Mr Utterson

• "Mr Utterson the lawyer was a man of rugged countenance, that was never lighted by a smile" 'lean long dusty dreary and yet somehow still lovable' 'In any extremity inclined to help rather than to reprove'


  • Suggests that Utterson has a harsh, rough, or stern appearance, not traditionally handsome or soft. - Creates an image of someone physically and emotionally reserved.
  • Metaphor - "lighted" connotes brightness and positivity, so its absence emphasises a gloomy or serious nature. Suggests that Utterson is emotionally reserved or joyless, lacking warmth or friendliness.
  • Asyndetic listing - creates a plain, rhythmic, monotomous tone without flamboyance that reflects Utterson's formal personality
  • Juxtaposition: Contrasts sharply with the dull epithets. Shows that despite being uncharismatic, Utterson has a moral warmth and loyalty that makes him endearing.
  • Reflects the Victorian ideal of emotional suppression and social respectability.
• 'He was austere with himself; drank gin when he was alone to mortify a taste for vintages' 'though he enjoyed the theatre, had not crossed the doors of one for twenty years'

  • Implies secrecy and repression.
  • Gin, a plain and cheap drink, contrasts with “vintages”, which are luxurious and pleasurable.
  • Suggests strict self-discipline and self-denial. Utterson holds himself to high moral standards and avoids indulgence.
  • Punishes or suppresses desire. This shows he resists temptation, hinting at a Victorian ideal of restraint and self-control.
  • Reflects the Victorian emphasis on repression and respectability — key themes in the novel. Utterson’s denial of pleasure mirrors Jekyll’s struggle between public respectability and hidden desires.
• "I incline to Cain's heresy... I let my brother go to the devil in his own way."

  • Biblical Allusion - Suggests a moral detachment and reflects Utterson’s choice to avoid judging or intervening, even when he sees wrongdoing.
  • The use of “heresy” (a belief against religious doctrine) shows Utterson knows this is wrong, yet still follows it, creating a sense of moral ambiguity.
  • Ironic as Utterson is respectable, yet he references a sinful figure to justify his lack of action.
  • Red herring - He constantaly involves himself in other's affairs as a saviour.
• 'In any extremity inclined to help rather than to reprove' 'The last reputable acquaintance in the lives of down going-men'

  • Juxtaposition -A contrast between respectability and moral decay.
  • Highlights Utterson’s loyalty + Emphasises Utterson’s complex position in society: he maintains his image while associating with the morally corrupt.
  • Metaphor for men in moral or social decline. - Reinforces the idea of fall from grace, tying in with the novel’s themes of duality and hidden sin.
  • Encapsulates Utterson's role in the novel as a reliable and compassionate figure who is often the last resort for those who are struggling, highlighting his character as a man of integrity and kindness. 
• "His affections, like ivy, were the growth of time."

  • Simile - Suggests that Utterson’s love and trust are not superficial — they develop gradually and steadily over time.
  • Natural imagery - Reflects Utterson’s loyalty and steadfast nature — once he forms a bond, it’s enduring and clingy, just like ivy.
• "This document had long been the doctor’s eyesore. It offended him both as a lawyer and as a lover of the sane and customary sides of life."

  • Metaphor - Suggesting the will is deeply unpleasant and morally repulsive to Utterson. It’s not just legally troubling but emotionally offensive.
  • The will offends Utterson as it goes against logic and legal normality — it’s too extreme and irrational.
  • It also offends him as “a lover of the sane and customary sides of life”, showing his strong belief in order, respectability and tradition. The will represents chaos, secrecy, and moral decay.
• "toiling in mere darkness and besieged by questions'

  • Metaphor +Imagery: Suggests that Utterson is struggling blindly, much like someone fumbling through literal darkness. It represents his lack of knowledge, showing that he is trying to uncover the truth but has no clear direction
  • The darkness reflects not only literal ignorance but the moral ambiguity surrounding Jekyll and Hyde. Utterson cannot clearly distinguish good from evil, reality from illusion.
  • Personification / Military Imagery: The phrase "besieged" conjures the image of a city under attack, implying Utterson is being overwhelmed by his own curiosity and confusion.
  • This shows his mental torment as he is deeply affected by the unknown.
  • Stevenson shows how obsession with truth—and society's repression of it—can leave someone mentally vulnerable and lost.
• “now his imagination also was engaged, or rather enslaved”

  • Juxtaposition: The contrast between “engaged” and “enslaved” highlights the shift from curiosity to obsession.
  • Personification “Imagination…enslaved” gives imagination human qualities, suggesting it is no longer under control—Utterson’s rationality is being overridden by darker curiosity.
  • Victorian gentlemen were expected to be rational and reserved.
  • Stevenson shows that even someone like Utterson, a moral lawyer, can be corrupted or overwhelmed by fascination with the darker side of humanity—just as Jekyll is.
• “He lay and tossed in the gross darkness of the night”

  • Implies restlessness and anxiety – Utterson is mentally disturbed.
  • The physical unease mirrors his internal turmoil about Hyde and Jekyll.

  🌘 “gross darkness”

  • The adjective “gross” adds a tangible, oppressive quality to the darkness – it feels thick and inescapable.
  • Symbolises confusion, fear, and moral ambiguity – the kind of spiritual and intellectual darkness Hyde represents.
  • It's also a Gothic element, creating an atmosphere of dread and horror.

  🌃 “darkness of the night”

  • Typical Gothic setting: night often symbolises the unconscious, the unknown, or evil.
  • The phrase reinforces the idea that darkness is both literal and metaphorical – Utterson is lost in thought, unsure who or what Hyde is.
  • His rational mind cannot cope with the disturbing mystery, leading to psychological distress. Stevenson uses the physical setting to reflect emotional and moral confusion.
• "In the lawyer’s mind a singularly strong, almost inordinate curiosity to behold the features of the real Mr Hyde." "If he could but once set eyes on him, he thought the mystery would lighten and perhaps roll altogether away."

  • Emphasizes the unusual intensity of Utterson's curiosity.
  • The "mystery" symbolizes Utterson's fear and confusion. His belief that seeing Hyde will ease this reflects his desperate need for closure and understanding in a world that seems increasingly chaotic and unsettling.
  • 'The oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown" - H.P. Lovecraft.
• 'in a rich house where his friend lay asleep, dreaming and smiling at his dreams' 'the curtains of the bed plucked apart, the sleeper recalled' ' there would stand a figure to whom power would be given'

  'even at the dead hour, he must rise and do his bidding'

  • Creates a peaceful, luxurious image of Jekyll's life — it reflects security and comfort, suggesting how high Jekyll has risen socially and intellectually.
  • The domestic imagery turning sinister suggests a violation of privacy and safety - Jekyll cqannot escape Hyde's influence.
  • The use of passive voice (“plucked apart”) implies helplessness — Jekyll is powerless in this dream.
  • shows complete submission — Dr Jekyll, usually a man of status and science, is now enslaved to a force he can’t resist. This line foreshadows the loss of control he will suffer due to his darker half, Hyde.
• "Mr Utterson began to haunt the door."

  • Irony - The verb “haunt” is usually associated with ghosts, yet here it’s Utterson, the rational lawyer, who becomes the haunter. This is ironic because it reverses the expected roles: the man of logic starts acting like a supernatural presence, suggesting how the mystery is pulling him into an irrational, almost obsessive state.
  • Utterson’s fascination with the door shows how he is drawn to the mystery. It reflects his curiosity and desire to restore moral order — but also hints that even he is not immune to the lure of the unknown.
  • Utterson, the embodiment of Victorian restraint and reason, is being drawn into a world of secrecy and darkness. His decision to “haunt” the door shows a shift in his character — from passive observer to active seeker of the truth — and highlights how even the most rational minds can be shaken by the mystery of hidden evil.
• “If he be Mr Hyde,” he had thought, “I shall be Mr Seek.”

  • Pun/Wordplay: Emphasises duality and secrecy—key themes in the novel.
  • Metaphor: Mr Utterson positions himself as the seeker of truth in a world of hidden sin and identity.
  • Third-person narrative with internal thought: Offers insight into Utterson’s logical and methodical character.
• “O my poor Henry Jekyll, if I ever read Satan’s signature upon a face, it is that of your new friend.”

  • Exclamatory phrase and sympathetic address. - Shows Mr Utterson’s emotional response and concern for his friend. The tone is sorrowful and compassionate, suggesting he believes Jekyll has unknowingly aligned himself with danger.
  • Metaphor and religious imagery. - Utterson compares Hyde’s appearance to a mark of the devil — suggesting a deep, inherent evil that’s not just physical but spiritual. The idea of a “signature” implies Hyde has been personally claimed by Satan, reinforcing the notion that Hyde embodies pure wickedness.Hyde is so morally repugnant that he seems marked by Satan himself.
• “Poor Henry Jekyll... my mind misgives he is in deep waters.”

  “the ghost of some old sin, the cancer of some concealed disgrace; punishment coming, pede claudo”

  • Metaphor - Suggests something that has not been resolved or laid to rest. It represents guilt or regret that haunts the character, never allowing him peace. The ghost implies that the consequences of the sin are still present, even if not immediately visible, and will inevitably resurface.
  • The cancer is a powerful symbol of something insidious and destructive. It symbolizes a hidden, growing flaw or sin that is eating away at the individual, much like how cancer grows and spreads silently, causing damage over time.
  • The use of cancer emphasizes the severity and inevitability of the situation — it’s something that has been allowed to fester and now threatens to destroy the person.
• "I can't pretend I shall ever like him."

  • Blunt tone / Plain diction - direct and honest, reflecting Utterson's rational and morally upright nature. He doesn’t hide his discomfort or try to mask his feelings with politeness.
  • Reinforces Hyde's instinctively repulsive presence. Even though Hyde hasn’t committed any major known crimes at this point, Utterson already senses something deeply wrong.
  • Shows Utterson’s binary view of good vs evil. He is a man who values reputation, decency, and control — all things Hyde seems to threaten.
  • This moment foreshadows the later moral conflict in the novel, as Hyde's nature becomes clearer and more destructive.
• “If not by fair means, then by foul.”

  • Juxtaposition: This mirrors Macbeth’s famous line and taps into the theme of moral ambiguity.
  • It suggests desperation — they’re willing to cross ethical lines for the sake of truth or justice.