Dr. Jekyll And Mr Hyde (2365 words) Essay Example For Students

Dr. Jekyll And Mr Hyde (2365 words) Essay Dr. Jekyll and Mr HydeChapter 1The story begins with a description of Mr. Utterson, a lawyer inLondon. Mr. Utterson is a reserved, conservative man who does notreveal his true, vibrant personality. He tolerates the strangenessand faults of other. Early in his life, he watched as his brotherfell to ruin, and it is noted that he is often the lastrespectable person that men who are turning to evil or ruin haveto talk to. This foreshadows Uttersons involvement with upcomingevil. Mr. Utterson is friends with Richard Enfield, although the two aretotally different from one another. They always took walks witheach other on Sundays no matter what else they might have to do. As they walk down a lane on Sunday that would usually be crowdedwith merchants and children during the week, Enfield points out anold building without many windows, and only a basement door. Enfield tells a story of how, one night at about 3:00 am, he saw astrange, deformed man round the corner and bump into a young girl. The strange man did not stop but simply walked right over theyoung girl, who cried out in terror. Enfield rushed over andattended the girl along with her family. Still, the strange mancarried on, so Enfield chased him down and urged him back. Adoctor was called and Enfield and the doctor felt an odd hatred ofthe man, warning the man that they would discredit him in everyway possible unless he compensated the girl. The strange managreed to offer 100 British pounds. Enfield notes that the man is like Satan in the way he seemsemotionally cold to the situation. The strange man presented acheque signed by an important person, which they together cashedthe next morning. Enfield states that he refers to the building asBlack Mail House. Utterson asks Enfield if he ever asked who livedin the building, but Enfield explains that he doesnt askquestions about strange things:the more it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask.The building appears lived in, and the two men carry on theirwalk. Enfield continues that the strange man he saw that nightlooked deformed, though he could explain how. Utterson assuresEnfield that his story has caught his interest. The two agreenever to talk about the story again. Chapter 2The same evening, Utterson came home. Instead of reading untilsleep at midnight, he poured over the will of his friend HenryJekyll, a doctor and very educated man. The will stated thatJekylls possessions and position should be handed over to Mr. Hyde, a friend that Utterson had never heard nor met. Uttersonwent to the house of Dr. Lanyon, an old school and college friendof Uttersons and Jekylls, and asked him about Hyde, but Lanyonhad never heard of him. Lanyon uses several evil references whentalking about Jekyll, such as devilish, and gone wrong,foreboding evil relations between Jekyll and Hyde. Utterson knowssomething is wrong between the two. Utterson cant sleep for therest of the night. Utterson considers how the strange man Enfield spoke of couldtrample a child and care nothing for it. Utterson staked out thedoor of the strange building looking for the strange man, whom healso believed was Mr. Hyde. One night, he found him. He confrontshim as he is about to go inside the strange door, and finds thestrange 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 knowsof Jekylls will. Utterson refers to Hyde to himself astroglodytic, meaning a primitive human being, detestable andunpleasant. Utterson decides to try and visit Jekyll at the latehour. At Jekylls home, he learns from the servants that Hyde never eastdinner at Jekylls house, but is always there in the laboratory,with his own key. The servants rarely see him, but they haveorders to obey him. Utterson leaves, and reflects upon his ownlife, what evil deeds he may be guilty of, and what bad things hisfriend Jekyll may have done in his life. He decides that this Hydemust be gravely evil, far worse than anything Jekyll may have everdone. Utterson decides to try and discover what evil things Hydehas done and may be doing, but fears that his friend Jekyll willobject. To finish, Utterson again considers the strange will ofJekyll, specifically that it he disappears for longer than threemonths, that his estate should be turned over to Hyde. Uttersonfears that Hyde might kill Jekyll for the will. Chapter 3Dr. Jekyll has a dinner party and Utterson attends. Utterson is awell liked and respected man, by Jekyll as well as anyone. Utterson stays behind after the party, and talks with Jekyll aboutthe will. Jekyll tries at first to politely and jovially avoid thetopic towards his scientific rivalry with Dr. Lanyon, but Uttersoninsists. Utterson explains that he thinks the will is a bad idea,and Jekyll wishes to stop talking about it. Jekyll states that heis in a unique situation that cant be fixed through talking, butUtterson promises that he can be trusted to help in confidence. 8th grade Universe s house. Asthey strolled by Jekylls house, they saw him in a window. Utterson urges him to come for a walk, but Jekyll refuses. Theyagree to talk while Jekyll sits at the window. Suddenly, a look ofterror comes over Jekylls face, and the window blind is shut infront of him, hiding him from the sight of Utterson and Enfield. Frightened, the two men look at each other. God forgive us!cries out Utterson, and the two men walk on. Chapter 8Poole comes to Uttersons house in a panic, saying that Jekyll islocked up in his room again. Poole fears that Jekyll has beenmurdered and that the killer is still in his room, pacing back andforth and moaning and crying out. Utterson agrees to go toJekylls house with Poole. When they arrive, they find all thehouse servants crowded around the fireplace in fear of what goesup in Jekylls room. Poole tells Utterson that he wants him tohear what is going on in Jekylls room. They proceed, and Poolecalls out to his master, saying that Utterson is there to visit. Avoice answers that is certainly Jekyll, pleading for Utterson toleave him alone. Poole reports that the person in the room tosses out papers withorders for chemicals from every company in London, but with everydelivery, Jekyll/Hyde refuses them and sends them back claimingthey are not pure. They examine the notes, and find that thewriting is Jekylls, but with a strange slant like Hydes. Poole mentions that he saw the person in the room at one point,but it looked likeHyde, not JekyllPoole and Utterson decide to break down the door and find out whathas happened in Jekylls room, using an axe. They post two otherservants near the door to prevent Jekyll/Hyde from escaping shouldhe get past Utterson and Poole. Utterson and Poole consider thatthey face some danger in doing this. While they wait for the otherservants to get into position, they sit in the old surgerytheatre, where Poole describes how Jekyll/Hyde paces back andforth across the floor and sometimes cries out. After the servantsare 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 the floor. Theylook around and find various articles, but no sign of Jekyllsbody. They find chemicals, a book, a cheval-glass, and a strangedrug. They search the house, and still do not find the body. Utterson finds Jekylls latest will and learns that it leaves hisestate to Utterson, not Hyde. Utterson finds this strange becauseHyde was in the room and cold have destroyed this will in favor ofthe one that names him the recipient of the will. Utterson finds anote written in Jekylls handwriting, and is afraid to read it. In it Jekyll says that he has disappeared, that Utterson shouldread the letter Lanyon sent, and also Jekylls own confessionwhich is included with this note. Utterson returns to his officewhere he will read the two important documents. Chapter 9 Lanyons NarrativeOn January 9th, Lanyon receives a letter from Jekyll. It tellsLanyon 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 you are to go in alone; to open the glazed press (letter E) onthe left hand, breaking the lock if it be shut; and to draw out,with all its contents as the stand, the fourth drawer from the topor (which is the same thing) the third from the bottom. This isto get Jekylls drug. Then, Lanyon is to return to his own homesconsulting room, and wait for a visitor at midnight from Jekyll. Lanyon does this and finds the drug that Jekyll must have madebecause it is not as neatly done as a chemist would do. He returnsto his home and waits for the visitor, keeping a gun with him(revolver) should he need to defend himself. At midnight, Hyde shows up, and is very excited to get the drug,almost crazy, but he stays calm enough. Once Lanyon gives it tohim, a scary smile comes over Hydes face. He tells Lanyon thatLanyon was a fool, and that he would now see proof oftranscendental medicine. He drinks the drug and changes intoJekyll in a terrifying way that haunts Lanyon for the rest of hisfew days until he dies. Lanyon ends his letter by saying that hecannot tell what Jekyll told him because it is too terrible, otherthan that Jekyll and Hyde are the same person.