Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: The Story of the Door. The opening chapter is challenging for readers because it seems densely delivered and even awkward in its initial, contradictory characterisation of the avenging protagonist, the aptly named Gabriel Utterson. The difficulties tend to dissipate, once readers have become familiarised with the densely worded world of the Victorian ‘gentleman’. We readers enter into the self-controlled world of Utterson and come to recognise that Utterson’s self-control separates him from his self-indulgent best friend, Dr Jekyll. This contrast between the friends acts as another form of doubling or mirroring in the novel where the duality of Jekyll and his Hyde, takes centre stage.
I will list my questions about the opening chapter below and then offer some solutions to the problem of Utterson before analysing our first glimpse of Mr Hyde.
- Why is the protagonist and ‘detective’ called Mr Utterson? Is his profession important? Why? Any implied irony?
- Look at the opening paragraph. How contradictory is Utterson? Is his self-control likely to be important? What is he protecting himself from?
- What does the biblical reference imply when placed in Utterson’s mouth? ‘’I incline to Cain’s heresy…I let my brother go to the devil in his quaintly own way.’’
- How is the strange house described and with what effect? Think about the implications of the windowless appearance.
- ‘’I was coming home from some place at the end of the world, about three o’clock of a black winter morning..’’ Why does Enfield’s anecdote about his first encounter with Hyde begin in this way and with this words? What sort of context is being suggested for Hyde’s introduction in the novel?
- Why is everyone repulsed by Hyde? Can the source of his repulsive effect on others ever be spoken( or admitted) directly?
- How does Hyde speak? Is he ventriloquising Jekyll? And what is the effect of his easy access to Jekyll’s finances?
