Article #43-1 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson

On his way out, the lawyer stopped and had a word or two with Poole.
“By the bye,” said he, “there was a letter handed in to-day: what was
the messenger like?” But Poole was positive nothing had come except by
post; “and only circulars by that,” he added.

This news sent off the visitor with his fears renewed. Plainly the
letter had come by the laboratory door; possibly, indeed, it had been
written in the cabinet; and if that were so, it must be differently
judged, and handled with the more caution. The newsboys, as he went,
were crying themselves hoarse along the footways: “Special edition.
Shocking murder of an M.P.” That was the funeral oration of one friend
and client; and he could not help a certain apprehension lest the good
name of another should be sucked down in the eddy of the scandal. It
was, at least, a ticklish decision that he had to make; and
self-reliant as he was by habit, he began to cherish a longing for
advice. It was not to be had directly; but perhaps, he thought, it
might be fished for.

Presently after, he sat on one side of his own hearth, with Mr. Guest,
his head clerk, upon the other, and midway between, at a nicely
calculated distance from the fire, a bottle of a particular old wine
that had long dwelt unsunned in the foundations of his house. The fog
still slept on the wing above the drowned city, where the lamps
glimmered like carbuncles; and through the muffle and smother of these
fallen clouds, the procession of the town’s life was still rolling in
through the great arteries with a sound as of a mighty wind. But the
room was gay with firelight. In the bottle the acids were long ago
resolved; the imperial dye had softened with time, as the colour grows
richer in stained windows; and the glow of hot autumn afternoons on
hillside vineyards, was ready to be set free and to disperse the fogs
of London. Insensibly the lawyer melted. There was no man from whom he
kept fewer secrets than Mr. Guest; and he was not always sure that he
kept as many as he meant. Guest had often been on business to the
doctor’s; he knew Poole; he could scarce have failed to hear of Mr.
Hyde’s familiarity about the house; he might draw conclusions: was it
not as well, then, that he should see a letter which put that mystery
to right? and above all since Guest, being a great student and critic
of handwriting, would consider the step natural and obliging? The
clerk, besides, was a man of counsel; he could scarce read so strange a
document without dropping a remark; and by that remark Mr. Utterson
might shape his future course.

Explanation

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Context of the Passage

This excerpt comes from Chapter 6 ("Remarkable Incident of Dr. Lanyon") of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886), a Gothic novella exploring duality, repression, and the dark side of human nature. The story follows Gabriel John Utterson, a respectable London lawyer, as he investigates the strange connection between his friend Dr. Henry Jekyll and the sinister Mr. Edward Hyde.

At this point in the novel:

Sir Danvers Carew, a respected Member of Parliament, has been brutally murdered by Hyde.
Utterson is deeply concerned about Jekyll, who has become increasingly reclusive.
A mysterious letter (later revealed to be from Hyde) has arrived, but Utterson is unsure how to handle it—especially since it may implicate Jekyll in the scandal.

This passage captures Utterson’s anxiety, moral dilemma, and strategic maneuvering as he seeks indirect advice from his trusted clerk, Mr. Guest, while maintaining the appearance of propriety.

Themes in the Excerpt

Duality & Repression
- The fog and firelight symbolize the conflict between concealment and revelation—Utterson is torn between his public duty (as a lawyer) and his private loyalty (as Jekyll’s friend).
- The wine, described as "imperial dye" that has "softened with time," mirrors the refinement of civilization masking darker impulses—just as Jekyll’s respectable facade hides Hyde.
Secrecy & Deception
- Utterson never directly asks for advice but instead manipulates Guest into providing it by showing him the letter.
- The laboratory door and cabinet hint at hidden, unnatural activities—foreshadowing Jekyll’s experiments.
Moral Ambiguity & Complicity
- Utterson is not innocent—he chooses to withhold information from the police, making him complicit in Jekyll’s secrets.
- His calculated use of Guest shows how even "good" men engage in indirect deception when faced with uncomfortable truths.
Urban Decay & Gothic Atmosphere
- The fog-choked London, where "the drowned city" suggests moral corruption beneath the surface, reinforces the Gothic tone.
- The newsboys’ cries about the murder create a public spectacle of scandal, contrasting with Utterson’s private dilemma.
Handwriting as Identity
- Guest’s expertise in handwriting analysis foreshadows the later revelation that Hyde’s handwriting is Jekyll’s own—a literal manifestation of duality.

Literary Devices & Stylistic Analysis

Symbolism
- Fog = Obscurity, moral blindness (London’s corruption, Utterson’s uncertainty).
- Firelight & Wine = Warmth, truth, but also intoxicating deception (Utterson lowers his guard).
- The Letter = The unspoken truth (Hyde’s existence, Jekyll’s guilt).
Foreshadowing
- The laboratory door hints at Jekyll’s experiments.
- The handwriting analysis foreshadows the final revelation that Jekyll and Hyde are the same.
Irony
- Dramatic Irony: The reader suspects Jekyll’s guilt, but Utterson refuses to fully acknowledge it.
- Situational Irony: Utterson, a man of law and order, avoids direct confrontation with the truth.
Imagery & Sensory Language
- "The fog still slept on the wing above the drowned city" → Oppressive, suffocating atmosphere.
- "The glow of hot autumn afternoons on hillside vineyards" → Contrasts with London’s gloom, suggesting escaped truth.
Psychological Realism
- Stevenson delves into Utterson’s mind, showing his internal conflict—he wants to know the truth but fears it.
Metaphor & Simile
- "The lamps glimmered like carbuncles" → Jewels in darkness, suggesting hidden dangers.
- "The procession of the town’s life was still rolling in through the great arteries" → London as a living, corrupt organism.

Significance of the Passage

Utterson’s Moral Struggle
- He is not a passive observer but an active participant in the mystery, choosing to withhold information.
- His reluctance to confront Jekyll directly reflects Victorian society’s repression—people avoid ugly truths to maintain appearances.
The Unreliable Nature of Truth
- The letter’s origin is ambiguous—did it come from Hyde, or was it written by Jekyll in his altered state?
- Guest’s handwriting analysis will later confirm the duality, but here, it’s still a puzzle.
The Gothic Setting as a Mirror of the Mind
- The foggy, labyrinthine London mirrors Utterson’s confused thoughts and Jekyll’s fractured psyche.
- The warm, inviting hearth contrasts with the cold, external scandal, showing how comfort can blind one to danger.
The Danger of Indirect Knowledge
- Utterson doesn’t ask directly but manipulates Guest into giving him insight—this indirect approach leads to half-truths and deeper complications.
- This reflects how Victorian society dealt with taboo subjects (sex, violence, madness)—never directly, always through hints.

Line-by-Line Breakdown (Key Moments)

"By the bye, there was a letter handed in to-day: what was the messenger like?"
- Utterson is fishing for information—he already suspects the letter is from Hyde.
"This news sent off the visitor with his fears renewed."
- The absence of a messenger confirms the letter came through the laboratory—Jekyll’s secret entrance.
"Shocking murder of an M.P."
- The public scandal contrasts with Utterson’s private investigation, showing how reputation is fragile.
"It was, at least, a ticklish decision that he had to make."
- Utterson is torn between loyalty and justice—a central conflict in the novel.
"The fog still slept on the wing above the drowned city..."
- Gothic imagery—London is submerged in moral decay.
"Insensibly the lawyer melted."
- The wine loosens his resolve, making him more susceptible to sharing secrets.
"Guest had often been on business to the doctor’s; he knew Poole; he could scarce have failed to hear of Mr. Hyde’s familiarity about the house..."
- Utterson justifies his deception—he knows Guest already suspects something.
"The clerk, besides, was a man of counsel; he could scarce read so strange a document without dropping a remark..."
- Utterson uses Guest as a tool, showing his strategic mind—he wants advice without asking for it.

Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt is pivotal because it:

Deepens the mystery (Where did the letter come from? What does Hyde know?).
Reveals Utterson’s flaws—he is not a neutral investigator but a man entangled in the deception.
Foreshadows the duality (handwriting, the laboratory, the fog vs. firelight).
Critiques Victorian hypocrisy—people avoid direct confrontation with ugly truths.

Stevenson masterfully builds tension not through action, but through psychological realism—showing how fear, loyalty, and curiosity drive Utterson’s decisions. The Gothic atmosphere reinforces the moral ambiguity, making the reader question:

How much does Utterson really want to know?
Is he protecting Jekyll, or himself?
What does the letter truly reveal?

This passage is a microcosm of the novel’s central themes—duality, repression, and the dangerous allure of secrets.

Questions

Question 1

The passage’s depiction of the fog “sleeping on the wing above the drowned city” most effectively serves to:

A. establish a literal meteorological condition that impedes Utterson’s physical investigation of Jekyll’s house.
B. contrast the warmth of Utterson’s hearth with the external cold, underscoring his privileged detachment from London’s suffering.
C. symbolise the suffocating weight of Victorian social expectations, which Utterson internalises as he grapples with the scandal.
D. evoke a psychological and moral atmosphere in which truth is obscured, mirroring Utterson’s own evasive relationship with direct knowledge.
E. foreshadow the eventual revelation of Jekyll’s experiments, as fog historically symbolises alchemical transformation in Gothic literature.

Question 2

Utterson’s decision to show Guest the letter is best understood as an act of:

A. cowardice, revealing his inability to confront the potential implications of Jekyll’s involvement alone.
B. professional prudence, as he seeks to document the letter’s authenticity for potential legal proceedings.
C. calculated indirection, exploiting Guest’s expertise and discretion to gain insight while maintaining plausible deniability.
D. moral abdication, outsourcing his ethical dilemma to a subordinate to avoid personal accountability.
E. intellectual curiosity, prioritising the puzzle of the handwriting over the ethical consequences of the murder.

Question 3

The wine in the passage functions primarily as a:

A. realist detail, grounding the Gothic elements in the mundane rituals of Victorian upper-class masculinity.
B. catalytic agent, lowering Utterson’s inhibitions and enabling his strategic but morally ambiguous disclosure to Guest.
C. symbol of corruption, its “imperial dye” alluding to the decadence of British colonial power mirrored in Jekyll’s experiments.
D. metaphor for repressed desire, its “glow” paralleling the hidden passions that Hyde embodies and Jekyll suppresses.
E. narrative device to slow the pacing, creating a moment of respite before the escalation of the mystery’s tension.

Question 4

Which of the following best captures the irony in Utterson’s assertion that “there was no man from whom he kept fewer secrets than Mr. Guest”?

A. Guest is, in fact, the one person Utterson systematically deceives, as evidenced by his omission of critical details about Hyde.
B. The statement is undermined by Utterson’s immediate decision to manipulate Guest into providing advice under false pretences.
C. Utterson’s claim ignores that Guest, as a clerk, is professionally bound to confidentiality, making the remark redundant.
D. The irony lies in the fact that Guest, a “student of handwriting,” will later expose the very secrets Utterson claims to share freely.
E. It highlights the absurdity of Utterson’s self-perception as transparent, given his role in concealing Jekyll’s duality from the public.

Question 5

The “special edition” newspaper headline about the murder of an M.P. primarily serves to:

A. intensify the stakes of Utterson’s dilemma by framing the scandal as a public crisis that threatens to engulf Jekyll’s reputation.
B. provide a realist anchor, reminding the reader of the novel’s historical setting amid its Gothic fantastical elements.
C. contrast the sensationalism of the press with Utterson’s measured, legalistic approach to uncovering the truth.
D. foreshadow the eventual legal consequences for Hyde, whose violent act has now attracted irreversible public attention.
E. critique the Victorian media’s exploitation of tragedy, diverting attention from the deeper psychological themes of the narrative.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: D

Why D is most correct: The fog in the passage is not merely a meteorological detail but a psychological and moral metaphor. Stevenson’s description of it as “sleeping on the wing above the drowned city” creates an atmosphere where truth is obscured, much like Utterson’s own evasive relationship with direct knowledge. The fog mirrors his reluctance to confront the full implications of Jekyll’s situation head-on, instead seeking indirect, veiled methods (e.g., manipulating Guest). This aligns with the Gothic tradition of using atmospheric conditions to externalise internal conflict.