Jekyll and Hyde - Utterson Flashcards
points
- cares for his reputation
- reliable character
- loyal friend with good moral clarity
- super ego
- good victorian gentlemen
intro (describe Utterson)
Mr Utterson is presented as the central protagonist character who plays an important part in uncovering the truths in the novella
He is a prominent and upstanding lawyer, well respected in the London community
While not a man of science, Utterson represents an upper-class Victorian gentlemen. He is reserved and seems to possess a furtive curiosity about Hyde
points for Utterson - beginning
At the beginning of the novella, us readers can see Utterson as someone to trust since he’s presented as a good person with moral clarity
- reliable character, serious lawyer but still reputable with opinions that can be trusted
- good victorian gentlemen
‘he had an approved
tolerance for others’
‘he had an approved tolerance for others’
- kind and genial character
- understanding, willingness to tolerate behaviour that one disagrees or dislikes
- demonstrates idea his opinion can be trusted
‘the last good
influence on down-going men’
‘the last good influence on down-going men’
implies Utterson is rational and has desires for a good reputation
loyal friend to Jekyll -> link to ‘last reputable acquaintance’
‘rugged
countenance’
‘rugged countenance’
suggests he’s a tough man
‘never
lightened by a smile’
‘never lightened by a smile’
unemotional and keeps to himself
further implies we can trust his opinions
However Utterson is ‘yet somehow loveable’
which surprises readers as a contrast
- contradiction demonstrates duality of Utterson, suggests even good has a bad side
- foreshadows when he hides the letters
‘I incline
to Cains heresy’
‘I incline to Cains heresey’
biblical reference shows he’s uninterested in peoples sins and won’t judge
- open minded
‘dusty’
shows Utterson is lonely and by himself
‘his affections,
like ivy’
‘his affections, like ivy’
suggests he’s a loyal friend and has good morals
- good victorian gentlemen
‘humbled to the dust by
the many ill things he had done’
‘humbled to the dust by the many ill things he had done’
shows Utterson had troubles in his childhood
shocks a victorian reader as even a reputable gentleman like him has done ‘ill things’
‘ill things’ aren’t specified which shows secrecy which was prominent in victorian times
Utterson is mentally affected by mysteries associating Hyde
‘inordinate’ and has much ‘curiosity’ about Hyde -> excessive connection to the darker side of man -> shows temptation -> ideas of super ego
‘Hyde sat
heavy on his memory’
‘Hyde sat heavy on his memory’
alliteration shows physical impact of Hyde to Utterson
points for Utterson - middle
at the climax he’s further presented as an example of super ego
- contains his social conscience through the experience of guilt
- bad/biased lawyer
‘locked the note into his safe’
shows he’s a biased and bad lawyer -> gives into his temptation
- at first he wonders if he should give the letter to police but if he would be questioned it would ruin his and Jekylls reputation
- implies he cares about his reputation as a good victorian gentlemen
loyal and moral character as he
hides Jekylls letter
- may be seen as bad for hiding crucial evidence for his own case, however he does this to protect his friend, shows loyalty
‘he condemned the fear
as disloyalty, and broke the seal’
‘he condemned the fear as disloyalty, and broke the seal’
context: tension throughout text as reader knows Jekylls secrets would ruin his reputation if exposed to society
- in victorian society a mans secrets could be used to ruin him
contrast to beginning of book
trusted at beginning of book - shocks reader
contrast in the middle to beginning ‘rugged countenance’
‘his blood ran cold in his veins’
- Uttersons curiosity further shown, Hydes unnatural nature is strong enough ti have a negative impact on him
how does pathetic fallacy represent Uttersons mind
- fog used to reflect his sense of confusion and uncertainty, and also to create fearful atmosphere when Carew is murdered
- gothic elements
- ‘fog rolled over the city’
points for Utterson - end
- throughout the book Stevenson creates hints about Uttersons duality and sets up idea even reputable people have dual nature
- suggests society as a whole can be evil
- character shift, isn’t unemotional man
- symbol of good vs evil
‘froze the
blood of the two gentlemen’
‘froze the blood of the two gentlemen’
- ‘froze’ out of shock, metaphor, shows Hyde caused an extreme physical reaction to Utterson who’s meant to be rational and sensible -> further shows his curiosity
- can also be Stevensons own horror about what man is capable of, reminds readers Jekylls duality is present within all of society within every person
How does Utterson still stay loyal at the end of the novella
when convinced Hyde injured Jekyll, he is quick to take action and break down the door to the laboratory to come to his friends aid
‘concealed
pleasures’
‘concealed pleasures’
- always was a bad man secretly
context: strict victorian social codes meant that the indulgence of ‘pleasures’ was forbidden, if u wanted to indulge in those ‘pleasures’ you had to do so secretly and kept hidden
How does pathetic fallacy represent Uttersons mind at the end of the novella
‘the fog settles down’
demonstrates his mind slightly clearing up and settling as he find out the mystery
nomenclature of Utterson (name links to personality)
Gabriel - angel name
- religion was a main part of Victorian society
- infers he is a good person
- may infer he’s a saviour for Jekyll when he hides the letters
Stevensons intention about Utterson
He uses Utterson to expose morality and ethics in Victorian society -> delivers message to readers
He is used as a moral compass, first presented as acting with rectitude, still stays rooted in principles even after having morbid curiousity about Dr Jekyll
