Dr.
Jekyll and Mr HydeChapter 1The story begins with a description of Mr. Utterson, a lawyer inLondon. Mr. Utterson is a reserved, conservative man who does notreveal his true, vibrant personality. He tolerates the strangenessand faults of other.
Early in his life, he watched as his brotherfell to ruin, and it is noted that he is often the lastrespectable person that men who are turning to evil or ruin haveto talk to. This foreshadows Utterson’s involvement with upcomingevil. Mr. Utterson is friends with Richard Enfield, although the two aretotally different from one another. They always took walks witheach other on Sundays no matter what else they might have to do. As they walk down a lane on Sunday that would usually be crowdedwith merchants and children during the week, Enfield points out anold building without many windows, and only a basement door.
Enfield tells a story of how, one night at about 3:00 am, he saw astrange, deformed man round the corner and bump into a young girl. The strange man did not stop but simply walked right over theyoung girl, who cried out in terror. Enfield rushed over andattended the girl along with her family. Still, the strange mancarried on, so Enfield chased him down and urged him back.
Adoctor was called and Enfield and the doctor felt an odd hatred ofthe man, warning the man that they would discredit him in everyway possible unless he compensated the girl. The strange managreed to offer 100 British pounds. Enfield notes that the man is like Satan in the way he seemsemotionally cold to the situation. The strange man presented acheque signed by an important person, which they together cashedthe next morning. Enfield states that he refers to the building asBlack Mail House. Utterson asks Enfield if he ever asked who livedin the building, but Enfield explains that he doesn’t askquestions 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 theirwalk. Enfield continues that the strange man he saw that nightlooked deformed, though he could explain how. Utterson assuresEnfield that his story has caught his interest. The two agreenever to talk about the story again. Chapter 2The same evening, Utterson came home. Instead of reading untilsleep at midnight, he poured over the will of his friend HenryJekyll, a doctor and very educated man.
The will stated thatJekyll’s possessions and position should be handed over to Mr. Hyde, a friend that Utterson had never heard nor met. Uttersonwent to the house of Dr. Lanyon, an old school and college friendof Utterson’s and Jekyll’s, and asked him about Hyde, but Lanyonhad never heard of him. Lanyon uses several evil references whentalking about Jekyll, such as devilish, and gone wrong,foreboding evil relations between Jekyll and Hyde. Utterson knowssomething is wrong between the two.
Utterson can’t sleep for therest of the night. Utterson considers how the strange man Enfield spoke of couldtrample a child and care nothing for it. Utterson staked out thedoor of the strange building looking for the strange man, whom healso believed was Mr. Hyde. One night, he found him.
He confrontshim as he is about to go inside the strange door, and finds thestrange man is indeed Mr. Hyde. Hyde is unpleasant, cool, defiant,and confident. Utterson convinces Hyde to show his face, and Hydesuggests Utterson should know his address, implying that he knowsof Jekyll’s will.
Utterson refers to Hyde to himself astroglodytic, meaning a primitive human being, detestable andunpleasant. Utterson decides to try and visit Jekyll at the latehour. At Jekyll’s home, he learns from the servants that Hyde never eastdinner at Jekyll’s house, but is always there in the laboratory,with his own key. The servants rarely see him, but they haveorders to obey him. Utterson leaves, and reflects upon his ownlife, what evil deeds he may be guilty of, and what bad things hisfriend Jekyll may have done in his life.
He decides that this Hydemust be gravely evil, far worse than anything Jekyll may have everdone. Utterson decides to try and discover what evil things Hydehas done and may be doing, but fears that his friend Jekyll willobject. To finish, Utterson again considers the strange will ofJekyll, specifically that it he disappears for longer than threemonths, that his estate should be turned over to Hyde. Uttersonfears that Hyde might kill Jekyll for the will.
Chapter 3Dr. Jekyll has a dinner party and Utterson attends. Utterson is awell liked and respected man, by Jekyll as well as anyone. Utterson stays behind after the party, and talks with Jekyll aboutthe will. Jekyll tries at first to politely and jovially avoid thetopic towards his scientific rivalry with Dr. Lanyon, but Uttersoninsists.
Utterson explains that he thinks the will is a bad idea,and Jekyll wishes to stop talking about it. Jekyll states that heis in a unique situation that can’t be fixed through talking, butUtterson 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 matteralone. He explains that he has great interest in Hyde, and thatUtterson follow his will and secure Jekyll’s estate for Hyde ifJekyll passes away.
Utterson promises to fulfill this duty. Chapter 4One of Jekyll’s maid servants is watching out her window on afoggy night and sees Hyde and Sir Danvers meet by chance, Theytalk under her window, and without warning, Hyde explodes withrage and strikes Danvers with his heavy cane. Hyde stomped uponthe man, crushing his bones, while the maid faints. The maid wakes up, calls the police.
They find a purse and goldwatch, and an envelope for Utterson on the victim, but no papersor cards. They find part of Hyde’s splintered, broken cane. Utterson goes to the police station to see the body. Uttersonidentifies the victim as Danvers, and notices that the piece ofcane resembles one he gave to Jekyll a long time ago. Uttersonleads the police to Hyde’s house in Soho.
As they arrive at Hyde’shouse, Utterson notices the darkness from the brown fog, andconsiders the fear people must have of the law and the police. AtHyde’s, an very white skinned woman with grey hair and an evilface tells them she hadn’t seen Hyde for 2 months. At first thewoman protests, but she seems happy to learn that Hyde might be introuble. In the house, Utterson and the police inspector find that only afew rooms are being used. They find clues to show that Hyde wasresponsible for the murder:Hyde’s clothes had been ransacked, a burnt cheque book, the otherpart of the cane, and at the bank, Hyde’s account had severalthousand pounds (British money) in it. The inspector believed thatthey could simply catch him when he returned to the bank, butfound that without an accurate description of Hyde, they could notprepare the bank to recognize Hyde when he came in again.
Chapter 5Utterson 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 ifJekyll is hiding Hyde. Jekyll declares that Hyde is safe, andUtterson finds it strange that Jekyll can be so sure. Jekyll givesUtterson a letter written by Hyde where he apologizes to Jekyllfor causing so much trouble, although Jekyll is afraid that theletter might harm his own reputation. Utterson finds this aselfish consideration. Utterson believes that Hyde told Jekyll howto make his will, and tells Jekyll that he is lucky because Hydewas going to kill him.
Jekyll is upset and says only, Oh what alesson I have learned!. Jekyll tells Utterson that the lettercame to him by delivery, not through the mail, but as Uttersonleaves, he asks the servant, who tells him that no letters came bydelivery. . .
That night, Utterson has his assistant, Mr. Guest, over to look atthe 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 Jekyllwould forge Hyde’s letter for him. Chapter 6The police’s investigation into Hyde’s background showed that hehad a violent reputation. In the meantime, Jekyll seemed betterthan ever in his life.
On January 6th, Jekyll had a dinner party,and Utterson and Lanyon went. However, after that date, Jekyllrefused to allow any visitors. Utterson decides to visit Lanyon,but finds that Lanyon seems deathly sick, and won’t discuss whyexcept that he has had a shock. He seems that he has beenterrified, and begs not to be reminded of Jekyll.
Utterson goes home and writes a complaint to Jekyll about nottaking visitors, and about Lanyon. The next day, Jekyll repliesthat he is sorry and doesn’t blame Lanyon for not wishing to everhear of Jekyll again, but doesn’t say why. Jekyll asks Utterson tolet me be alone to suffer for a great evil deed that he hascommitted. Utterson feels that there must be some very seriousexplanation for the strange behavior of both Lanyon and Jekyll.
A week later Utterson receives a letter from Lanyon. Inside isanother letter marked that it shouldn’t be opened until the timethat Jekyll disappears. Utterson is tempted to open it, but honorsthe order on the envelope not to open it yet. Utterson checked inwith Poole, Jekyll’s servant, who said that Jekyll stayed in hisroom, laid awake, did not read and was miserable.
Utterson triedto visit less and less. Chapter 7On a walk with Richard Enfield again, he and Utterson resolvenever to see Hyde again. Enfield tells that he now knows that thebuilding Hyde entered that night long ago was Jekyll’s house. Asthey strolled by Jekyll’s house, they saw him in a window. Utterson urges him to come for a walk, but Jekyll refuses.
Theyagree to talk while Jekyll sits at the window. Suddenly, a look ofterror comes over Jekyll’s face, and the window blind is shut infront 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 8Poole comes to Utterson’s house in a panic, saying that Jekyll islocked up in his room again.
Poole fears that Jekyll has beenmurdered and that the killer is still in his room, pacing back andforth and moaning and crying out. Utterson agrees to go toJekyll’s house with Poole. When they arrive, they find all thehouse servants crowded around the fireplace in fear of what goesup in Jekyll’s room. Poole tells Utterson that he wants him tohear what is going on in Jekyll’s room. They proceed, and Poolecalls out to his master, saying that Utterson is there to visit. Avoice answers that is certainly Jekyll, pleading for Utterson toleave him alone.
Poole reports that the person in the room tosses out papers withorders for chemicals from every company in London, but with everydelivery, Jekyll/Hyde refuses them and sends them back claimingthey are not pure. They examine the notes, and find that thewriting 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 likeHyde, not JekyllPoole and Utterson decide to break down the door and find out whathas happened in Jekyll’s room, using an axe. They post two otherservants near the door to prevent Jekyll/Hyde from escaping shouldhe get past Utterson and Poole. Utterson and Poole consider thatthey face some danger in doing this.
While they wait for the otherservants to get into position, they sit in the old surgerytheatre, where Poole describes how Jekyll/Hyde paces back andforth across the floor and sometimes cries out. After the servantsare ready, Utterson warns Jekyll that he is coming in, and thevoice begs him not to. They burst in and find Hyde twitching and dying on the floor. Theylook around and find various articles, but no sign of Jekyll’sbody. They find chemicals, a book, a cheval-glass, and a strangedrug.
They search the house, and still do not find the body. Utterson finds Jekyll’s latest will and learns that it leaves hisestate to Utterson, not Hyde. Utterson finds this strange becauseHyde was in the room and cold have destroyed this will in favor ofthe one that names him the recipient of the will. Utterson finds anote written in Jekyll’s handwriting, and is afraid to read it. In it Jekyll says that he has disappeared, that Utterson shouldread the letter Lanyon sent, and also Jekyll’s own confessionwhich is included with this note.
Utterson returns to his officewhere he will read the two important documents. Chapter 9 – Lanyon’s NarrativeOn January 9th, Lanyon receives a letter from Jekyll. It tellsLanyon that this is a matter of life and death. Lanyon is to go toJekyll’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) onthe 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 topor (which is the same thing) the third from the bottom. This isto get Jekyll’s drug.
Then, Lanyon is to return to his own home’sconsulting room, and wait for a visitor at midnight from Jekyll. Lanyon does this and finds the drug that Jekyll must have madebecause it is not as neatly done as a chemist would do. He returnsto 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 tohim, a scary smile comes over Hyde’s face. He tells Lanyon thatLanyon was a fool, and that he would now see proof oftranscendental medicine. He drinks the drug and changes intoJekyll in a terrifying way that haunts Lanyon for the rest of hisfew days until he dies. Lanyon ends his letter by saying that hecannot tell what Jekyll told him because it is too terrible, otherthan that Jekyll and Hyde are the same person.
