About the author: Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson was born in Edinburgh. He was the only son of Thomas Stevenson, a prosperous joint-engineer to the Board of Northern Lighthouses, and Margaret Balfour, daughter of a Scottish clergyman. Thomas Stevenson invented, among others, the marine dynamometer, which measures the force of waves. Thomas's grandfather was Britain's greatest builder of lighthouses. Stevenson died of a brain haemorrhage on December 3, 1894, in Vailima. Fanny Stevenson died in 1914 in California. Her ashes were taken to Samoa and buried alonside her husband, on the summit of Mount Vaea.
As Mr. Utterson (a respected lawyer) and Mr. Enfield (a businessman and distant cousin) are taking a walk, they come across a mysterious looking door. Mr. Enfield is reminded of a strange man connected with that door. That man had run over a girl and as compensation, emerged from the door with a check worth nearly one hundred pounds. The signature on the check is that of Mr. Utterson's old friend, Dr. Jekyll. Furthermore, Mr. Utterson notices that the door leads to a laboratory that is connected to Dr. Jekyll's house. Upon hearing the story, Mr. Utterson goes to his study and takes out Dr. Jekyll's Will. It states that upon the death or disappearance of Dr. Jekyll, a certain Edward Hyde is to inherit the estate. Mr. Utterson is convinced that there is something amiss with the will and goes to Dr. Jekyll to inquire about it. Dr. Jekyll tells Mr. Utterson that there is nothing wrong, and to Mr. Utterson's displeasure, refuses to discuss his connection with the odd Hyde fellow.
Almost a year later, a maid looking out her window sees a man club an elderly man to death. The maid recognizes the murderer as Edward Hyde. The victim is a respected gentleman, Sir Danvers Carew, who is also Mr. Utterson's client. After the murder, Mr. Utterson accompanies a police inspector to Hyde's residence in seedy Soho. Hyde is nowhere to be found. Fearing for Dr. Jekyll's safety, Mr. Utterson confronts him once again about his connection with Hyde. Dr. Jekyll swears that he will have nothing to do with Hyde ever again. He even presents a letter signed by Hyde that states Dr. Jekyll has nothing to fear.
Time passes and to Mr. Utterson's relief, Dr. Jekyll returns to his former self, hosting parties and helping out with many charities. Then suddenly, Dr. Jekyll refuses to see people. And mysteriously, Dr. Lanyon, a close friend to both Mr. Utterson and Dr. Jekyll becomes deathly ill. When Mr. Utterson visits him, Dr. Lanyon refuses to talk about Dr. Jekyll. He gives Mr. Utterson a letter that must be opened only upon his death. A week later, Dr. Lanyon passes away.
While Mr. Utterson and Mr. Enfield are taking another walk, they come across Dr. Jekyll looking out his window. As they talk to him, they witness a horrifying transformation in the doctor's appearance and demeanor that leave them stunned and speechless.
One night, Poole requests Mr. Utterson's help. It seems Dr. Jekyll has locked himself in his laboratory. When Poole and Mr. Utterson approach the door, they hear Hyde's voice. Thinking that there has been foul play, Poole and Mr. Utterson force their way inside. On the floor, they see Hyde's dead body, fitted in Dr. Jekyll's oversized clothes. Inside, they find a letter written by Dr. Jekyll.
Mr. Utterson reads Dr. Lanyon's letter and finds out that Dr. Jekyll was having problems with some unexpected effects of the drug. At various times of the day, Dr. Jekyll would turn into Hyde. During one of those unexpected changes, Dr. Jekyll, who was embodied by Hyde, requested Dr. Lanyon's help in acquiring the ingredients needed for the potion because he could not show himself. In Dr. Lanyon's presence, Hyde transformed himself into Dr. Jekyll. The shock from this event was the cause of Dr. Lanyon's illness and eventual death.
Finally, Mr. Utterson reads Dr. Jekyll's own confession. Dr. Jekyll's initial reasons for developing the drug was to test his theory that man has a dual nature. He was successful in separating the good and evil sides of himself. As Hyde, Dr. Jekyll lived the free and fleshly life of his evil side. But the effects of the drug became unpredictable. Discovering that he cannot get hold of a crucial type of salt, Dr. Jekyll realized that he could no longer continue in this double life. In the laboratory, unsuccessful at recreating the drug, Dr. Jekyll killed himself before Poole and Mr. Utterson could break in. Dr. Jekyll wrote the confession with the knowledge that if the Hyde character won over his nature, there would be no turning back.
Characters: Mr. Gabriel John Utterson: An old lawyer and Dr. Jekyll's good friend of many years, Mr. Utterson is a bit dull, but well respected and known in his community as a person of quality character. His distant kinsman, Mr. Enfield, tells him a story of a mysterious Mr. Hyde. Reminded that Hyde is the main beneficiary of Dr. Jekyll's will, Mr. Utterson seeks to uncover the strange connection between his friend Dr. Jekyll and the notorious Mr. Hyde.
Mr. Richard Enfield: Mr. Enfield is a young businessman, a distant cousin to Mr. Utterson's, and his walking companion. They get along because they share a similarly dull and regular nature. While on one of their scheduled Sunday walks, Mr. Enfield begins the narrative by telling a story about his encounter with a mysterious Mr. Hyde. Later, Mr. Enfield and Mr. Utterson witness Dr. Jekyll's strange behavior as he talks to them from his window.
Mr. Edward Hyde: A small, hunched man with a disagreeable manner, Mr. Hyde comes and goes by the connecting laboratory wing of Dr. Jekyll's home. Upon hearing from Mr. Enfield about Hyde, Mr. Utterson recognizes the name as the main beneficiary on Dr. Jekyll's will. Mr. Hyde disappears after he is seen murdering Sir Danvers Carew. In the end, Mr. Utterson finds out that Mr. Hyde is a physical manifestation of Dr. Jekyll's evil alter ego.
Dr. Henry Jekyll: A well-respected doctor and Mr. Utterson's good friend, Dr. Jekyll undergoes extreme changes in his behavior. Mr. Utterson is convinced it has something to do with the mysterious Mr. Hyde, who is the main beneficiary of Dr. Jekyll's will. As it turns out, Dr. Jekyll has invented a chemical formula that can turn a person into his alter ego. Dr. Jekyll uses his Hyde persona to live a secret life of depravity.
Dr. Lanyon: An old friend of Mr. Utterson and Dr. Jekyll, Dr. Lanyon has, over the years, clashed with Dr. Jekyll on certain scientific matters. After the murder of Sir Danvers Carew, when Jekyll unexpectedly turns into Mr. Hyde, he sends a desperate letter to Dr. Lanyon requesting materials from his lab. In front of Dr. Lanyon, Mr. Hyde changes into Dr. Jekyll. After witnessing the transformation, Dr. Lanyon falls ill and dies. He leaves behind a letter addressed to Mr. Utterson, explaining the details of what he saw.
Poole: Dr. Jekyll's faithful butler, Poole aids Mr. Utterson in uncovering Hyde's true identity. Poole helps Mr. Utterson break down the laboratory door where they find Hyde dead.
Minor Characters
little girl: In Mr. Enfield's story, he witnesses a strange man run over a little girl who had been called to fetch a doctor. To compensate for his dastardly deed, the stranger agrees to pay the little girl's family a sum of one hundred pounds.
maid servant: While looking out her window one night, the maid servant witnesses the brutal murder of Sir Danvers Carew. She identifies the murderer as Mr. Hyde.
Sir Danvers Carew: Mr. Utterson's client, Sir Danvers Carew is an esteemed, kindly old gentleman . One night, a maid servant looking out her window witnesses Mr. Hyde clubbing Sir Danvers Carew to death.
(officer) Inspector Newcomen: The Scotland Yard officer in charge of the Carew murder, Inspector Newcomen goes with Mr. Utterson to Soho to search Hyde's residence.
Mr. Guest: Mr. Utterson's young clerk, Mr. Guest is a student of handwriting. When asked by Mr. Utterson to analyze Mr. Hyde's letter, Mr. Guest notices that the handwriting is similar to Dr. Jekyll's dinner invitation.
Bradshaw: Dr. Jekyll's footman, Bradshaw is called upon to help Poole and Mr. Utterson break down the laboratory door and catch whoever is inside. In Dr. Jekyll's confession, Bradshaw is mentioned as one of his servants who saw Mr. Hyde one moment, and Dr. Jekyll the next.
It is an exciting story as I haven't read stories about split personalities. I think this story is special of the fact that the main character have a split personality.
