Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Chapter 1 Summary

We discover that Utterson is Jekyll’s lawyer, and we find out from Utterson reading Jekyll’s will that in the event of Dr. Jekyll’s death or disappearance, his entire estate will be given to and unknown man by the name of Mr. Hyde. Mr. Utterson is extremely suspicious of Mr. Hyde since Jekyll has never talked about him before. He decides to find out who this mysterious man is. So, He waits outside Mr.Hyde’s house for many nights until down until Mr. Hyde appears one night Utterson and Hyde have a conversation of how Jekyll has never mentioned him and bid

Now this story does not follow Dr. Jekyll through his journey of creating his evil alter ego. Moreover he is not even the first initial character that we are introduced to in the novella; we are first introduced to a man named Mr. Utterson. He is actually the lawyer of Dr. Jekyll and he takes an interest in his newfound protégé who is referred to as Mr. Hyde. His negative feelings towards Mr. Hyde, beget a personal investigation into his life and his connection to Dr. Jekyll. Sadly he does not realize the truth behind the mystery of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde till the end of the novella, where he finally discovers the secret from reading Dr. Jekyll’s last words written in a letter addressed to him after Dr. Jekyll’s untimely death.

Jekyll talks about the years before the creation of the potion that transforms him into Hyde. He summarises his finding of the dual nature, human beings are half good and half evil. Jekyll’s goal in his experiments is to separate two opposite elements, creating a person with only good characteristics and a being of only evil. He does this because he wants to free his good side from dark urges. He fails this experiment, in fact he only manages to create a whole evil person ‘Mr Hyde’. In the letter, Jekyll says ‘I learned to recognise the thorough and primitive duality of man . . . if I could rightly be said to be either, it was only because I was radically both.’ The events of the novel inform the reader that the dark side (Hyde) is much stronger than the rest of Jekyll, this is why Hyde is able to take over Jekyll. This letter is really important for the reader so that the whole novel is understood. A lot of horror is created and it is all quiet in the reader's mind. The reader feels horrified by the way in which Jekyll seems to love and care for Hyde. Jekyll’s words make the reader angry that a man who was so good could enjoy becoming so

     In the end, Jekyll decides to let Hyde take over and he gives up. Hyde is able to take control over Jekyll because Jekyll had originally taken the potion for selfish reasons. Jekyll knows that there is a good chance Hyde will take over but he continues with his experiment knowing the risks. He says, “To cast in my lot with Jekyll, was to die those appetites which I had long secretly indulged and had of late begun to pamper. To cast it in with Hyde, was to die a thousand interests and aspirations, and to become at a blow and forever,

Utterson, Lanyon, Enfield, Jekyll... one of these does not belong. Clearly, within the context of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Henry Jekyll struggles to fit himself into the strict Victorian society. In the events leading to his demise, he longs to separate his firm, polished face from his true inner self; from here, Stevenson paints this juxtaposition with the use of several point-of-view techniques. When Utterson, the protagonist, “[stands] a while when Mr. Hyde had left him... putting his hand to his brow like a man in mental perplexity” (Stevenson 19), he clearly becomes the literal center of attention for the story’s opinions and perspectives. Rather than giving an omniscient style to the novel, Stevenson provides an external viewpoint in order to engage his audience. The use of point-of-view techniques in Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde reinforces the audience’s reaction to the story’s moral dilemma.

An earlier party to the knowledge that Jekyll and Hyde are one, he has already lost his life to that secret. A man who believes in rationalism and moral rectitude, Lanyan simply cannot adapt to the truths uncovered in the revelation of Hyde: improbability and "uttcr moral turpitude" (SC, 80). He sinks slowly into death, his body following the lead of his "sickened" soul. His too is a kind of suicide, a death permitted, if not willed. Lanyan simply cannot accommodate himself to the horror of Jekyll unveiled.

Even though he knew it could lead to his arrest, Hyde brutally murdered a highly regarded man. He could not look past the evil temptation, and so it overtook his better judgment. Jekyll acknowledges these horrible acts committed by Hyde, but they do not seem to impact him. Because Jekyll has not performed the actions, he does not feel guilty; however, he eventually realizes Hyde’s true malevolence. By this time, it is already too late. Hyde already has too much control over Jekyll, and he understands he must give up: “And indeed the doom that is closing on us both, has already changed and crushed him. Half an hour from now, […] I shall again and forever reindue that hated personality […] I am careless; this is my true hour of death, and what is to follow concerns another than myself. Here then, as I lay down the pen and proceed to seal up my confession, I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to and end” (Stevenson 70). He realizes that Hyde has become dominant, and that his inner evil cannot be suppressed. Accepting this as fact finally ends Jekyll’s struggle with suppression and

Lanyon’s description of Hyde is that he is something abnormal. Everyone gets a sense of unease upon seeing him. He seems so unnatural and like the creature in Frankenstein, he cannot fit into the society. By this creation of a counterpart, the unacceptable Hyde, he allows him be a part of the society. Hyde cannot be accepted as a human being, so Jekyll betrays his community. The consequences are devastating. Jekyll becomes isolated with his counterpart and he is unable to rid himself of Hyde. Much like Victor Frankenstein, Jekyll pays with his

Based on the fact that Hyde never left notes for Utterson, and that the reader only inspects Jekyll’s side operating more-than Hyde’s side. Instead of the traditional theme, Hyde acts as the “good guy” made out to be the “bad guy”, butchered by Jekyll in his last letter. Furthermore, subsist that the murders made were caused by Hyde and not just Jekyll in disguise? Based off of the fact that Jekyll endured trying to separate his superior side from his

After Lanyon died, Utterson opens the letter and discovers that he passed away from a shock a seeing Mr. Hyde take a potion and metamorphose to turn to Dr. Jekyll. He explained how Jekyll was trying separate his evil side and good

Jekyll was able to change from his personality and behavior. Mr. Utterson thought of Dr. Jekyll as a respected “intelligent, reputable” scientist and friend. He and their other friends enjoyed going to his dinner parties and spending time with him. Mr. Utterson asked about his will and Mr. Hyde even though he didn’t want to answer Dr. Jekyll was polite and calm when he answered him. Dr. Jekyll never hurt or killed anyone. As Mr. Hyde he “snarls and is rude” to Mr. Utterson and Mr. Lanyon when they speak to each other. He tramples a little girl, kills Sirs Danvers Carew and bites a taxi cab driver in the neck. All of Dr. Jekyll’s servants were scared of

When Utterson first meets Hyde, he says that he found him via description provided by Dr. Jekyll. At this remark, Hyde changes moods in an instant, as the

Jekyll said that when he frequently shifted between the two identities, he would involuntarily transform into Hyde in the middle of the night, frightened that he would be condemned to live as his other personality for the rest of his life. People sometimes dig deep within themselves and unleash their inner Hydes. As for Jekyll, he did this to take advantage of his repressed passions. While as Hyde, he signed up for a bank account under this name and even furnished his own home. It gave him a sense of purpose as an older man when he projected his true feelings in a younger, more successful

As summer comes along, Jekyll becomes more open and elated, meaning that Hyde is becoming more secluded and outraged. One night, Sir Danvers Carew, one of Jekyll’s closest colleagues, is murdered by Hyde, and when Utterson asks questions, Jekyll promises, “‘Utterson, I swear to God,’ … ’I swear to God I will never set eyes on him again. I bind my honor to you that I am done with him in this world. It is all at an end.’” Utterson soon comes to a realization afterwards that Hyde is blackmailing Jekyll for a reason he cannot figure out. Furthermore, the doctor’s pledge proves false. While day cannot go without night, Jekyll cannot be without Hyde for fear of having his mysterious secret exposed. Lastly good and evil nature is always balanced in the end, as shown when Hyde commits suicide in Jekyll’s laboratory while wearing the scientist’s clothes. Nobody understands where the doctor could have gone, and even Mr. Utterson is puzzled. Just as Hyde balances out Jekyll’s good nature, the scientist evens out Hyde’s evil nature.

Dr. Lanyon is presented to the truth of the theories of Hyde, who before Lanyon 's eyes turns to Jekyll, it astonishes him. The genuine unpleasantness of Jekyll and Hyde are individual lies not in the revelation itself, however in the full acknowledgment concerning the way of all men are evil (or have evil in them, kinda like Twin Peaks).