Summary: Chapter 2
After his walk with Mr. Enfield, Mr. Utterson returns home and examines Dr. Jekyll’s will which he remembers as having references to Mr. Hyde, that Mr. Enfield had mentioned. One curious fact to note is how Utterson rejected his normal lifestyle, and stayed up late in the night, and went to his business room, showing how curious he was on the case – an emotion that was hugely looked down upon in the Victorian Era,
When he opens his safe and takes out the will of Jekyll, he ponders over it for a long time. The terms is that all of the doctors’ possessions are “to pass into the hands of his friend and benefactor Edward Hyde” and – what troubles Utterson most – “in case of Dr. Jekyll’s ‘disappearance or unexplained absence.’” In essence, Edward Hyde is to “step into Dr. Jekyll’s shoes” free from any burden – and fundamentally become him. Utterson is troubled and uneasy, and he is offended both as a lawyer and as a lover of the sane sides of life.
Until now, the will only seemed irregular, but now, the name of Hyde has taken on ominous connotations – he mentions that “It was already bad enough when the name was but a name of which he could learn no more – it was worse when it began to be clothed upon with detestable attributes.”
Utterson blows out his candle, put on a coat, and went to the Cavendish Square, and further ets forth to the home of Dr. Lanyon (who we see is a well-known figure, by the quote “had his house and received his crowding patients”), and he remarks that “If anyone knows, t will be Lanyon.” We can therefore see that the three were good friends, and knew well about one another.
The butler welcomed him, and Dr. Lanyon was seen havig a glass of wine. When he sees Utterson, Lanyon “sprang up from his chair and welcomed him with both hands.” The wo men have been old frends since school and college, and both respectors of themselves and of each other, and always enjoyed each other’s company.
They talk easily for a while, and Utterson goes on to remark that they are the two oldest friends Dr. Jekyll has, bringing up the subject that had troubled him for so long. Lanyon, however replies that although they are good friends, they have not seen Jekyll in a long time. Lanyon mentions that he has not seen him for almost ten years, as Jekyll became too fanciful, and “began to go wrong in mind…I have seen the devilish little of the man.” This fact perhaps insinuates the fact that Jekyll has been in contact with Hyde, and that the two men got into a row over scientific point-of views, as shown especially by how Lanyon turned purple.
He then inquired Lanyon if he knew “ a protégé of his – one Hyde” and Lanyon mentions that he has never heard of such name. Utterson returns home, uneasy, and dreams that night are more like nightmares, inhabited by Hyde’s sense of evil – and of a child screaming. He wonders why Jekyll will have Hyde as his beneficiary.
Utterson therefore begins to watch the door in the mornings, at noon at night, and at “all hours of solitude.” He feels the need to see this man for himself, and thinks “If he be Mr. Hyde I shall be Mr. Seek.” His patience was rewarded, and at last, he saw the man. He refers to have heard “odd, light footsteps drawing near” in a fine dry night, frost in the air – setting the perfect ominous scene for Mr. Hyde to appear.
As Mr. Hyde drew a key, Utterson asks him “Mr. Hyde, I think?”
Mr. Hyde “shrank back with a hissing intake of the breath” and was fearful. However, he regains his cool: “That is my name. What do you want?” Utterson remarks that he is an old friend of Jekyll’s, and asks if he can enter. Hyde tells him that Jekyll is away, and asks how Utterson knows him.
Utterson asks Hyde to show his face, and Hyde hesitates and shows his face, and gives Utterson his address. Hyde thence asks “How did you know me” to which Utterson replies that they have common friends, such as Jekyll. Hyde is not convinced, and says that “I did not think you would have lied” possibly referring to the fact that he is also Jekyll. Then, he unlocks the door and rushes inside. The lawyer is stunned by Hyde’s behavior, and concedes that Enfield was right, and that he “gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation…a sort of derous mixture of timidity and boldness.” He states that the man is “hardly human” and fears for Harry Jekyll because he has read the “Satan’s signature on the face of Edward Hyde.”
Sadly, he begins to go back to his house, and he goes around the corner, and knocks on the second door, which is opened by Poole, a well-dressed, elderly servant of Jekyll’s He takes the lawyer in and asks him to wait by the fire, and calls the room the “pleasantest room in London.” However, the face of Hyde “sat heavy on his memory; he felt a nausea and distaste of life.” Poole returns and announces that Jekyll had gone – and Utterson questions Poole about Hyde’s entrance to the old dissecting room. Poole replies that “Mr. Hyde has a key,” and furthermore declares that “We have all orders to obey him.”
Utterson leaves, and he is shocked. And feels sorry for Jekyll, convinced that he is in “deep waters.” He further claims that Jekyll is being haunted by “the ghost of some old sin, the cancer of some concealed disgrace.” His thoughts return to Mr. Hyde and states that “This Master Hyde, if he were studied, must have secrets of his own; black secrets, by the look of him; secrets compared to which poor Jekyll’s worst would be like sunshine.” He feels the need to warn Jekyll, and that if Hyde knew of the contents of Jekyll’s will, Hyde will definitely strike the doctor.
Analysis of Second Chapter
The second chapter begins to move the story forward, and we are introduced to our main nemesis: Mr. Hyde.
We find that firstly he is a good friend of Dr. Jekyll’s, and that he is to execute the doctor’s wills – and we are also introduced to the strange circumstances of the will, which we discover is as a result of the two entities being the same. However, at this stage, we are led to suspense and our fears increase towards the character, and we ask “Then what has happened to poor Dr. Jekyll?”
When Utterson visits Lanyon, we hear that Lanyon had not seen Jekyll since 10 years ago, due to his unscientific theories – we have the first hint that Jekyll may not have been the upright man we usually connotate him to, and that he may have been up to doing no good, experimenting and carrying out unacceptable practices, from the point of view of a traditionalist and Victorian man, such as Lanyon. This is also our first indication of the battle between the rationalist and the Victorian morals. This practice is not revealed until the final chapter, and furthermore, this scene makes us wonder about the later chapters when Lanyon is called to Jekyll.
However, the true highlight is revealed when Utterson finally meets Hyde, and we can see Utterson’s great fear for Hyde, and his growing determination to save Jekyll. Utterson is extremely troubled, and suspects Hyde for all things – and we, too, suspect Hyde of all things, as the novel is written from his point of view. This helps Stevenson conceal the fact that Hyde is the same entity as Jekyll, and helps him to give us a big shock, and makes us doubt Jekyll until the very end.
A curious fact is how the presence of Hyde is so great and arouses a sense of absolute evil in the beholder – and the very presence of him kills Lanyon, and even before seeing him, Utterson was troubled constantly as seen in this chapter. However, how he looks like exactly is unknown, and he remains “faceless” which adds to the mysterious and gothic tone to the story as a whole.
After his walk with Mr. Enfield, Mr. Utterson returns home and examines Dr. Jekyll’s will which he remembers as having references to Mr. Hyde, that Mr. Enfield had mentioned. One curious fact to note is how Utterson rejected his normal lifestyle, and stayed up late in the night, and went to his business room, showing how curious he was on the case – an emotion that was hugely looked down upon in the Victorian Era,
When he opens his safe and takes out the will of Jekyll, he ponders over it for a long time. The terms is that all of the doctors’ possessions are “to pass into the hands of his friend and benefactor Edward Hyde” and – what troubles Utterson most – “in case of Dr. Jekyll’s ‘disappearance or unexplained absence.’” In essence, Edward Hyde is to “step into Dr. Jekyll’s shoes” free from any burden – and fundamentally become him. Utterson is troubled and uneasy, and he is offended both as a lawyer and as a lover of the sane sides of life.
Until now, the will only seemed irregular, but now, the name of Hyde has taken on ominous connotations – he mentions that “It was already bad enough when the name was but a name of which he could learn no more – it was worse when it began to be clothed upon with detestable attributes.”
Utterson blows out his candle, put on a coat, and went to the Cavendish Square, and further ets forth to the home of Dr. Lanyon (who we see is a well-known figure, by the quote “had his house and received his crowding patients”), and he remarks that “If anyone knows, t will be Lanyon.” We can therefore see that the three were good friends, and knew well about one another.
The butler welcomed him, and Dr. Lanyon was seen havig a glass of wine. When he sees Utterson, Lanyon “sprang up from his chair and welcomed him with both hands.” The wo men have been old frends since school and college, and both respectors of themselves and of each other, and always enjoyed each other’s company.
They talk easily for a while, and Utterson goes on to remark that they are the two oldest friends Dr. Jekyll has, bringing up the subject that had troubled him for so long. Lanyon, however replies that although they are good friends, they have not seen Jekyll in a long time. Lanyon mentions that he has not seen him for almost ten years, as Jekyll became too fanciful, and “began to go wrong in mind…I have seen the devilish little of the man.” This fact perhaps insinuates the fact that Jekyll has been in contact with Hyde, and that the two men got into a row over scientific point-of views, as shown especially by how Lanyon turned purple.
He then inquired Lanyon if he knew “ a protégé of his – one Hyde” and Lanyon mentions that he has never heard of such name. Utterson returns home, uneasy, and dreams that night are more like nightmares, inhabited by Hyde’s sense of evil – and of a child screaming. He wonders why Jekyll will have Hyde as his beneficiary.
Utterson therefore begins to watch the door in the mornings, at noon at night, and at “all hours of solitude.” He feels the need to see this man for himself, and thinks “If he be Mr. Hyde I shall be Mr. Seek.” His patience was rewarded, and at last, he saw the man. He refers to have heard “odd, light footsteps drawing near” in a fine dry night, frost in the air – setting the perfect ominous scene for Mr. Hyde to appear.
As Mr. Hyde drew a key, Utterson asks him “Mr. Hyde, I think?”
Mr. Hyde “shrank back with a hissing intake of the breath” and was fearful. However, he regains his cool: “That is my name. What do you want?” Utterson remarks that he is an old friend of Jekyll’s, and asks if he can enter. Hyde tells him that Jekyll is away, and asks how Utterson knows him.
Utterson asks Hyde to show his face, and Hyde hesitates and shows his face, and gives Utterson his address. Hyde thence asks “How did you know me” to which Utterson replies that they have common friends, such as Jekyll. Hyde is not convinced, and says that “I did not think you would have lied” possibly referring to the fact that he is also Jekyll. Then, he unlocks the door and rushes inside. The lawyer is stunned by Hyde’s behavior, and concedes that Enfield was right, and that he “gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation…a sort of derous mixture of timidity and boldness.” He states that the man is “hardly human” and fears for Harry Jekyll because he has read the “Satan’s signature on the face of Edward Hyde.”
Sadly, he begins to go back to his house, and he goes around the corner, and knocks on the second door, which is opened by Poole, a well-dressed, elderly servant of Jekyll’s He takes the lawyer in and asks him to wait by the fire, and calls the room the “pleasantest room in London.” However, the face of Hyde “sat heavy on his memory; he felt a nausea and distaste of life.” Poole returns and announces that Jekyll had gone – and Utterson questions Poole about Hyde’s entrance to the old dissecting room. Poole replies that “Mr. Hyde has a key,” and furthermore declares that “We have all orders to obey him.”
Utterson leaves, and he is shocked. And feels sorry for Jekyll, convinced that he is in “deep waters.” He further claims that Jekyll is being haunted by “the ghost of some old sin, the cancer of some concealed disgrace.” His thoughts return to Mr. Hyde and states that “This Master Hyde, if he were studied, must have secrets of his own; black secrets, by the look of him; secrets compared to which poor Jekyll’s worst would be like sunshine.” He feels the need to warn Jekyll, and that if Hyde knew of the contents of Jekyll’s will, Hyde will definitely strike the doctor.
Analysis of Second Chapter
The second chapter begins to move the story forward, and we are introduced to our main nemesis: Mr. Hyde.
We find that firstly he is a good friend of Dr. Jekyll’s, and that he is to execute the doctor’s wills – and we are also introduced to the strange circumstances of the will, which we discover is as a result of the two entities being the same. However, at this stage, we are led to suspense and our fears increase towards the character, and we ask “Then what has happened to poor Dr. Jekyll?”
When Utterson visits Lanyon, we hear that Lanyon had not seen Jekyll since 10 years ago, due to his unscientific theories – we have the first hint that Jekyll may not have been the upright man we usually connotate him to, and that he may have been up to doing no good, experimenting and carrying out unacceptable practices, from the point of view of a traditionalist and Victorian man, such as Lanyon. This is also our first indication of the battle between the rationalist and the Victorian morals. This practice is not revealed until the final chapter, and furthermore, this scene makes us wonder about the later chapters when Lanyon is called to Jekyll.
However, the true highlight is revealed when Utterson finally meets Hyde, and we can see Utterson’s great fear for Hyde, and his growing determination to save Jekyll. Utterson is extremely troubled, and suspects Hyde for all things – and we, too, suspect Hyde of all things, as the novel is written from his point of view. This helps Stevenson conceal the fact that Hyde is the same entity as Jekyll, and helps him to give us a big shock, and makes us doubt Jekyll until the very end.
A curious fact is how the presence of Hyde is so great and arouses a sense of absolute evil in the beholder – and the very presence of him kills Lanyon, and even before seeing him, Utterson was troubled constantly as seen in this chapter. However, how he looks like exactly is unknown, and he remains “faceless” which adds to the mysterious and gothic tone to the story as a whole.