Chapters 1 & 2

Test yourself

Chapter 1: The Story of the Door

Here's a summary of what happens in Chapter 1:

Utterson introduced

Utterson is introduced as the first character. He is a rather dry and boring man who drinks gin when he is alone to try to prevent himself from drinking socially. He doesn’t indulge himself with hobbies or anything fun.
He has a distant relation called Mr Enfield, a well-known man about town who he used to walk around London with.

Enfield's story

One day, they are walking in the busy streets of Soho when they pass a “sinister block of building” that looks different from the rest.
Enfield tells Utterson that he once “saw two figures: one a little man who was stumping along eastward at a good walk, and the other a girl of maybe eight or ten who was running as hard as she was able down a cross street.”
This strange recount of events starts the investigation into Hyde, and invokes Utterson’s curiosity.

Chapter 2: The Search for Mr Hyde

Here's a summary of what happens in Chapter 2:

Jekyll's will

Utterson goes to his study and gets out a will he drew up for his friend Dr Jekyll.
It states that in the event of the death or disappearance of Jekyll, all of his property should be given to Mr Hyde.
This strange will troubled Utterson for a while, and he has concerns that Hyde has a powerful influence over Jekyll.
He seeks to unravel the mystery and he visits Dr Lanyon, a friend of Jekyll’s. Lanyon has not spoken to Jekyll in a long while, after a dispute over their medical theories. Lanyon refers to Jekyll’s most recent scientific research as "unscientific balderdash".

Utterson meets Hyde

Later that same night, Utterson is haunted by nightmares in which a faceless man runs down a small child. Utterson is so disturbed that he decides to revisit the run-down building where Enfield saw Hyde enter, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Hyde.
Eventually, Hyde appears and Utterson approaches him and asks him to show his face, which Hyde eventually does.
Hyde gives Utterson his address. Utterson sees this as a sign that Hyde hopes that Jekyll will soon die and that his will shall be released.
Utterson is horrified. He cannot quite explain the "unknown disgust, loathing and fear" he feels towards Hyde.

Hyde's laboratory

Utterson visits Jekyll, and discovers that the run-down building that Hyde frequently visits is actually a laboratory attached to Jekyll’s well-kept townhouse, which faces outward on a parallel street.
Poole lets Utterson in, and he tells Utterson that Hyde has a key to the laboratory and that all the servants have orders to obey Hyde!
The lawyer heads home, worrying about his friend. He assumed Hyde is blackmailing Jekyll, for some wrongdoings that Jekyll has committed in his youth.

1Plot Summary

1.1Chapters 1-10

1.1.1Chapters 1 & 2

1.1.2Chapters 3 & 4

1.1.3Chapters 5 & 6

1.1.4Chapters 7 & 8

1.1.5Chapters 9 & 10

1.1.6End of Topic Test - Chapters 1-6

1.1.7End of Topic Test - Chapters 7-10

2Characters

2.1Jekyll & Hyde

2.1.1Dr Henry Jekyll

2.1.2Jekyll - Name & Quotes

2.1.3Mr Edward Hyde

2.1.4Jekyll/Hyde Quotes - Chapters 1-9

2.1.5Jekyll/Hyde Quotes - Chapter 10

2.1.6End of Topic Test - Jekyll & Hyde

2.1.7Exam-Style Questions - Mr Hyde

2.2Other Characters

2.2.1Mr Gabriel John Utterson

2.2.2Dr Hastie Lanyon

2.2.3Minor Characters

2.2.4End of Topic Test - Other Characters

3Gothic Genre

3.1Gothic Elements

3.1.1Gothic Conventions

3.1.2Gothic Settings & Symbolism

3.1.3End of Topic Test - Gothic Conventions

4Key Themes

4.1Key Themes & Quotes

4.1.1Science

4.1.2Dual Nature of Man

4.1.3Religion & Sin

4.1.4Violence & Horror

4.1.5Victorian Gentlemen

4.1.6End of Topic Test - Key Themes & Quotes

5Context & Author

5.1Context & Author

5.1.1The Victorian Era

5.1.2Deacon Brodie & Freud

5.1.3End of Topic Test - Context & Author

6Literary Techniques

6.1Literary Techniques

6.1.1Language

6.1.2Structure & Form

6.1.3End of Topic Test - Literary Techniques

7Grade 9 - Key Character & Theme Questions

7.1Key Character & Themes - Linked Questions

7.1.1Grade 9 - Key Characters & Themes

7.1.2Extract Analysis - Jekyll

7.1.3Extract Analysis - Duality

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