Liber-Rate

‘”If he be Mr Hyde,” he had thought, ” I shall be Mr Seek.” –  In the unrecognizable and oddly alienated setting of 19th century, Victorian London, following the strange and curious crimes of a man named ‘Hyde’, Mr Utterson feels the urge to save his friend, ‘Dr Jekyll’, from what he believes are the nefarious actions of Mr Hyde. However, when Dr Jekyll suddenly goes ‘missing’, it is not Mr Hyde that appears to have done the deed; Dr Jekyll appears to have been…replaced.​

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‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, by Robert Louis Stevenson, is one of the most well-known and prominent gothic novels from the 19th century. Using the familiar themes of gothic horror and fear, ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ experiments with the idea of the ‘uncanny’, whereby the fear of the unknown is used to overwhelm the reader, enticing and inviting us to create our own horror. The development and miniscule changes of certain characters also elicit sympathy from the reader, which lead to a more compelling and convincing story.​

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The character of Mr Utterson is undeniably crucial to the development of ‘Jekyll and Hyde’, and I believe that it is the change in Mr Utterson’s character that creates and develops this fear of the unknown; after all, what incident could be so terrible as to make even a man like Mr Utterson so empathetic and caring? ​

Mr Utterson is introduced as ‘a man of a rugged countenance’. He appears to be an apathetic character, definitely undeserving of sympathy. Most notably, he quotes that he ‘inclines to Cain’s heresy’, alluding to the unorthodox belief, which suggests that he doesn’t involve himself in other men’s downfalls, rather tending ‘to be the last reputable acquaintance’ in the lives of ‘down-going men’. He is described as a man who holds himself back from the usual pleasures – such as wine – and this shows us how he is austere and strict with his self. We are also introduced to an imminent juxtaposition of character, whereby he holds ‘something eminently human’ in his eye, that ‘never found its way into his talk’. This suggests a contrast between the outer façade that he maintains, and his inner self. ​

However, as the story unfolds, Utterson’s character begins to develop, and we see minor details slowly being fixed and changed. For example, when he learns of Dr Jekyll’s oncoming downfall, he doesn’t leave himself out of it like usual; he doesn’t ‘incline to Cain’s heresy’ as he said he does. Instead he goes out of his way to help Jekyll, showing great character change and development. This shows, not only how Dr Jekyll is important to Utterson, but also how the incident of Hyde has helped Utterson to develop as a person, and how it has led him to be more empathetic and caring. Also, the epistolary format of the last two chapters creates an empathetic relationship between us and Utterson, as we feel and read the text in the way that Utterson would, which makes us feel the shock and betrayal that Utterson feels. Overall, Utterson’s character is developed well throughout the novel, and he ultimately contributes a great deal into making the book feel more gothic. ​

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The theme of the fear of the unknown, which is introduced in Jekyll and Hyde, uses the idea that a vague terror that a reader conjures through his own fear and imagination, is infinitely more effective and powerful than if the terror is described. This also works to create suspense and build anticipation around the plot, which hooks the reader and causes us to read through it all. By introducing Hyde early on, and describing him vaguely, the author develops a fear of Hyde, and creates an uncertainty whenever Hyde is involved. The ‘unseen deformity’ of Hyde also plays on this idea of the ‘fear of the unknown’, and ensures that we know that Hyde plays a part in the plot, although it is unclear how; to rephrase, the vagueness of Jekyll and Hyde’s relationship causes a fearful anticipation in the reader that works well to shape the plot.​

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Overall, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde creates suspense and develops the characters well, which leads to an intriguing novel with many interesting themes and ideas. It fits in well with the gothic and Victorian literature, which makes it a really fascinating and distinct book.​

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