Dr. Jakyll And Mr. Hyde

This book started of with a description of Mr. Utterson, a lawyer in London. Mr. Utterson is a reserved, conservative man who does not reveal his true personality. He doesn't pay attention to other peoples originality. Early in his life, he watched as his brother fell to ruin. Mr. Utterson is friends with Richard Enfield, although the two are very different from each other. They always took walks with each other on Sundays no matter what else they might have to do. As they walk down the street on Sunday that would usually be crowded with people during the week, Enfield points out an old building without many windows, and only a basement door. Enfield tells Utterson a story of how, one night at about 3:00 am, he saw a strange, deformed man round the corner and bump into a young girl. The strange man did not stop but simply walked right over the young girl, who cried out in terror. Enfield rushed over and attended the girl along with her family. Still, the strange man carried on, so Enfield chased him down and urged him back. A doctor was called and Enfield and the doctor felt an odd hatred of the man, warning the man that they would discredit him in every way possible unless he compensated the girl. The strange man agreed to offer 100 British pounds. Enfield saw that the man is like the devil in the way he seems messed up and cold to the situation. The strange man presented a check signed by an important person, which they together cashed the next morning.

Enfield said that he refers to the building as Black Mail House. Utterson asked Enfield if he ever asked who lived in the building, but Enfield told him that he doesn't ask questions about strange things: the more it looks like Queer Street, the less he ask. The building looked like someone had been living in it. Enfield kept on talking about the strange man he saw that night looked deformed. Utterson then tells Enfield that his story had caught his interest. The two agree never to talk about the story again. The same night, Utterson went home. Instead of reading until sleep at midnight, he poured over the will of his friend Henry Jekyll, a doctor and very educated man. The will stated that Jekyll's possessions and position should be handed over to Mr. Hyde, a friend that Utterson had never heard nor met. Utterson went to the house of Dr. Lanyon, an old school and college friend of Utterson's and Jekyll's, and asked him about Hyde, but Lanyon had never heard of him. Lanyon used a lot of evil references when talking about Jekyll, such as devilish, and gone wrong, foreboding evil relations between Jekyll and Hyde. Utterson knows something is wrong between the two. Utterson couldn't sleep for the rest of the night.

Utterson considers how the strange man Enfield spoke of could trample a child and care nothing for it. Utterson staked out the door of the strange building looking for the strange man, who he also believed was Mr. Hyde. One night, he found him. He confronted him as he was about to go inside the strange door, and finds the strange man is Mr. Hyde. Hyde is unpleasant, cool, defiant, and confident. Utterson convinced Hyde to show his face. Utterson describes Hyde as troglodytic, meaning a primitive human being, detestable and unpleasant. Utterson decided to try and visit Jekyll at the late hour. At Jekyll's home, he learns from the servants that Hyde never east dinner at Jekyll's house, but is always there in the laboratory, with his own key. The servants varely see him, but they have orders to obey him. Utterson leaves, and reflects upon his own life, what evil things he may be guilty of, and what bad things his friend Jekyll may have done in his life. He decides that Hyde must be gravely evil, way more worse than anything Jekyll may have ever done. Utterson decides to try and discover the evil things Hyde has done and may be doing, but fears that his friend Jekyll will disagree. To finish, Utterson again thought the strange will of Jekyll, specifically that it he disappears for longer than three months, that his estate should be turned over to Hyde. Utterson is then worried that Hyde might kill Jekyll for the will.

Dr. Jekyll has a dinner party and Utterson attends. Utterson is a well liked and respected man, by Jekyll as well as anyone. Utterson stays behind after the party, and talks with Jekyll about the will. Jekyll tries at first to politely and jovially avoid the topic towards his scientific rivalry with Dr. Lanyon, but Utterson insists. Utterson explains that he thinks the will is a bad idea, and Jekyll wishes to stop talking about it. Jekyll states that he is in a unique situation that can't be fixed through talking, but Utterson promises that he can be trusted to help in confidence. Jekyll insists that he is in control, that he can be rid of Mr. Hyde at his own discretion. He begs Utterson to leave the matter alone. He explains that he has great interest in Hyde, and that Utterson follow his will and secure Jekyll's estate for Hyde if Jekyll passes away. Utterson promises to fulfill this duty. Chapter 4 One of Jekyll's maid servants is watching out her window on a foggy night and sees Hyde and Sir Danvers meet by chance, They talk under her window, and without warning, Hyde explodes with rage and strikes Danvers with his heavy cane. Hyde stomped upon the man, crushing his bones, while the maid faints. The maid wakes up, calls the police. They find a purse and gold watch, and an envelope for Utterson on the victim, but no papers or cards. They find part of Hyde's splintered, broken cane. Utterson goes to the police station to see the body. Utterson identifies the victim as Danvers, and notices that the piece of cane resembles one he gave to Jekyll a long time ago. Utterson leads the police to Hyde's house in Soho. As they arrive at Hyde's house, Utterson notices the darkness from the brown fog, and considers the fear people must have of the law and the police. At Hyde's, an very white skinned woman with grey hair and an evil face tells them she hadn't seen Hyde for 2 months. At first the woman protests, but she seems happy to learn that Hyde might be in trouble. In the house, Utterson and the police inspector find that only a few rooms are being used. They find clues to show that Hyde was responsible for the murder: Hyde's clothes had been ransacked, a burnt cheque book, the other part of the cane, and at the bank, Hyde's account had several thousand pounds (British money) in it.

The inspector believed that they could simply catch him when he returned to the bank, but found that without an accurate description of Hyde, they could not prepare the bank to recognize Hyde when he came in again. Chapter 5 Utterson goes to Jekyll's house, and up to his cabinet (bedroom), where he finds Jekyll sick, not even getting up to say hello. Utterson tells Jekyll that Danvers was a client