Mr Utterson portrays the perfect Victorian gentleman. He is a cautious person who does not like to be involved with scandal. He consistently seeks to preserve order and decorum, does not gossip, and guards his friends’ reputations as though they were his own. This is shown when Mr Utterson, knowing that Jekyll is tangentially involved in the Carew murder case, withholds relevant information from the police and is careful to protect Jekyll's good name by keeping his relationship with Hyde away from public scrutiny as best as he can. It makes his character interesting because it shows that he is willing to compromise his morality for his friends. These silences reflect the confines of the moral nature of the Victorian era. This makes Mr Utterson a significant character because Stevenson represents the people of the Victorian era through him.
The representation of Victorian society also stems from Mr Utterson’s devotion to reason. He Utterson investigates what becomes a supernatural sequence of events but never allows himself to even contemplate that something strange may be going on. He considers that misdeeds may be occurring but not that the metaphysical might be taking place. Until the end, when he is summoned by Poole to Jekyll’s home, Utterson continues to look for an explanation that preserves rationale, suggesting instead that Jekyll is simply ill. Through Utterson’s devotion to both etiquette and reason, Stevenson depicts Victorian society’s general attempt to maintain the authority of civilization over and against humanity’s darker side, making his character very important. Stevenson suggests that just as Utterson prefers the suppression or avoidance of the truth, Victorian society prefers to repress and deny the existence of an uncivilized element of humanity, no matter how intrinsic it may be.
Mr Utterson is the most respected and sensible character in the novel. Therefore, it is significant that the reader views Hyde's crimes and Jekyll's hypocrisy through his perspective. This way, the reader discovers the answers at the same point as Mr Utterson does. Furthermore, by having Utterson as the character through whom the reader encounters most other characters and events, the reader also experiences Mr Utterson’s daily life in great detail. Stevenson contrasts the normal life of a gentleman with the “undignified pleasures” of Mr Hyde.
With exception to the last 2 chapters, the majority of the novel is told from Mr Utterson’s views and experiences. He functions as the eyes through which the reader evaluates most of the novel. However, he is not the narrator because the author chooses to use an omniscient, third-person narrator to tell this story, despite the consistent use of Mr. Utterson’s encounters to advance the plot. This narration allows readers to be privy to all actions of the characters, events that take place, and many of the character’s thoughts throughout the story. The reader is able to observe the interactions between Utterson, Jekyll, and other characters that might have been missed otherwise, as well as gain a more objective viewpoint than a character can provide. The third person narrator provides us with much more information about Mr Utterson than he would ever present himself.
Mr Utterson is very different to other characters, so he is used as a contrast. He is a very rational man who considers himself to be an upright and honourable citizen of Victorian England. In contrast, the novel's conclusion is highly supernatural, and does not coincide with the nature of the world in which the characters live. To make the details of Jekyll's work believable, Stevenson presents the otherwise unbelievable details of Jekyll's experiments through the logical mind of Mr Utterson. By allowing the reader to experience the events through reasoned and rational characters, the effect of the final conclusion and the discovery of Jekyll's horrific work is even more powerful, because contrast is so great. In this way, Mr Utterson’s character is used as an intriguing and fascinating comparison. Although he can convey the horror of Hyde to the reader, Utterson is "a man of no scientific passions”. By making Utterson a lawyer, Stevenson avoids Utterson noticing details in Jekyll’s work so he remains more impartial to the situations, rather than becoming involved in Jekyll’s “unscientific balderdash”. This makes Mr Utterson significant because his detached understanding allows the reader to have a more objective view.
The lawyer is the type of person who inspires trust. When Dr. Lanyon leaves a note which is "not to be opened till the death or disappearance of Dr. Henry Jekyll”, Mr. Utterson has the opportunity to unlock the secrets of the mystery, but his professional honour prevents him from reading the sealed letter. It represents temptation vs. self control, and is the contrast between Utterson and Jekyll. By making Utterson so trustworthy, loyal and professional, Stevenson gives the reader a moral citizen to compare Jekyll and Hyde to. This makes his character important.
Mr Utterson plays the role of a detective. He has links to all the major characters in the novel, and when he doesn’t know someone, like Mr Hyde, he makes sure he meets him. He says, “If he be Mr Hyde, I shall be Mr Seek.” This shows he will do anything, even meet the scariest man in London to try and protect Jekyll, which conveys his loyalty and bravery. By giving him the role of a detective, Stevenson makes Mr Utterson an integral part of the reader’s discovery of the truth about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Stevenson has made Mr Utterson a very significant character by giving him important roles throughout the novel. He has made Mr Utterson interesting by attributing simple yet remarkable characteristics to him.
