Mr Gabriel John Utterson

Utterson - Rational and Serious

Utterson is the narrator through whom we witness most of the events in the novella. He is a lawyer, who, like Jekyll, is well-respected in London.

Introduction

Utterson is introduced in the opening lines of the novella as a reserved, cold and dull character who drinks alone and doesn’t engage in gossip of any kind.

"Sane and customary"

He’s a lover of the “sane and customary sides of life” (2) which means that he does not like to engage with emotions or sentimental ideas - especially the ideas of transcendental medicine.

Rational and serious

He hears about a man trampling on a young girl and takes initiative to investigate.
He is an extremely rational character and he is cautiously curious about Jekyll’s actions. But when he explores the possibility of supernatural occurrences, he denies all possibility.
He investigates the mystery of Hyde and he treats the mystery like a murder case.

Utterson the Gentleman

Victorian gentlemen were expected to be very concerned for their reputation. They were expected to detach themselves from and not engage in gossip, pleasure or hedonism.

Strict with himself

Utterson is described as “austere” and he is strict with himself.
In the opening pages of the book, he is described as drinking gin to “mortify a taste for vintages”, which means that he drinks alone, in private to try and put himself off the pleasure of drinking itself.

Cold but lovable

In the opening, Utterson is described with oxymorons and a series of adjectives that depict him as being a cold character, with a hint of “loveable” elements hidden behind his stern exterior: “Mr Utterson the lawyer was a man of a rugged countenance, that was never lighted by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary, and yet somehow lovable”.
This shows how he represses his emotions and he is the model of Victorian restraint and repression.

Represses emotions

Utterson rarely smiles and is described as “cold” and “dreary” - Stevenson is possibly criticising how Victorian men were expected to repress their emotions and their sentiments to appeal to society’s expectations of gender roles.

Key Quotes - Utterson

Here are three key quotes reflecting aspects of Utterson's character:

Serious and represses emotions

"A rugged countenance that was never lighted by a smile" (1).

Trustworthy gentleman

"The last good influence in the lives of down-going men" (1).

Investigative and rational

“I shall consider it my duty to break in that door” (8).

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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