Mr Utterson Analysis

Question 1

“If he be Mr Hyde, I shall be Mr Seek”

Answer 1

Mr Utterson shows a sense of duality by indulging in his repressed desire for knowledge.
The juxtaposition of “Hyde” and “Seek” mirrors the dual nature of the novel
The light hearted tone is ironic when compared with the horrors he is going to uncover

Question 2

“I let my brother go to the devil in his own way”

Answer 2

Mr Utterson is connecting to the biblical allusion of Cain and Abel - the two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain becomes jealous of his Abel and murders him; however, when God asks where Abel is, Cain replies “Am I my brother’s keeper?”, conveying a refusal to take moral responsibility for another person’s wellbeing.

Question 3

“His affections, like ivy, were the growth of time”

Answer 3

Description of Mr Utterson
Suggests that the longer he knows someone, the more loyal he is to them.
Ivy usually grows on old, decaying structures, hiding their imperfections, suggesting that Mr Utterson may be blinded by his loyalty and friendship to Dr Jekyll and so he tries to look past Jekyll’s behaviour
Ivy could be seen as poisonous, linking to Mr Utterson’s repression and dual nature