payment page
Genre
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a gothic mystery story.
Narrator
The narrator of the novella is anonymous and speaks in the third person. Dr. Lanyon and Dr. Jekyll each narrate one chapter of the novel through a confessional letter.
Point of View
For most of the novella, the narrative follows Utterson’s point of view. In the last two chapters, Lanyon and Jekyll report their experiences from their own perspectives.
Tone
The tone of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is mysterious and serious.
Tense
The novella is told in the past tense.
Setting (Time & Place)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which was published in 1886, is set in the late 19th century. It is set in London.
Protagonist
The protagonist of the novella is Dr. Henry Jekyll.
Major Conflict
Dr. Jekyll attempts to keep his dark half, Edward Hyde, under control and then to prevent himself from becoming Hyde permanently.
Rising Action
Utterson attempts to discover the truth about the Jekyll-Hyde relationship.
Climax
Two different climaxes could be argued. The moment when Utterson breaks down the door to Jekyll’s laboratory and finds Hyde’s corpse constitutes a climax in that Utterson finally admits and accepts that something terribly wrong has taken place. Another interpretation is that the novel’s climax arises within Lanyon’s letter, at the moment that he witnesses Hyde’s transformation into Jekyll and the mysterious connection between the personas is finally explained.
Falling Action
Utterson leaves Jekyll’s laboratory, goes home, and reads the letters from Lanyon and Jekyll, which explain all.
Foreshadowing
Even though there a general mood of impending disaster pervades the novella, there are few instances of explicit foreshadowing.
