How does Stevenson create a sense of horror, mystery and tension
in the first two chapters of his novel “Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde”?
The handing over of ten pounds was perfectly normal. However when he gets the cheque, someone completely different signed it. Enfield tells Utterson, “And signed with a name that I cannot mention.” This adds mystery as why would someone give ninety pounds to a man who was so detestable, and it adds mystery as who was the third party person who signed the cheque? At the beginning of the book Mr Utterson is described as austere, giving him a set of rules and a routine that he stuck to. However the night of the day he was told the story of Mr Hyde, he did not follow his usual routine. This adds mystery as he is austere so whatever he does must be important. Stevenson tells us, “When he would go soberly and gratefully to bed. On this night, however,” telling us he does not follow his usual routine. Another character action that adds mystery involves the will of Doctor Jekyll. As his lawyer Mr Utterson should have assisted in the making in the will, but the book tells us, “Mr Utterson…had refused to lend the least assistance in making it.” A lawyer usually helps in the making of their clients will, so it is highly mysterious that Mr Utterson did not. Later in the chapter Mr Utterson begins to search for the character of Mr Hyde. This adds tension as the reader waits in anticipation of the introduction of the character in the novel. Mr Utterson says, “If he be Mr Hyde, I shall be Mr Seek.” Finally when Mr Hyde gives Mr Utterson his address, it adds horror. This is because Mr Utterson believes he is thinking of the will and believes if he knows of it he may get impatient and do something terrible to get his inheritance. Mr Utterson says, “Can he too have been thinking of the will.”
The fifth topic I am going to study is foreshadowing. The first piece of foreshadowing is when Mr Utterson and Mr Enfield come across Hyde’s house. The description of the house in places could be matched to the description of its occupant. I mentioned earlier in the essay that the house is said to be scarcely a house and that Hyde is described as barely human. Though the character has not yet been described to us yet, because of the foreshadowing in the house description, you begin to get an image anyway. The description includes “the marks of prolonged and sordid negligence.” This adds horror, as the description of the house is hideous; so if it begins to describe the character it means he too is hideous. Tension is added as you await the introduction of this hideous character. The second piece of foreshadowing I am going to use as an example comes in the story told by Mr Richard Enfield. This is foreshadowing, as what Mr Hyde does in this story is only an indicator of what he is capable of actually doing. This is only the introduction of his evilness and later in the book the reader expects Hyde to commit worse crimes than he has done so in the story. Although he tramples over a young child, later in the book he commits murder, on MP, Sir Danvers. The story says, “for the man trampled calmly over the child’s body.” This adds horror as the crime committed already disgusts people and later he will commit crimes of a worse nature. It also adds tension as all the time the reader comes across Mr Hyde’s name they are waiting in anticipation of his next terrible crime. Then the description of Doctor Jekyll’s house is foreshadowing as again it could be matched to description of its occupant. It is described as having “a great air of wealth and comfort.” This could also be matched to Dr Jekyll who was rich and those around him were comfortable in his presence. This adds mystery to the novel as both houses matched the description of their occupants in places giving a link between the two houses. Also Mr Hyde’s house was said to have been “Two doors from one corner,” and Doctor Jekyll’s was said to have been “Second from the corner.” This establishes another link between the two houses and is foreshadowing, as there is a link that the reader is just unaware of at the time. The foreshadowing adds to the horror as there are two different sides to the house and as we find out towards the end of the book we find out the occupant has two different faces too. It also adds mystery, as at the time of reading we do not realise though clues are hinting of this.
