📜
Chapter 2: The Search for Mr
Hyde
🔎 Utterson looks after Jekyll’s will, which leaves all of Jekyll’s
possessions to Hyde in the case of Jekyll’s death or disappearance.
Disturbed and confused by this, Utterson visits Lanyon, who is a
colleague and friend of Jekyll. However, Lanyon has not heard of Mr
Hyde before, and says he has fallen out with Jekyll.
“That evening Mr Utterson came home to his bachelor house in sombre
spirits and sat down to dinner without relish.”
Although “sombre spirits” is used to describe Utterson’s melancholy mood,
the hissing sibilance creates a sinister tone, foreshadowing the startling
revelations later on in the chapter.
“It was his custom of a Sunday, when this meal was over, ti sit close by the
fire, a volume of some dry divinity on his reading-desk, until the clock of the
neighbouring church rang out the hour of twelve, when he would go soberly
and gratefully to bed.”
The heavy, dull dental plosive alliteration of “dry divinity” refers to the
religious restrictions and lack of vibrancy that Christians have.
Chapter 2: The Search for Mr Hyde 1
, “Then he opened his safe, took from the most private part […] Dr Jekyll’s will,
and sat down with a clouded brow to study its contents.”
The metaphor “with a clouded brow” highlights Utterson’s confusion
surrounding the contents of the will and the relationship between Jekyll and
Hyde.
“In the case of the decease of Henry Jekyll, M.D., D.C.L., L.L.D., F.R.S., etc.,
all his possessions were to pass into the hands of his “friend and benefactor
Edward Hyde”.”
“A hearty, healthy, dapper, red-faced gentleman, with a shock of hair
prematurely white, and a boisterous and decided manner.”
Lanyon’s physical description here later contrasts to his physical
description after seeing Hyde transform into Jekyll.
The description of “a shock of hair” could foreshadow the “shock” that
Lanyon will later face when seeing Hyde’s transformation into Jekyll.
The hair being “prematurely white” is a sign of stress.
“It is more than ten years since Henry Jekyll became too fanciful for me. He
began to go wrong, wrong in mind.”
The repetition of “wrong, wrong” reinforces the idea into the reader’s mind
and creates scientific distance between Lanyon and Jekyll, as, in the
Victorian era, the study of human nature was seen as part of religion.
The phrase “in mind” shows the abjection that Dr Lanyon expresses
towards transcendental science.
The verb “go” suggests a movement, and as it “began” (this shows it had a
beginning), this implies that Jekyll is far further in transcendental medicine
now, foreshadowing the use of a drug and further experimentation.
“I have seen devilish little of the man.”
This creates a sinister link to hell and death and is an ironic line since
“devilish little” can refer to Hyde, even though Lanyon is here describing
Jekyll.
“The church that was so conveniently near to Mr Utterson’s dwelling.”
Chapter 2: The Search for Mr Hyde 2
Chapter 2: The Search for Mr
Hyde
🔎 Utterson looks after Jekyll’s will, which leaves all of Jekyll’s
possessions to Hyde in the case of Jekyll’s death or disappearance.
Disturbed and confused by this, Utterson visits Lanyon, who is a
colleague and friend of Jekyll. However, Lanyon has not heard of Mr
Hyde before, and says he has fallen out with Jekyll.
“That evening Mr Utterson came home to his bachelor house in sombre
spirits and sat down to dinner without relish.”
Although “sombre spirits” is used to describe Utterson’s melancholy mood,
the hissing sibilance creates a sinister tone, foreshadowing the startling
revelations later on in the chapter.
“It was his custom of a Sunday, when this meal was over, ti sit close by the
fire, a volume of some dry divinity on his reading-desk, until the clock of the
neighbouring church rang out the hour of twelve, when he would go soberly
and gratefully to bed.”
The heavy, dull dental plosive alliteration of “dry divinity” refers to the
religious restrictions and lack of vibrancy that Christians have.
Chapter 2: The Search for Mr Hyde 1
, “Then he opened his safe, took from the most private part […] Dr Jekyll’s will,
and sat down with a clouded brow to study its contents.”
The metaphor “with a clouded brow” highlights Utterson’s confusion
surrounding the contents of the will and the relationship between Jekyll and
Hyde.
“In the case of the decease of Henry Jekyll, M.D., D.C.L., L.L.D., F.R.S., etc.,
all his possessions were to pass into the hands of his “friend and benefactor
Edward Hyde”.”
“A hearty, healthy, dapper, red-faced gentleman, with a shock of hair
prematurely white, and a boisterous and decided manner.”
Lanyon’s physical description here later contrasts to his physical
description after seeing Hyde transform into Jekyll.
The description of “a shock of hair” could foreshadow the “shock” that
Lanyon will later face when seeing Hyde’s transformation into Jekyll.
The hair being “prematurely white” is a sign of stress.
“It is more than ten years since Henry Jekyll became too fanciful for me. He
began to go wrong, wrong in mind.”
The repetition of “wrong, wrong” reinforces the idea into the reader’s mind
and creates scientific distance between Lanyon and Jekyll, as, in the
Victorian era, the study of human nature was seen as part of religion.
The phrase “in mind” shows the abjection that Dr Lanyon expresses
towards transcendental science.
The verb “go” suggests a movement, and as it “began” (this shows it had a
beginning), this implies that Jekyll is far further in transcendental medicine
now, foreshadowing the use of a drug and further experimentation.
“I have seen devilish little of the man.”
This creates a sinister link to hell and death and is an ironic line since
“devilish little” can refer to Hyde, even though Lanyon is here describing
Jekyll.
“The church that was so conveniently near to Mr Utterson’s dwelling.”
Chapter 2: The Search for Mr Hyde 2
