Mr Utterson Flashcards
First impressions - Utterson
‘Mr Utterson was a lawyer’ - mundane, respectable job increases his credibility: he has to be as believable as possible as he goes on to reveal the unbelievable story of the novella.
first character the reader is introduced to in the novella and we follow the story through his eyes.
Respectable lawyer, tolerant of others - “last good influence in the lives of down-going men” - doesnt look down on class although that would be very common for a judgemental victorian society.
Loyal friend despite awkwardness - his friendships “were the growth of time”, described by the similie of “Like ivy”, which gives his friendship an all ecompassing feel to it.
Repression - “austere with himself”, not letting himself indulge in the wines he wanted, instead going for gin - wants to keep his reputation up
Amateur detective - Utterson
Invested in finding the truth about J’s involvement with H. Questions the cause in the will - “begin to fear it is disgrace” - shows concern for J at the possibility of him being blackmailed - ties into his non-judgemental, loyal portrayal. The will “offended him”
U seeks out H to find the truth, resulting in a confrontation where they “stared at each other pretty fixedly” - shows U’s role as an amateur detective - even though H has an abhorrent appearance from his description as “troglodytic”, U doesnt let himself be intimidated by him.
He is willing to confront H, a beastly man, to help J be rid of “the ghost of some old sin”
Reputation - Utterson
cares very deeply about his reputation, how others see him and as a result how others present themselves to him. the “savage” H “snarled aloud” - this is a peculiar and disturbing image, to which U simply replies that his language is not “fitting”, which seems rather disproportionate and shows that he cant understand why someone would ever not present themselves in an honourable way, especially a friend of J’s.
When ‘the incident at the window’ occurs, U and E are “pale” with an “answering horror in their eyes”. Despite this, U does not divulge what he saw out of respect for J or J’s private life being kept a secret to protect his reputation.
U thinks of his and his friends’ reputations first and foremost.
Drives the plot - Utterson
Uncovers major plot points. Used as a dramatic device to uncover secrets about the characters that would otherwise remain hidden and various turning points in the narrative. -> Discovery of the forged letter - shocked, proclaims “Henry Jekyll forge for a murderer!”
Vessel for the readers, feeling the emotions that Stevenson attempts to inflict on his readers, such as the blood running “cold in his veins”. Guides the readers through the story both in feeling and plot
Trustworthy nature is used to aid his detective work until he uncovers J’s body in ch.8 due to Poole helping him (no outward judgement of lower class)
To complete his final discovery, he says it is his “duty to break in that door” - feels responsibility at this point to see the discovery through, however horrific it may be.
