The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
By Robert Louis Stevenson
(Learning to summarized by using main ideas and important details connected with varied linking words)
Chapters (1,2,3, and 4): Summary.
Utterson is a wealthy, reserved and respected London lawyer. He possesses a close friendship with Mr. Enfield, who is likewise a respectable London gentleman. Mr. Utterson and Enfield are taking their regular Sunday walk, when they come upon a building, which seems out of place in the neighborhood. Enfield mentions that he was walking in the same neighborhood, when he witnessed a shrunken man crash into and trample a young girl. He catches the man, and then brought him back to the girl. The crowd immediately despised him and threatened him; seeing himself trapped, he bought them off with one hundred pounds.
Strangely the check bore the name of a very reputable man; and despite Enfield’s suspicions, it proved to be real. Enfield hypothesizes that the man had blackmailed the man whose name appeared on the check; he believes that his name was Hyde. Utterson declares that he knows the man, so he can now guess the name on the check.
Utterson goes home to study a will which states that in the event of the death or disappearance of Dr. Jekyll, all his property should be given over to Mr. Hyde. Utterson feels convinced that Hyde has some peculiar power over Jekyll.
Utterson begins to spend time around the building
where Enfield saw Hyde enter, when Hyde finally appears; Utterson introduces
himself as a friend of Henry Jekyll and asks Hyde to show him his face; Hyde
accomplishes him and then offers Utterson his address. Two weeks later, Jekyll
throws a dinner party. Utterson stays late so they can speak privately. Jekyll
explains that the situation with Hyde is exceptional and insists that he can
get rid of Hyde the moment he chooses to. He makes Utterson promise that he
will carry out his will and testament.
One year later, a maid witnesses a murder. She sees a (an) evil-looking man, whom she recognizes as Mr. Hyde, that encounters a polite, aged gentleman; when he suddenly turns on him with a stick, beating him to death. The police find a letter addressed to Utterson on the dead body. He identifies the body as Sir Danvers Carew, member of Parliament and one of his clients.
Utterson accompanies the police to it. But the suspected murderer is not at home. The police finds the murder weapon and learns that Hyde still has a bank account so assumes that the only need was to wait for him to withdraw money. In the weeks that follow, however, no sign of Hyde turns up; he has no family or friends, and those who have seen him agree only on the evil aspect of his appearance.
Chapters (5 and 6)
Utterson finds Dr. Jekyll claiming that Hyde has left and that their relationship has ended, then shows Utterson a letter from Hyde, assuring he means to escape and Utterson tells his friend that Hyde probably meant to murder him. On his way out, Utterson asks the butler to describe the man who delivered the letter; For what he claims to have no knowledge of. That night, Utterson consulted an expert on handwriting, to compare Hyde’s letter with some of Jekyll’s for what the expert suggests they are both the same hand inscribed. As time passes, Jekyll becomes healthier-looking and more sociable, he holds a dinner party, which both Utterson and Lanyon attend. But a few days later, the butler reports that his master is receiving no visitors, so Utterson visits Lanyon, hoping to learn why Jekyll has refused any company but he finds Lanyon sickly, with a frightened look in his eyes. Lanyon explains that he had a great shock and expects to die in a few weeks. He promises that after his death Utterson may know all the truth; Lanyon dies and Utterson takes a letter that Lanyon meant for him to read after he died but it's also to remain sealed until Jekyll also dies. Utterson puts the envelope away for safekeeping. As weeks pass, he calls on Jekyll, but the butler continues to refuse him entry.
Chapters (7,8 and 9)
Enfield were taking their regular stroll, passing the door where Enfield once saw Hyde. Enfield mentions that he has learned that the laboratory is physically connected to Jekyll’s house. To their surprise, they find Jekyll at the window; Utterson suggests he should join them for a walk but Jekyll refuses, he shuts the window and vanishes.
Then one-night Jekyll’s butler, Poole, quickly brings Utterson to his master’s residence. Poole brings Utterson to Jekyll’s laboratory door and insists that the voice doesn’t belong to his master. Poole declares that the person he saw was, in fact, Mr. Hyde. Utterson calls inside, but the voice begs to leave him alone. Utterson, however, recognizes the voice as Hyde’s and orders to smash down the door.
Once inside, they find Hyde’s dead body lying on the floor. He appears to have poisoned himself. They also find a large envelope addressed to Utterson containing three items. First, a will. Second, a note to Utterson giving some instructions, and third a sealed package, Utterson promises Poole to return. He heads back to his office to read Lanyon’s letter and the sealed package content.
After Jekyll’s last dinner party, Lanyon received a strange letter from Jekyll, instructing Lanyon to remove a drawer and all its contents from the laboratory, return with this drawer to his home, and to wait for a man at midnight, offering he would soon understand everything. Obeying, Lanyon took the drawer, which contained a notebook recording years of experiments. At midnight, Mr. Hyde appeared but Lanyon did not recognize him. Hyde seemed only interested in the drawer's contents and then asked Lanyon for a glass where he mixed the ingredients from the drawer. Hyde gave Lanyon two options for which Lanyon declared that he had already become so involved in the matter ... he wanted to witness it.
Before Lanyon’s eyes, Hyde drank the glass in one gulp and then his body started expanding, his face shifting, until Hyde was gone and Dr. Jekyll stood in his place. The letter ends and states that the event was so shocking he wouldn't repeat it.
Chapter 10
Full of virtues, Jekyll’s idealism allowed to maintain solemnity while hiding his indecent side. Fully grown, he found himself leading a dual life, in which his better side constantly felt guilt for his darker side. Jekyll had scientific interests about the divided nature of man, learn a solution to his own split nature and separating the good and evil natures.
After research, he found a chemical solution. He experienced pain and nausea and then felt impulsive, he had become Mr. Hyde.
After the transformation, he came to delight in living as Hyde. While asleep one night, he involuntarily transformed into Hyde, which convinced him to cease with his transformations or risk being trapped as Hyde forever. But after months as Jekyll, he took the potion again; Hyde, repressed, beat Carew to death.
Jekyll spoiled some of his own dark desires, enough to cause spontaneous transformations into Hyde, one took place when Jekyll was sitting in a park. As Hyde, felt powerful, but also knew that the police would seize him for his murder. It was then that he sent word to Lanyon to get his potions and avoid spontaneous transformations. In his last, Hyde grew stronger as Jekyll grew weaker. Moreover, the salt necessary for the potion began to run out. Jekyll ordered more, only to discover that it did not have the same effect; the original salt must have contained an impurity making the potion work. Jekyll then anticipated the moment when he must become Hyde permanently. He used the last of the potion to compose this final letter, he does not know whether Hyde will kill himself or be arrested and hanged, but he knows that by the time Utterson reads this letter, Henry Jekyll will be no more confessing to bring his unhappy life to an end.
