This document contains a break down of key quotes and all the characters' roles within the story of 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' that I used for writing my GCSE essays for English literature. These notes helped me to achieve a grade 9 at GCSE and were essential to my exams.
Key Quotes
● “Eminently human beaconed from his eye”
● “Cold…. Yet somehow lovable”
● “Last good influence in the lives of downgoing men”
● “I let my brother go to the devil in his own way.”
● “To whom the Fanciful was the immodest”
● “His imagination was also engaged, or rather enslaved”
● “Went somehow against the watcher’s inclination”
● “similar impression of deformity without any malformation”
● “return of solitude to weigh upon his spirits”
● “honour and faith to his dead friend”
● “Great curiosity”
● “kindly; but his thoughts were disquieted and fearful”
● “became so used to the unvarying characteristics of these reports, that he fell off little by
little in the frequency of his visits”
● “both pale; and there was an answering horror in their eyes.”
● “read the two narratives in which this mystery was now to be explained.”
Role in the story
● Utterson is the main narrator for the first eight chapters of the novel and his knowledge
and understanding guides our perception of the novel. Most of the story climaxes around
the discovery of what has happened to Jekyll and things are revealed to us at the same
pace that they are to Utterson.
● As a lawyer, he is good at keeping secrets and confidences and his character, as
straightforward and as a man of common sense is placed at the heart of the story of
unfolding supernatural events where he himself only experiences a dispassionate view
of life, and so he does sensationalize the already sensational events.
● Utterson, however, is more likely to assist a friend that he is to reprove them, saying that
“I let my brother go to the devil in his own way.”
● A contrast perhaps to the character of Henry Jekyll as he does not appear to have a dual
nature within him in terms of good and evil, but more inclining towards the proper nature
of a victorian gentleman as he is serious but humorous and tolerant yet strict.
● Utterson needs to be serious to present a believable account of the insane events and
he needs to be tolerant to be the whom Jekyll will open up to.
● His attempts to rationalise all around him is used as a clever contrast to the supernatural
events and perhaps adds to their horrifying impacts.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Belleapple. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £3.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
