Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Key Characters, Symbols, and Themes

Question: Who is Mr. Utterson, and what role does he play in the story?

Answer: Mr. Utterson is a lawyer and Dr. Jekyll's friend. He investigates the strange connection between Jekyll and Hyde and becomes determined to discover the truth.

Question: Who is Mr. Enfield, and what does he tell Utterson about Mr. Hyde?

Answer: Enfield is Utterson's relative and walking companion. He tells Utterson about seeing Hyde violently knock down a young girl and then pay her family with a suspicious check.

Question: Why does Utterson become interested in Mr. Hyde?

Answer: Utterson discovers that Dr. Jekyll's will leaves his entire estate to Edward Hyde if Jekyll disappears or dies. Utterson finds this strange and becomes concerned about Jekyll's relationship with Hyde.

Question: What is unusual about Mr. Hyde's appearance?

Answer: Hyde does not have one obvious physical feature that explains why people dislike him. Instead, people find his appearance disturbing and feel an instinctive sense of disgust and uneasiness around him.

Question: Why does Hyde have access to one of Dr. Jekyll's houses?

Answer: Jekyll secretly allows Hyde to use his laboratory and other property because Hyde is actually another form of Jekyll.

Question: What happens when Hyde is confronted by the crowd after trampling the girl?

Answer: Hyde agrees to pay money to the girl's family to avoid further trouble. He retrieves a check connected to Dr. Jekyll, which makes Enfield suspicious.

Question: What happens to Sir Danvers Carew?

Answer: Hyde violently attacks and kills Sir Danvers Carew with a cane. This murder causes the police and Utterson to take Hyde's actions much more seriously.

Question: What evidence connects Hyde to the murder of Sir Danvers Carew?

Answer: A broken cane is found near Carew's body, and Utterson recognizes it as one he had previously given to Dr. Jekyll. Hyde is also identified as the murderer.

Question: What happens to Hyde after Carew's murder?

Answer: Hyde disappears and cannot be found. This makes the mystery surrounding him even greater.

Question: How does Dr. Jekyll initially appear after Hyde disappears?

Answer: Jekyll seems relieved and begins acting more socially responsible. He appears to have ended his relationship with Hyde.

Question: Why does Jekyll eventually become isolated?

Answer: Jekyll begins losing control over his transformations into Hyde. He becomes increasingly frightened and stays inside his laboratory, trying to find a solution.

Question: What happens to Dr. Lanyon after witnessing the truth about Jekyll and Hyde?

Answer: Lanyon becomes extremely shocked and disturbed after witnessing Jekyll transform into Hyde. The experience severely affects his health, and he later dies.

Question: Why does Dr. Lanyon refuse to discuss Jekyll with Utterson?

Answer: Lanyon has learned a shocking secret about Jekyll and cannot bring himself to explain it directly. He leaves Utterson a written account that is only to be opened after Jekyll's death or disappearance.

Question: What does Jekyll's transformation into Hyde symbolize?

Answer: Hyde represents the darker, immoral side of Jekyll's personality. The transformation symbolizes the conflict between the respectable identity people show society and the hidden desires they may suppress.

Question: Why does Jekyll create the potion?

Answer: Jekyll wants to separate the good and evil sides of his personality. He hopes he can experience his darker desires without damaging his respectable identity.

Question: Why does Jekyll enjoy being Hyde at first?

Answer: As Hyde, Jekyll feels free from the expectations and responsibilities of respectable society. He can act selfishly and immorally without immediately being associated with his public identity.

Question: What is the major problem with Jekyll's experiment?

Answer: Jekyll discovers that Hyde becomes increasingly powerful and difficult to control. Eventually, he begins transforming into Hyde without taking the potion.

Question: Why does Jekyll become afraid of Hyde?

Answer: Hyde becomes more violent and independent. Jekyll realizes that he may no longer be able to control the darker personality he created.

Question: What does Jekyll's will reveal about his relationship with Hyde?

Answer: The will states that Jekyll's possessions should go to Hyde if Jekyll disappears. This suggests that Jekyll expects Hyde to become an important part of his life and possibly fears what could happen to him.

Question: What is the significance of the locked laboratory door?

Answer: The door represents the secret life Jekyll hides from society. It separates his respectable public identity from the hidden experiments and behavior associated with Hyde.

Question: Why is the dual identity of Jekyll and Hyde important to the story?

Answer: It allows Stevenson to explore the idea that people can have both good and evil qualities. Jekyll and Hyde are physically different but are ultimately two sides of the same person.

Question: What does the fog and darkness in the story symbolize?

Answer: Fog and darkness often represent mystery, secrecy, and the hidden side of human nature. They also create an atmosphere of uncertainty and danger.

Question: Why is Jekyll's confession important?

Answer: Jekyll's confession finally explains the mystery behind Hyde. It reveals that Jekyll and Hyde are the same person and explains how Jekyll's experiments gradually caused him to lose control.

Question: What ultimately happens to Dr. Jekyll?

Answer: Jekyll becomes unable to control his transformations into Hyde. Near the end, he realizes that Hyde will eventually take complete control, and Jekyll's final statement is discovered after the locked room is opened.

Question: What is one of the main themes of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?

Answer: A major theme is the duality of human nature, meaning that people can contain both good and evil impulses. Stevenson suggests that trying to completely separate or hide the darker side of oneself can have dangerous consequences.