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Jekyll and Hyde- Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' focuses on Mr. Utterson's growing anxiety and investigation into the mysterious Mr. Hyde, who is linked to his friend Dr. Jekyll through a troubling will. The chapter introduces key characters like Mr. Lanyon and highlights the contrasting views on science between Lanyon and Jekyll, foreshadowing the supernatural elements of the story. Utterson's determination to uncover the truth about Hyde sets the stage for the unfolding mystery and horror.

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28 views

Jekyll and Hyde- Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' focuses on Mr. Utterson's growing anxiety and investigation into the mysterious Mr. Hyde, who is linked to his friend Dr. Jekyll through a troubling will. The chapter introduces key characters like Mr. Lanyon and highlights the contrasting views on science between Lanyon and Jekyll, foreshadowing the supernatural elements of the story. Utterson's determination to uncover the truth about Hyde sets the stage for the unfolding mystery and horror.

Uploaded by

askprachiagarwal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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THE STRANGE CASE OF

DR. JEKYLL AND MR.


BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
HYDE
CHAPTER 2:
SEARCH FOR
MR. HYDE
IMPORTANT EVENTS
• Change in Mr. Utterson’s mannerism

• Revelation of the contents of the will

• Introduction of Mr. Lanyon

• Mr. Utterson experiences anxiety followed by nightmares

• Beginning of the investigation by Mr. Utterson

• Meeting with Mr. Hyde

• Mr. Utterson visits Dr. Jekyll’s abode but is unable to meet him
How does the writer use language to
depict a change in Mr. Utterson’s
mood?
came home to
sat down to
his bachelor
dinner without
house in sombre
relish
spirits

The use of ‘sombre’ depicts a dull feeling being experienced by Mr.


Utterson- appears to be lost and troubled by his thoughts.
Sat down…relish- depicts his lack of interest in the food thus conveying
that he is caught up in his mind.
DR. HASTIE LANYON
FOIL
CHARACTER

● A symbolic contrast is made of the story’s two doctors, as two sides of the
scientific coin. Here Lanyon’s ruddy complexion and visible popularity with
the public shows him as a traditional man of medicine.

● Jekyll on the other hand, though introduced as a professorial man, has


strayed off the professional path according to Lanyon. Rumours give him
an air of mystery as well.
● Lanyon’s labeling of Jekyll’s research as “unscientific
balderdash” hints at the supernatural bent of the
experiments, which contrasts powerfully with the
prevailing scientific consensus of the Victorian world, in
which rationalism and materialism held sway.

● In his reverence for the rational and logical, Lanyon


emerges as the quintessential nineteenth-century
scientist, automatically dismissing Jekyll’s mystical
experiments. Later events prove that his dogmatic faith
in a purely material science is more akin to superstition
than Jekyll’s experiments.
Analyse the use of
foreshadowing in the chapter.
Foreshadowing is a literary device used to give an indication or hint of what is to
come later in the story. Foreshadowing is useful for creating suspense, a feeling
of unease, a sense of curiosity, or a mark that things may not be as they seem.

CONTEXTUAL REFERENCE
“But it is more than ten years since Henry Jekyll became too fanciful for me. He
began to go wrong, wrong in mind; and though of course I continue to take an
interest in him for old sake's sake, as they say, I see and I have seen devilish
little of the man. Such unscientific balderdash.” – Mr. Lanyon
Lanyon's words are fairly explicit foreshadowing of what is going to
happen later in the novel. Readers now know that Jekyll is up to something
strange and mysterious. Since we have already met Edward Hyde, we can
probably posit that he has something to do with these experiments.
Which literary feature does the writer use and
what effect does it have on readers?
‘But it is more than ten years since Henry Jekyll became too fanciful for me. He
began to go wrong, wrong in mind; and though of course I continue to take an
interest in him for old sake’s sake, as they say, I see and I have seen devilish little
of the man. Such unscientific balderdash,’ added the doctor, flushing suddenly
purple, ‘would have estranged Damon and Pythias.’”
ALLUSION

Lanyon alludes to the ancient Greek tale of Damon and Pythias, two
men renowned for their powerful friendship. Lanyon’s reference to
the legendary friendship of Damon and Pythias indicates he once
felt close to Jekyll, and he chokes up with emotion just talking
about the subject. This strain in their professional relationship gives
pathos to Jekyll’s turning to Lanyon for help later.
Explain the significance of the dream
in building mystery and horror.
❖ gross darkness of the night and the curtained room
❖ human Juggernaut trod the child down and passed on
regardless of her screams.
❖ The figure in these two phases haunted the lawyer all night;
❖ glide more stealthily through sleeping houses
❖ figure had no face by which he might know it; even in his
dreams, it had no face, or one that baffled him and melted before
his eyes;
Draw parallels between the setting and character
of Dr. Jekyll.
The description of Jekyll’s house introduces an element of clear
symbolism. The doctor lives in a well-appointed home, described by
Stevenson as having ‘a great air of wealth and comfort’. However, the
reader gets a hint of the influence of evil over Dr. Jekyll from the phrase
‘though it is now plunged in darkness except for the fan-light’.

The building secretly connects to his laboratory, which faces out on


another street and appears sinister and run-down. It is in the laboratory
that Dr. Jekyll becomes Mr. Hyde. Like the two secretly connected
buildings, seemingly having nothing to do with each other but in fact
easily traversed, the upstanding Jekyll and the corrupt Hyde appear
separate but in fact share an unseen inner connection
Stevenson depicts Mr. Utterson as a respectable person who
chooses to stay neutral with everyone. How do readers
witness a slight variation in this attribute of his?

On noticing the contents of the will, Mr. Utterson was greatly disturbed.
He had never heard of Edward Hyde and this sparked suspicion in his
mind. He makes it a point to find out the truth about this character on
his own. He enquired about Dr. Jekyll and Lanyon’s friendship. He also
enquired if Dr. Lanyon knew about a protégé that Dr. Jekyll had. On
learning the answer that such a person never existed, the identity of Mr.
Hyde became questionable for Mr. Utterson. Further, he investigated his
surroundings and even met Mr. Hyde with the aim of confronting him.
State any two key themes in this chapter

For each theme pick a quotation and explain


how one finds this theme throughout this
chapter
TONE

Comment on Utterson’s tone when he describes the appearance of HYDE


Comment on Dr. Lanyon’s tone when he talks about Dr. Jekyll
METAPHORS - EXPLAIN WHY

‘… sat down with a clouded brow…’


‘… should step into the said Henry Jekyll’s shoes…’
‘… document had long been the lawyer’s eyesore.’
‘…flushing suddenly purple,…’
‘… human Juggernaut trod the child down…’
Identify and Explain the literary devices used below

1. ‘…Jekyll became too fanciful for me.’


2. ‘… his imagination was also engaged, or rather enslaved;’
3. ‘… his hand to his brow like a man in mental perplexity.’
4. ‘If he be Mr Hyde,’ he had thought, ‘I shall be Mr Seek.’
5. ‘… with a hissing intake of the breath.’
IMPORTANT QUOTES DISCUSSED FOR CHAPTER 2

“It was a night of little ease to his toiling mind, toiling in mere darkness and
besieged by questions.”
This is a good example, describing Utterson’s state of mind as he returns home after
meeting Hyde, still confused about the relationship between Hyde and Jekyll.

“If he be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr. Seek.”


With a pun on Hyde’s name, Utterson resolves to track down Hyde and discover the
secret that ties him to Jekyll. This decision of Utterson’s puts in motion the rest of the
plot.
MPORTANT QUOTES DISCUSSED FOR CHAPTER 2

“God bless me, the man seems hardly human! Something troglodytic, shall we say?”
Utterson reacts to Hyde’s appearance and manner after meeting him at night outside his
house. He implies that Hyde physically resembles an ape and that this in turn implies a crude,
primitive personality. His comment suggests the popular influence of Darwinian biology.

“O, my poor old Henry Jekyll, if ever I read Satan’s signature upon a face, it is on
that of your new friend.”
Here Utterson expresses in strong terms his deep suspicions about Hyde’s character and the
damaging effects of his relationship with Jekyll, a good friend of Utterson’s. His suspicions turn
out to be very prescient as we learn later about Hyde’s murderous ways.
Reflection questions for chapter 2

Questions:
1. What prevents Utterson from sleeping at the start of this part of
Chapter 2?
2. What is Hyde and Utterson’s first meeting like?
3. Write down quotations which reveal Hyde to the reader.
4. Annotate the quotations, considering what the words suggest about his
character.

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