ipl-logo

Relationship Between Utterson In Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

615 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Dr. jekyll and mr. hyde thesis

Although Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde tells the story of its eponymous scientist and his dual personality, the story’s protagonist is Jekyll’s lawyer and friend, Mr. Utterson. The reader sees the story through his eyes, and follows him as he uncovers the truth about the connection between Jekyll and Hyde. His personality is what makes him the most effective and most reliable narrator. Utterson is the most effective because other characters trust him, and the most reliable because of his strong morals and unbiased nature. Utterson’s perspective is more effective than those of other characters because of his ability to make people trust him. He has a good relationship with all of the other main characters. He was school friends with Dr. Lanyon, who holds “a sincere and warm affection” for him, and Dr. Jekyll, who tells Utterson that he has complete trust in him (Stevenson 12). Because of his trustworthy nature, people are more inclined to share information with him, allowing the reader to glimpse more of the story than if a character like Edward Hyde had been the protagonist. Unlike Hyde, who evokes a feeling of hatred in everyone he meets, “where Utterson was liked, he was liked well” …show more content…

He always has everyone’s best interests at heart, and is “in any extremity inclined to help” (Stevenson 1). He is motivated to discover the truth about the connection between Jekyll and Hyde because of his strong code of morals. His integrity also makes him the standard from which to compare the actions of other characters. In contrast to Hyde, who is often associated with Satan by other characters, Utterson is described as being “eminently human” (Stevenson 1). Dr. Jekyll’s experiments investigate the dual nature of man and blur moral lines. Utterson’s integrity and strong sense of propriety serve as a way for the reader to judge what is right and what is wrong throughout the

Show More
Related
589 Words | 3 Pages

Stevenson creates various moments of apprehension throughout the novel to evoke a sense of terror. When Edward Hyde is first introduced in the novel, he takes a major role in a plot changing event. He “tramples calmly” over a child's body only to leave her “screaming” on the ground in agony and betrayal. Hyde is portrayed as careless and convulsive through his actions; this allows for a sense of mystery to settle in one's mind. The fact that he has left the child in pain on the ground, at night, emphasizes Stevenson's use of an event to create a strategic reaction towards a specific character.

Read More
986 Words | 4 Pages

Stevenson portrays Jekyll as impotent against his temptations, due to his attempt to purify his soul. On the other hand, he portrays Utterson as one who does not succumb to his desires. Stevenson seldom ever speaks of Utterson’s temptations and instead, focuses more on Jekyll’s pleasure of the “thought of [the] separation of these elements” (61), in order to avoid jeopardizing his reputation. Towards the end of the novella, Stevenson reveals Jekyll’s belief and sole purpose to split humankind’s two natures. Meanwhile, despite the minimal mentions of how Utterson tackles his temptations, Stevenson primarily shows Utterson’s dominance over his desires.

Read More
897 Words | 4 Pages

Jekyll and Hyde Good vs evil Stevenson presents the idea of duality through the differences between Dr Jekyll and mr Hyde. Throughout the novella, there is a repeated antithesis as the good of Jekyll is compared to the “detestabillity” of Hyde. Jekyll has a highly respectable front and is known for a having a good reputation, however Hyde is infamous he known for being evil and is strongly disliked by all he meets. Hyde is described as “like Satan” and “devilish” empathising his pure evil and his dangerous and deplourable nature. Whereas Jekyll is often described as a respected man and is “well built”.

Read More
1321 Words | 6 Pages

Deception in ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ ‘The strange case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ is a novella by the scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in 1886. Stevenson, born November 13, 1850, is also the author of the well known book; ‘Treasure Island’. Robert L. Stevenson, who died December 3, 1894,, was said to be influenced by authors such as Charles Dickens and Edgar Allen Poe. This book is part of the gothic genre, a genre of literature that combines fiction, and horror, death and at times romance. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or simply Jekyll and Hyde is about a London lawyer named Mr, Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend Dr. Jekyll and the evil Mr. Hyde.

Read More
1581 Words | 7 Pages

“The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson is a book that intrigues one’s mind, because it makes us question ourselves about the balance between the two opposing forces. The story starts out with Mr. Utterson, a lawyer and a great friend of Dr. Jekyll, hearing about Hyde for the first time, who is very shady and somewhat misconfigured. Mr. Utterson hears about Hyde’s bad reputation, and his usage of Dr. Jekyll’s laboratory; therefore, Mr. Utterson suspects some kind of relationship between Hyde and Dr. Jekyll. Mr. Utterson’s friend Lanyon, who is a doctor, dies after Dr. Jekyll goes into seclusion; Mr. Utterson goes to Dr. Jekyll’s house to seek the truth behind Lanyon’s death, but he instead sees Hyde dead. Mr. Utterson

Read More
525 Words | 3 Pages

Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” because the story takes place in Victorian England we see that the characters have no room for expression of emotions or violence. Everything they do is secret, so the more Dr Jekyll is repressed, the more he wants to be Mr Hyde. The original characteristics of Henry Jekyll are reflected as “...life of effort, virtue, and control” (pg. 172) because, most of his life his vice activities were maintained a secret. According to Jekyll, when evil is separated into one body, one will not know right from wrong because there is no conscious in a being of complete evil which was Hyde for

Read More
1591 Words | 7 Pages

Irresponsible Use of Knowledge & Consequences Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein and Robert Stevenson 's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are two horrific tales of science gone terribly wrong, it emphasizes the saying, with great power comes great responsibility. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde tells the story of Dr. Jekyll who, while searching for a way to divide his good self from his bad impulses, creates a potion using science that transforms himself into a man without a conscience. Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a bright young doctor who, devastated by the death of his mother, becomes obsessed with bringing the dead back to life. In the texts, authors Robert Stevenson and Mary Shelley use multiple literary elements to emphasize that knowledge

Read More
151 Words | 1 Pages

Overall, Stevenson’s presentation of the duality of man is conveyed by the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde because towards the end of the novel. Jekyll begins to realise that the schism which once caused them to despise one another, help them understand each other situation. Jekyll even begins to ‘pity’ Hyde toward the end of novel, praising his ‘love for life’ by calling it ‘wonderful’, as his creator he consequently acknowledges the condescending attitudes towards Hyde, unfairly for his appearance, however rightfully so for his actions. Moreover, like Darwin’s theory, Hyde could never be accepted into society, often being characterised as a ‘brute’. Additionally, Jekyll’s actions would be condemned by the Victorian readers, as he was

Read More
592 Words | 3 Pages

Firstly Stevenson presents Mr Hyde as a Frightening outsider through the portrayal of an impulsive unevolved person. This creates a sense of a frightening outsider as Hyde’s attitude was unfit for his society. Hyde is often described through animalistic imagery to emphasise how he is unfit in the society and how unevolved he is and to create the image of a troglodyte a word by which he is described in in the Carew murder case.

Read More
813 Words | 4 Pages

In the novel, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson explores the complexity of human nature. He uses characters and events in the novel to present his stance on the major theme: “man is not truly one, but truly two” (125). Branching from this major theme are many more specific views on the idea that human nature is divided into good and evil. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are two very different people who occupy the same body. Human beings struggle with good and evil and Stevenson goes to the extreme to to show this relationship.

Read More
855 Words | 4 Pages

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde consists of reputation, good vs evil and damage control. In other words, Utterson tirelessly works to prevent his best friend Dr. Jekyll from being dragged into the horrid affairs of Mr. Hyde, and Dr. Jekyll goes through the greatest of lengths to prevent his Hyde identity from being discovered, in order to avoid anyone knowing of his somewhat questionable scientific work and morally despicable behavior. Much of the novel is based on the characters ' reputations, how they have to maintain a good public image, as they are upper class people. The novel takes place in Victorian England and the main characters are all male members of upper class London.

Read More
948 Words | 4 Pages

Using his charm, good looks, and manners, Mr. George Wickham is able to deceive multiple characters throughout Pride and Prejudice in order to gain favor and sympathy. Initially, Mr. Wickham is introduced as an upstanding, friendly character who would be the perfect spouse for Elizabeth Bennett. He then evolves into a man in search of pity and wealth. George manages to turn blame and hatred onto others instead of owning up his own actions. Money and revenge are his motives, and he does not care who he has to hurt or mislead to obtain his goal.

Read More
1492 Words | 6 Pages

Following the theme of duality, Mr. Utterson shares many similarities with Dr. Jekyll. Both characters have been tempted by their passions and desires. For instance, Mr. Utterson would “[drink] gin when he was alone, to mortify a taste for vintages” and avoid the theatre “though he enjoyed [it]”
(Stevenson 1677). However, unlike Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Utterson manages be “austere with himself” and not succumb to these temptations (Stevenson 1677). Through this, it is evident that corruptive influences and desires exist in every individual.

Read More
728 Words | 3 Pages

Within the novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, there stands a strange case of good versus evil. However, this story has no great villain or even a valiant hero, it has only a man fighting with his vices and dark urges and desires, which grow darker, more morbid and perverted at the novel goes on. Then, as a means to free himself of such darkness and “evil,” the man creates an antidote or rather cocktail of drugs to help him in such matter. Only problem being, the cocktail separates his psyche in two and with the two sides released from each other. The darkness the bad is allowed to grow and lash out unattended and unblocked.

Read More
523 Words | 3 Pages

“ And you never asked about the place with the door?” These quotes show how he is trying to help out and get to the bottom of things and criminal cases. Utterson is very caring and helpful showing he is the superego. In conclusion, In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde represents the three personality . Such as, the ID, the ego, and the superego.

Read More

More about Relationship Between Utterson In Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

Related Topics

Open Document