab Utterson found an envelope addressed to himself. Inside it was the same eccentric will , but this time the recipient was Utterson. Also there was a note from Jekyll that instructed Utterson to read the documents that Lanyon had provided.
The first signal that something is going to be terrible wrong in this chapter is the "wine left untasted" when Poole arrives at Jekyll’s residence. In the home of a wine consumer, this is clearly a signal of bad things to come.
Another important symbol in this chapter is the key to the laboratoryHyde 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 and authority. 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.
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.

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Chapter 9
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 Jekyll¹s 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, you will "know that you have 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 Œdouble¹ 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 Laynon¹s 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 couldn¹t bring his mind to set on paper because his should was so sickened. This was what had brought about his sudden demise, his death.
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.
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 Lanyon’s 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, 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 Jekyll’s 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.

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Chapter 10
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. 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.¹ 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 he 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. 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.
This chapter is the most revealing, intriguing, and powerful of the entire novel. In it, Jekyll’s inner experiment with good and evil are explored and the dire consequences laid before the reader. 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. Hyde, therefore, is not a separate person, but merely a projection of Jekyll. The story’s main theme, therefore, illustrates the darker side of a decent man, an aspect of our natures whose presence all has to acknowledge.
The imagery of the last paragraph announces the imminent closure of a circle. Our story began with Jekyll’s 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.
 

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