Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde (2386 words) Essay Example For Students

Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde (2386 words) Essay Dr. Jekyll And Mr. HydeChapter 1 The story begins with a description of Mr. Utterson, a lawyer inLondon. Mr. Utterson is a reserved, conservative man who does not reveal histrue, vibrant personality. He tolerates the strangeness and faults of other. Early in his life, he watched as his brother fell to ruin, and it is noted thathe is often the last respectable person that men who are turning to evil or ruinhave to talk to. This foreshadows Uttersons involvement with upcoming evil. Mr. Utterson is friends with Richard Enfield, although the two are totally differentfrom one another. They always took walks with each other on Sundays no matterwhat else they might have to do. As they walk down a lane on Sunday that wouldusually be crowded with merchants and children during the week, Enfield pointsout an old building without many windows, and only a basement door. Enfieldtells a story of how, one night at about 3:00 am, he saw a strange, deformed manround the corner and bump into a young girl. The strange man did not stop butsimply walked right over the young girl, who cried out in terror. Enfield rushedover and attended the girl along with her family. Still, the strange man carriedon, so Enfield chased him down and urged him back. A doctor was called andEnfield and the doctor felt an odd hatred of the man, warning the man that theywould discredit him in every way possible unless he compensated the girl. Thestrange man agreed to offer 100 British pounds. Enfield notes t hat the man islike Satan in the way he seems emotionally cold to the situation. The strangeman presented a cheque signed by an important person, which they together cashedthe next morning. Enfield states that he refers to the building as Black MailHouse. Utterson asks Enfield if he ever asked who lived in the building, butEnfield explains that he doesnt ask questions about strange things: themore it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask. The building appearslived in, and the two men carry on their walk. Enfield continues that thestrange man he saw that night looked deformed, though he could explain how. Utterson assures Enfield that his story has caught his interest. The two agreenever to talk about the story again. Chapter 2 The same evening, Utterson camehome. Instead of reading until sleep at midnight, he poured over the will of hisfriend Henry Jekyll, a doctor and very educated man. The will stated thatJekylls possessions and position should be handed over to Mr. Hyde, a friendthat Utterson had never heard nor met. Utterson went to the house of Dr. Lanyon,an old school and college friend of Uttersons and Jekylls, and asked him aboutHyde, but Lanyon had never heard of him. Lanyon uses several evil referenceswhen talking about Jekyll, such as devilish, and gonewrong, foreboding evil relations between Jekyll and Hyde. Utterson knowssomething is wrong between the two. Utterson cant sleep for the rest of thenight. Utterson considers how the strange man Enfield spoke of could trample achild and care nothing for it. Utterson staked out the door of the strangebuilding looking for the st range man, whom he also believed was Mr. Hyde. Onenight, he found him. He confronts him as he is about to go inside the strangedoor, and finds the strange man is indeed Mr. Hyde. Hyde is unpleasant, cool,defiant, and confident. Utterson convinces Hyde to show his face, and Hydesuggests Utterson should know his address, implying that he knows of Jekyllswill. Utterson refers to Hyde to himself as troglodytic, meaning aprimitive human being, detestable and unpleasant. Utterson decides to try andvisit Jekyll at the late hour. At Jekylls home, he learns from the servantsthat Hyde never east dinner at Jekylls house, but is always there in thelaboratory, with his own key. The servants rarely see him, but they have ordersto obey him. Utterson leaves, and reflects upon his own life, what evil deeds hemay be guilty of, and what bad things his friend Jekyll may have done in hislife. He decides that this Hyde must be gravely evil, far worse than anythingJekyll may have ever done. Utterson decid es to try and discover what evil thingsHyde has done and may be doing, but fears that his friend Jekyll will object. Tofinish, Utterson again considers the strange will of Jekyll, specifically thatit he disappears for longer than three months, that his estate should be turnedover to Hyde. Utterson fears that Hyde might kill Jekyll for the will. Chapter 3Dr. Jekyll has a dinner party and Utterson attends. Utterson is a well liked andrespected man, by Jekyll as well as anyone. Utterson stays behind after theparty, and talks with Jekyll about the will. Jekyll tries at first to politelyand jovially avoid the topic towards his scientific rivalry with Dr. Lanyon, butUtterson insists. Utterson explains that he thinks the will is a bad idea, andJekyll wishes to stop talking about it. Jekyll states that he is in a uniquesituation that cant be fixed through talking, but Utterson promises that he canbe trusted to help in confidence. Jekyll insists that he is in control, that hecan be rid of Mr . Hyde at his own discretion. He begs Utterson to leave thematter alone. He explains that he has great interest in Hyde, and that Uttersonfollow his will and secure Jekylls estate for Hyde if Jekyll passes away. The tattoo industry EssayThey post two other servants near the door to prevent Jekyll/Hyde from escapingshould he get past Utterson and Poole. Utterson and Poole consider that theyface some danger in doing this. While they wait for the other servants to getinto position, they sit in the old surgery theatre, where Poole describes howJekyll/Hyde paces back and forth across the floor and sometimes cries out. Afterthe servants are ready, Utterson warns Jekyll that he is coming in, and thevoice begs him not to. They burst in and find Hyde twitching and dying on thefloor. They look around and find various articles, but no sign of Jekylls body. They find chemicals, a book, a cheval-glass, and a strange drug. They search thehouse, and still do not find the body. Utterson finds Jekylls latest will andlearns that it leaves his estate to Utterson, not Hyde. Utterson finds thisstrange because Hyde was in the room and cold have destroyed this will in favorof the one that names him the recipient of the will. Utterson finds a notewritten in Jekylls handwriting, and is afraid to read it. In it Jekyll saysthat he has disappeared, that Utterson should read the letter Lanyon sent, andalso Jekylls own confession which is included with this note. Utterson returnsto his office where he will read the two important documents. Chapter 9 Lanyons Narrative On January 9th, Lanyon receives a letter from Jekyll. Ittells Lanyon that this is a matter of life and death. Lanyon is to go toJekylls house, and The door of my cabinet is then to be forced; and youare to go in alone; to open the glazed press (letter E) on the left hand,breaking the lock if it be shut; and to draw out, with all its contents as thestand, the fourth drawer from the top or (which is the same thing) the thirdfrom the bottom. This is to get Jekylls drug. Then, Lanyon is to returnto his own homes consulting room, and wait for a visitor at midnight fromJekyll. Lanyon does this and finds the drug that Jekyll must have made becauseit is not as neatly done as a chemist would do. He returns to his home and waitsfor the visitor, keeping a gun with him (revolver) should he need to defendhimself. At midnight, Hyde shows up, and is very excited to get the drug, almostcrazy, but he stays calm enough. Once Lanyon gives it to him, a scary smilecomes over Hydes face. He tells Lanyon that Lanyon was a fool, and that hewould now see proof of transcendental medicine. He drinks the drugand changes into Jekyll in a terrifying way that haunts Lanyon for the rest ofhis few days until he dies. Lanyon ends his letter by saying that he cannot tellwhat Jekyll told him because it i s too terrible, other than that Jekyll and Hydeare the same person.