Within chapter eight Stevenson describes the characters feelings to engage the reader. Mr Utterson the lawyer is known for being reliable and dependable for his close friends, but not fond of too much company. Near the beginning of the book, Utterson is described as level headed, confident and modest. Within chapter eight his characteristics are put to the test: ’never in his life had he been conscious of so sharp a wish to see and touch his fellow-creatures’ this implies that Utterson is so terrified that he needs the company of other people which he would never normally need. The phrase ‘there was borne in upon his mind a crushing anticipation of calamity’ suggests that the level headed Utterson is being twisted by his minds dread and horror of the events. The extract ‘Mr Utterson’s nerves, at this unlooked-for termination, gave a jerk that nearly threw him from his balance’ shows that he was uneasy and tense, which is unusual as he is normally a confident man. Stevenson shows that something is wrong with the character Poole with the first line in chapter eight: ‘Mr Utterson was sitting by his fireside one evening after dinner, when he was surprised to receive a visit from Poole.’ This is odd because servants would not have knocked on the door of a Gentleman, and the character of Poole would have obeyed this rule in society. Also at the beginning of the chapter Poole doggedly disregards the question “What are you afraid of?” which suggests that that something terrible has happened. When Poole states “I daren’t say, sir,” it suggests that he is terrified of something. Later on in the chapter Poole whispers instead of speaking usually which also suggests the dread of which Poole seems to have. However all of the time, Stevenson never explains to the reader what Poole is really terrified about until the end of the book. Stevenson also describes Dr Jekylls’ servants to engage the reader; he does this by building suspense. When Mr Utterson and Poole enter the hall the site that they meet is ‘the whole of the servants, men and women, stood huddled together like a flock of sheep.’ This suggests that the servants are as petrified as Poole and the simile shows that the servants seek safety in numbers. Stevenson has given the servants an inner door which shows that they wanted to shut something out and keep it out. Every person in this chapter is afraid for the same reason but the reader does not know what, Stevenson does this to engage the reader.
Stevenson has written about Hyde in such a way that engages the reader in chapter eight. Hyde’s appearance is some what concealed throughout chapter eight but Poole refers to him as ‘it’ or ‘thing’ which suggests something inhuman. Also animal imagery is used to describe him: ‘cry out like a rat’ and ‘masked thing like a monkey jumped up’ which suggests the oddness and repulsiveness of Hyde’s character. When Poole and Utterson break down the door to Jekylls’ cabinet they hear ‘A dismal screech, as of mere animal terror, rang from the cabinet.’ This suggests that something strange and mysterious is happening. The tension that Stevenson has created in his vague descriptions of Hyde help to engage the reader.
Throughout the book Stevenson has created mysteries that engage the reader. At the beginning of ‘The Last Night’ Poole’s visit to Utterson creates a feeling of unease; ‘Mr Utterson was sitting by his fireside one evening after dinner, when he was surprised to receive a visit from Poole.’ The fact that Poole even visited Utterson is strange, and it seems that the social order of society has been turned around; a servant would never have knocked on a gentlemen’s door. Furthering this, during his visit, Utterson offers Poole a glass of wine which he takes but ‘he sat with the glass of wine untasted on his knee’ which would have been seen as rude towards the host’s hospitality, and as the pair are about to leave Mr Utterson notices ‘that the wine was still untasted when he set it down to follow.’ Poole would never have dreamt off putting his thoughts and feelings before politeness, however because he is so terrified he is uncomfortable. Not only this but, when Mr Utterson feels that he should go with Poole back to the house to investigate ‘he observed with wonder the greatness of the relief that appeared upon the butler’s face’. This suggests that Poole sees comfort and safety in Utterson and is glad that he is going back to the house. This makes the reader feel uneasy due to the oddness of the event.
The mysteriousness of their arrival at the house creates a feeling of nervousness. As before Poole shows that he is afraid of what lies within the house: ‘Thereupon the servant knocked in a very guarded manner’. This shows that Poole was reluctant to proceed with entering the house and possibly placing Mr Utterson in danger as well as him self. Within the same scene, the door to the house is opened but ‘on the chain’ which suggests that the people inside wanted to keep something out of the house. The fact that ‘a voice asked from within, “Is that you Poole?”’ shows that the people inside the house did not want to be seen and only hoped that it was Poole at the door and nobody else. Once all the characters are inside the hall, mystery is again created due to the actions of the characters involved. As Poole and Mr Utterson are seen, the reader notices the servants’ reactions to the lawyer; ‘At the sight of Mr Utterson, the housemaid broke into hysterical whimpering: and the cook, crying out, “Bless God! it’s Mr Utterson,” ran forward as if to take him in her arms.’ These two reactions show that all the servants are similar to Poole; they see Mr Utterson as a man of influencing safety and reassurance.
A third mystery in this chapter is while Poole is leading Utterson to Jekyll’s cabinet, this is important to the story as Mr Utterson loses his nerve. ‘”Now, sir,” said he, “you come as gently as you can. I want you to hear, and I don’t want you to be heard. And see hear, sir, if by any chance he was to ask you in, don’t go.”’ This speech from Poole suggests to the reader that Poole believes that whatever resides within his master’s cabinet is dangerous, and that he does not want Utterson harmed. ‘Mr Utterson’s nerves, at this unlooked-for termination, gave a jerk that nearly threw him from his balance; but he recollected his courage, and followed the butler into the laboratory building and through the surgical theatre, with its lumber of crates and bottles, to the foot of the stair.’ This passage shows the reader that Mr Utterson is upset about the event, and that he had not realised the extent of Poole’s uncertainty about the character in the cabinet. The fact that there was a ‘lumber of crates and bottles’ at the bottom of the stair infers that the doctor had been using a lot of his chemicals to create such a mess, which we later discover to be the mysterious white powder.
One of the main mysteries within this chapter is who exactly is in the cabinet, is it Dr Jekyll or another creature? Stevenson uses language to confuse the reader about who is in the cabinet. The characters show concern as the Doctor’s voice ‘seems much changed.’ This suggests to the reader that someone else is in the cabinet. The character Poole, makes the reader believe this because of his attitude towards the situation, he has also been given twenty years service to Jekyll so he would recognise any change. The next factor points to Mr Jekyll’s handwriting, ‘”This is unquestionably the doctor’s hand, do you know?” resumed the lawyer.’ As a lawyer Mr Utterson would think to raise this issue, this is because he may have dealt with forgery in the past. This confuses the reader as they no longer believe that Jekyll could be in the cabinet yet here his handwriting is present at the scene of the crime. Poole describes the creature that he sees as a kind of ‘dwarf’ this links to animal imagery as he could be referring to something inhuman and magical, or just that the creature is small. Similarly to the voice, Poole believes that there is something wrong with his master’s footsteps; ‘”… But hark again, a little closer – put your heart in your ears Mr Utterson, and tell me, is that the doctor’s foot?” The steps fell lightly and oddly, with a certain swing, for all they went slowly; it was different indeed from the heavy creaking tread of Henry Jekyll.’ This passage suggests to the reader that Jekyll is no longer walking as himself in the cabinet, or if he has been hurt to change the footfall which his butler and best friend no longer recognise.
The break-in to the cabinet and what Poole and Mr Utterson find as they enter the dwelling is a shock to the reader. The language used during the break-in engages the reader; ‘Poole swung the axe over his shoulders; the blow shook the building, and the red baize door leaped against the lock and hinges. A dismal screech, as of mere animal terror, rang from the cabinet. Up went the axe again, and again the panels crashed and the frame bounded; four times the blow fell; but the wood was tough and the fittings were of excellent workmanship; and it was not until the fifth that the lock burst in sunder, and the wreck of the door fell inwards on the carpet.’ The words such as ‘blow’ and ‘bounded’ and ‘burst’ show the technique of alliteration, they also have an onomatopoeia quality that makes the reader hear the break-in as well as seeing it. When the two characters enter the cabinet the reader is as astonished as them to see what was lying behind the door; ‘There lay the cabinet before their eyes in the quiet lamp light, a good fire glowing and chattering on the hearth, the kettle singing its thin strain, a draw or two open, papers neatly set forth on the business table, and nearer the fire, the things laid out for tea; the quietest room, you would have said, and, but for the glazed presses full of chemicals, the most commonplace that night in London.’ Within this paragraph, Stevenson has used words that represent a cosy warm feeling, the words such as ‘chattering’ and ‘singing’ are generally polysyllabic and they make the reader feel relaxed. This paragraph also contradicts the words of the doctor, the room is unfit to be seen, yet it is fit, this engages and confuses the reader as they are uncertain who has been in the room. Then the reader and characters get a shock: ‘Right in the midst there lay the body of a man sorely contorted and still twitching. They drew near on tiptoe, turned it on its back, and beheld the face of Edward Hyde.’ This confirms to the reader that the foul character, whom everyone dislikes so much, has been residing within doctor Jekyll’s cabinet for so long. This then creates another mystery, where is the body of Doctor Jekyll?
The mystery of Jekyll’s body grasps the readers; the places in the building are described by Stevenson to show how long the search was for the characters. The theatre ‘filled almost the whole ground storey’ then the cabinet ‘which formed an upper storey at one end and looked upon a court. A corridor joined the theatre to the door on the by street’ there was also ‘a second flight of stairs.’ There was also ‘a few dark closets and a spacious cellar. All these were thoroughly examined.’ The list of places shows the reader the size of which the search would have been due to the size of the house. Stevenson decides to tell the readers that the body could not be found by using the words; ‘Nowhere was there any trace of Henry Jekyll, dead or alive.’ These words are strong and they engage the reader.
A mystery was created when the contents of the cabinet was examined more closely for the characters found ‘a copy of a pious work for which Jekyll had several times expressed a great esteem, annotated, in his own hand, with startling blasphemies.’ To dam God in a copy of the Holy book, which Jekyll had expressed enthusiasm for, comes across a mystery for the readers, why would Doctor Jekyll have done this, or was it someone else, Hyde, for example. This confuses the reader and engages them to find out. The other strange finding in the cabinet was a mirror; ‘the searchers came to the cheval-glass, into whose depth they looked with an involuntary horror.’ Why would the doctor have a mirror within his possessions? This confuses the reader and engages them. We later find out the need for this object.
The last mystery found in this chapter was the new will and why it had not been changed by Edward Hyde. If Hyde had been present in the room while Jekyll had rewritten his will why hadn’t he changed the name ‘Gabriel John Utterson’ back to his name Edward Hyde? As well as this, why was the letter not altered or destroyed if Hyde had been present at the time. This affects the reader in a similar way to all the other mysteries in this chapter, confusion and engagement.
In conclusion, within ‘The Last Night’ Stevenson builds slowly but inevitably towards the death of Hyde and the disappearance of Jekyll. He sets the mood, time of day, lighting and uses the characters feelings and pathetic fallacy to create an atmosphere. He describes the character Hyde in such a way that the reader dislikes his appearance, and all the mysteries which are set throughout the chapter to engage the reader.
