Loyalty & Friendship
CONTEXT
Victorian Gentlemen greatly rely on status and reputation, they would keep each others’ secrets to prevent others from public shame
Where is friendship mentioned?
Utterson is introduced as a loyal friend of Jekyll who tries to protect his reputation by not gossiping, keeping his secrets and seeking the truth about Hyde (becoming a detective)
It’s Utterson’s friendship with Dr. Jekyll which causes him to pursue the case so persistently
Good friendships (Utterson + Jekyll)
Utterson is concerned with helping Jekyll and preserving his reputation, this helps to symbolise the Victorian upper class obsession with public reputation. His loyalty to Jekyll and his concern for reputation leads to secrecy and silence
True friendship is presented as an admirable trait by Stevenson. When Hyde isn’t ruining Jekyll’s life he is a sociable man.
“ Now that that evil influence had been withdrawn, a new life began for Dr. Jekyll. He came out of his seclusion, renewed relations with his friends, became once more their familiar guest and entertainer”
- after Carew’s murder when Jekyll resists the temptation of Hyde
Utterson is presented as a good friend of Jekyll, even when Utterson disagrees with Jekyll’s connection with Hyde, they stay good friends
“ The lawyer listened gloomily; he did not like his friend’s feverish manner ”
Bad friendships (Lanyon + Jekyll)
Lanyon and Jekyll have a fall out between their differences in science. Lanyon views Jekyll’s science as ‘unscientific balderdash’, ‘too fanciful’ yet seems more worried about Jekyll’s wellbeing than his immoral actions, and stays loyal to Jekyll as he doesn’t expose him, as shown in Lanyon’s letter.
Overall Stevenson presents friendship as overpowering to curiosity
BP ideas
Stevenson uses Utterson to represent the typical Victorian gentlemen, who is loyal, moral and trustworthy
Quotes to use:
‘his affection, like Ivy’
‘even (Utterson’s) friendships seemed to be founded in a similar catholicity of good nature’
‘the lawyer listened gloomily; he did not like his friend’s feverish manner’
‘lover of the sane and customary sides of life’
Utterson’s loyalty to Jekyll and his concern for his reputation leads to secrecy and silence. Stevenson does this to expose the upper class’ obsession with public reputation
Quotes to use:
‘ I am ashamed of my long tongue. Let us make a bargain never to refer to this again’
‘walked on once more in silence’
‘I wouldn’t speak of this note, you know’
‘God forgive us, God forgive us’
THE SAFE - contains Lanyon’s letter and Jekyll’s confession, both would ruin Jekyll’s reputation if they weren’t kept secret
Through Utterson playing the role of a detective - seeking the truth, Stevenson presents how Victorian Gentlemen would preserve their friends reputations, even after death
Quotes to use:
‘If he be Mr. Hyde… I shall be Mr. Seek’
‘His imagination was engaged, or rather enslaved’
‘The poor soul retains some help of ultimate recovery’
‘Ah, that’s not Jekyll’s voice - it’s Hyde’s!’… ‘Down with the door, Poole!’