Utterson

• "He was austere with himself;drank gin when he was alone,to mortify a taste for vintages" [chapter1]{duality+repression+goodvsevil}{appvsreality}


  'austere'->self imposed strictness,vital for examining the repressive nature of victoria society=broader insight into the struggles of jeylls faces and laments

  surface level-'gin'=restricts him from indulging in more expensive desires->gin associated with lower class = he only drinks it alone to avoid tarnishing his reputation.
• "He was austere with himself;drank gin when he was alone,to mortify a taste for vintages" [chapter1]{duality+repression+goodvsevil}{appvsreality}

  • "gin" greater alcohol content than wine- drunkenness is associated with withdrawing your inhibitions- he needs this respite from the austerity he faces in public attempting to maintain austerity by refusing to indulge in the alcohol he desires, highlighting complex relationship between personal desires and public responsibility.
• "You could see by his looks [jekyll] that he cherished for Mr utterson a sincere and warm affection"[chapter3][friendship+loyalty][appvsreality]

  • quintessential of victorian gentleman -> sincerity and "warm affections" compound his trustworthy and virtuous nature
  • motif of friendship and loyalty->embodied primarily through utterson =connects w Jekyll, Lanyon, Enfield = triumphs of moral purity in Victorian society through his genuine connections.
• "You could see by his looks [jekyll] that he cherished for Mr utterson a sincere and warm affection"[chapter3][friendship+loyalty][appvsreality]


  sincere->dual purpose - reinforces trustworthiness and honesty + exposes uttersons unwavering adherence to propriety and loyalty = becomes his fatal flaw focus on outward appearances -> trained by sterilising society allowing him to not seee the evilness of his friend = Stevenson's paradox involves Utterson, a moral compass, symbolizing societal naivety in the face of hidden issues.
• "If he be Mr hyde...I shall be Mr seek" [chapter2][duality+repression+goodvsevil+appvsreality]

  • symbolism of inherent duality within humanity=Stevenson's portrayal of Utterson, characterized by austerity and lack of responsibility, reveals the underlying morbid fascination and curiosity within the refined and sterilised Victorian gentlemen.
  • Utterson's suppressed desires and darker curiosity, despite not exhibiting Jekyll's exaggerated dualism, suggest repression of impulses is universal, even in conforming to societal norms.
• "If he be Mr hyde...I shall be Mr seek" [chapter2][duality+repression+goodvsevil+appvsreality]


  'hyde'->homophonic = nature of disguise and illusion -> utilizes this to expose the limitations of victorian physiogynomy =they can be deceptive and misleading even in uttersons shrewdness and perceptiveness
• "It is one thing to mortify curiosity another to conquer it"[chapter6][duality][repression][goodvsevil[appvsreal]


  "conquer" symbolizes a metaphorical struggle within Utterson as he actively confronts his human nature, resembling a battlefield and warfare.

  Utterson is depicted in an internal conflict where he views his innate curiosity as a significant triumph, while he views it as an enemy to be defeated.
• "It is one thing to mortify curiosity another to conquer it"[chapter6][duality][repression][goodvsevil[appvsreal]


  juxtaposition 'mortify' and 'conquer'->highlights difference in supressing curoisity and activiely eradicating it

  Utterson's persistent efforts to suppress his curiosity are influenced by societal norms that view the suppression of natural impulses as a significant accomplishment.

  his truggle reflect the hypocrisy and paradoxes in victorian ideals -> compells the reader to question if its really a mark of strength or a form of self-imposed limitations
• "There was borne in upoppn his mind a crushing anticipation of calamity" [chapter8][sciencevsreligion][goodvsevil]

  • "borne" - was associated with creation, but now it's linked to science, indicating that the significance of religion has been siezed
  • Utterson's "crushing anticipation of calamity" suggests the potential chaos caused by the shift from religious authority to scientific understanding, potentially disrupting societal moral principles.
• "There was borne in upon his mind a crushing anticipation of calamity" [chapter8][sciencevsreligion][goodvsevil]

  This chapter introduces Utterson's full name, Gabriel John Utterson, a religious allusion to Angel Gabriel, emphasizing his inherent goodness.

  Utterson's assumptions and incorrectness-critiques religion as may suggest flaws in its logic and discourse, while Stevenson uses his name to subtly communicate controversial topics.