poole

• Who is Poole in the story?

  Jekyll's servant
• What role does Poole play in Utterson's discoveries?

  He facilitates Utterson's discoveries about Jekyll
• How long has Poole been in Jekyll's household?

  Twenty years
• What does Poole's position as a butler signify in terms of class structure?

  • Poole is in a position of servitude
  • His relationship with Jekyll is master-servant
  • Reflects class dynamics in society
• What does the collaboration between Poole and Utterson imply at the end of the novel?

  Different classes can achieve more together
• How does Poole demonstrate loyalty to Jekyll?

  He hesitates to inform Utterson about Jekyll
• What does Poole's hesitation to speak about Jekyll suggest about their relationship?

  It shows a deep loyalty and respect
• How is Poole characterized during the incident in chapter eight?

  He becomes uptight and short-tempered
• When are we first introduced to Poole?

  When Utterson goes to warn Jekyll
• What does Poole's access to knowledge about Jekyll signify?

  It demonstrates his loyalty and power
• What does the relationship between Utterson and Poole reveal in chapter eight?

  They have a good working relationship
• How does Poole express concern for Jekyll in his dialogue?

  He seeks Utterson's help when worried
• How does Poole refer to Jekyll in his quotes?

  As "master"
• What does Poole's certainty about Jekyll's identity imply?

  He is very aware of Jekyll's habits
• What does Poole's expression of emotion reveal about his character?

  He has a capacity for leadership
• How does Poole's concern for Jekyll manifest in his speech?

  He uses respectful language, saying "sir"
• What are the key characteristics of Poole in the novella?

  • Loyalty to Dr. Jekyll
  • Uptight and short-tempered under stress
  • Strong relationship with Jekyll
  • Facilitates Utterson's discoveries
• What are the key moments involving Poole in the story?

  1. Introduced when Utterson warns Jekyll
  2. Collaborates with Utterson in chapter eight
  3. Shows concern for Jekyll's well-being
• Who is Mr. Poole in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"?

  1. Jekyll's butler
• How long has Mr. Poole been in service?

  Over twenty years
• What is one of Mr. Poole's specific functions in the novel?

  Advancing the plot by connecting Utterson to Jekyll
• Why does Mr. Poole invite Mr. Utterson into Jekyll's home?

  Out of fear for their safety
• How does Mr. Poole communicate important information to the reader?

  By expressing his bewilderment and observations
• What does Mr. Poole's bewilderment signify in the novel?

  Heightened confusion about Jekyll's situation
• What role does Mr. Poole play as a gatekeeper?

  He controls access to Jekyll's home
• How does Mr. Poole initially protect Jekyll from the outside world?

  By withholding information about Jekyll's behavior
• What is a significant action Mr. Poole takes that connects Jekyll to the outside world?

  He calls Mr. Utterson to the house
• How does Mr. Poole act as a go-between for Jekyll and Dr. Lanyon?

  By seeking out large quantities of a particular salt
• What influence does Mr. Poole's gatekeeping position have in the novel?

  It affects the passing of information
• What is Mr. Poole's role in the household staff?

  Most senior member
• What does Mr. Poole's straightforward tone indicate?

  He divulges little information
• How does Mr. Poole's role as a butler contribute to the plot?

  It allows him to control who enters
• What does Mr. Poole's action of breaking down the cabinet door signify?

  His willingness to confront the mystery
• In Chapter 8, Jekyll’s butler Mr. Poole comes to Utterson’s house to ask for help. Poole says he is concerned that Jekyll has locked himself in his room and hasn’t been seen for a week. Poole suspects foul play. Poole’s concern for his master drives him to seek help, and thus Poole’s character moves the story forward. Up until this point, everyone has maintained a respectable distance from the case.
• “You know the doctor’s ways, sir,” replied Poole, “and how he shuts himself up. Well, he’s shut up again in the cabinet; and I don’t like it, sir—I wish I may die if I like it. Mr. Utterson, sir, I’m afraid.”
• “Changed? Well, yes, I think so,” said the butler. “Have I been twenty years in this man’s house, to be deceived about his voice? No, sir; master’s made away with; he was made away with eight days ago, when we heard him cry out upon the name of God; and who’s in there instead of him, and why it stays there, is a thing that cries to Heaven, Mr. Utterson!”
• Mr. Poole tells Utterson that the voice coming from inside Jekyll’s room is no longer Jekyll’s. Poole believes that the voice is Jekyll’s murderer, who killed Jekyll eight days earlier. Utterson is incredulous, but Poole asserts that as a twenty-year employee in Jekyll’s house, he knows his master’s voice. In a sad irony, the closest people in Jekyll’s life are his house staff.
• “‘Quite so, sir,’ returned Poole. ‘Well, when that masked thing like a monkey jumped from among the chemicals and whipped into the cabinet, it went down my spine like ice. O, I know it’s not evidence, Mr. Utterson; I’m book-learned enough for that; but a man has his feelings, and I give you my bible-word it was Mr. Hyde!’”
• Poole is recounting to Utterson what he saw when he caught a glimpse of Hyde inside Jekyll’s room. The bizarre account moves Poole’s to assure Utterson he is educated enough to know that his sight of Hyde doesn’t count as evidence of a crime. But Poole abandons rationality in his final words. In this clash between the natural and the supernatural, Poole invokes the Bible to prove his conviction of the reality of what he witnessed.