Utterson is first described in Chapter 1 as an odd mixture
of positive and negative. He is 'embarrassed in discourse' despite being a
lawyer, which demands articulate, well-developed public speaking skills.
Although 'lean, long, dusty, dreary' and with a face which was 'never lighted
by a smile', he is also described as 'lovable'. His weekly walks with his
distant cousin Enfield reinforce his contradictory nature, for while they are
important to Utterson and something he would not miss, the two men speak very
little, making the reader wonder what pleasure they gain from their walks.
While 'austere with himself' (Chapter 1), utterson has 'an approved tolerance
for other' (Chapter 1) and his non- judgemental nature goes some way to
explaining why he does not take action when fears about Jekyll's behaviour, as
protector of a murderer, are raised.
Like Lanyon, Utterson is a rational and logical man. He
initially criticizes Poole for his theory that Hyde has murdered Jekyll as 'it
doesn't commend itself to reason' (Chapter 8). There is no place for the unconventional
or supernatural in his world. His encounter with Hyde leaves him feeling
confused as he attempts to rationalize the experience, while noting Hyde's many
unpleasant features, utterson is struck by the fact that 'not all of these
together could explain the hitherto unknown disgust, loathing and fear'
(Chapter 2) that he feels. He muses further that "There is something more,
if I could find a name for it" (Chapter2). This quest is pointless because
Utterson cannot imagine the supernatural and otherworldly truth. Note how he
attempts rather desperately to convince Poole that the creature in the room
must be Jekyll, citing "one of those maladies that both torture and deform
the sufferer" (Chapter 8). When confronted by the changing expression on
Jekyll's face at the window, Utterson is reduced to silence because he cannot
make sense of the supernatural.
Utterson represents the Victorian gentleman. He is educated,
respectable, professional, polite and dignified, in his first encounter with
Hyde, he is critical of his own language, which he says is "not
fitting" (Chapter 2). When confronted by
Jekyll's terrified servants, he is unhappy that they are not
behaving as servants should. Rules and customs matter to him, as do reputations
and opinions. Although the situation frequently demands action, Utterson is
more concerned with protecting Jekyll's reputation from "the cancer of
some concealed disgrace" (Chapter 2) and further scandal. In this context,
he is very much a metaphor for Victorian society's obsession with maintaining
reputation. Utterson reflects on what secrets may lurk in Jekyll's past and
imagines that Hyde too "must have secrets of his own: black secrets"
(Chapter 2). All of these remain unrevealed and secrecy permeates the whole
novella, as indeed it did the whole of Victorian society, as the outward,
respectable face hid more sinister realities. This darkness is hinted at in
Utterson's dream, which represents his unconscious reality, so different from
his dominant rational self. Utterson himself recognizes the two sides of his
world when he admits how Hyde 'touched him on the intellectual side alone; but
now his imagination also was engaged or rather enslaved' (Chapter 2). What
follows is a nightmare in which a faceless figure, presumably Hyde, rampages
through the streets of London trampling over defenceless children and
threatening Jekyll. It is this experience - a rare departure from the logical,
rational world - which creates Utterson's desire to see Hyde.
metaphor a
comparison of one thing to another to make a description more vivid; a metaphor
states that one thing is the other
1. Write a paragraph analysing your first
impressions of Utterson, using the words below and carefully selected
quotations to support your points.
•portrayal • contradictory • unexciting
•trustworthy • non-judgemental • loyal
2.
Create a Facebook page for Utterson. How will
you reflect his personality and nature?
3. Think about the names given to the characters.
Are these significant?
Avoid simply
retelling what characters in the novel say or do. To read with insight and
analysis, and gain better marks, you must think about how what characters say
and do reveals their personalities and natures.
