The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

1. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Chapter 1

2. Chapter 1 – ‘Story of the Door’:Analysis • Popular belief in Nineteenth Century that man was made up of two components - good and evil. • 19th C literature and society were concerned with man’s double self (for example Frankenstein (1818)) and Sigmund Freud (the ‘founder of psychoanalysis’) who also wrote about man’s contrasting natures.

3. Chapter 1 – ‘Story of the Door’:Analysis • Enfield and Utterson’s relationship also echoes this idea of duality. • Continues idea that man is drawn to the opposite of himself.

4. Ch.1 – Utterson • Utterson = perfectly reliable narrator for the story. • He is intellectual, objective and tolerant and is reluctant to judge people and condemn them. • He is also trustworthy as many powerful men confide their secrets in him, knowing that he is discreet enough not to violate any trust.

5. Ch. 1 - Enfield • He appears to be the opposite of Utterson. • He is full of life, directness and curiosity. • When he talks about his experience of Hyde, he tells it with great gusto and enthusiasm. • He is not shy to tell his opinions of people and speak frankly. • He loves beauty – this may be part of the reason for his hatred of Hyde. He complains of having a general feeling of nausea and distaste in regards to Hyde. • After Ch. 1, Enfield is no longer used as a narrator – we need a more restrained, stable narrator.

6. Chapter 1 – ‘Story of the Door’:Analysis • As readers, we are intrigued and interested because we hear so many bad reports – from so many different witnesses – about Hyde in chapter one alone. • It is important to remember that for original readers of the text, each chapter was an attempt to discover the identity of Hyde and how he was blackmailing, framing or using Dr Jekyll in some evil and obscene way.