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Year 10 - English

'Jekyll and Hyde' Chapter 1: Meeting Mr Utterson

Jekyll & Hyde: duality and evil

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils complete their first reading and exploration of 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'. They read the novella in full, before thinking about the importance of the Gothic, science and religion. They then explore key characters and essay writing before writing about duality in the novella.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how Stevenson presents Mr. Utterson in the opening of the novella.

Key Notes

  • In this opening chapter of his novella, Stevenson uses a third person narrator, focalised through Utterson
  • Utterson is portrayed as a dull but reliable character who seems to live vicariously through others
  • Stevenson draws attention to Utterson's profession, which proves that he is middle class
  • The idea of social hierarchy is immediately introduced as Utterson is described as a 'gentleman'
  • Utterson prides himself on his tact and despite his respectability, is a friend to 'downgoing' men

Vocabulary To Learn

  • Third person limited: When a narrative reveals only one character's thoughts and feelings, it employs a third person limited perspective.
  • Rugged: When terrain is rough and uneven, it is often described as rugged.
  • Scanty: When there is only a small quantity available, it's referred to as scanty.
  • Sentiment: Personal feelings or emotions, especially when influenced by individual views or experiences, are known as sentiment.
  • Duality: In this novella, duality is an important theme - the idea there are two sides to every person.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Students might think that "third person limited" means the narrative is limited in scope or detail.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

In this opening chapter of his novella, Stevenson uses a third person narrator, focalised through Utterson. Utterson is portrayed as a dull but reliable character who seems to live vicariously through others.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'Third person limited'

When a narrative reveals only one character's thoughts and feelings, it employs a third person limited perspective.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Students might think that "third person limited" means the narrative is limited in scope or detail. Correction: "Third person limited" means insight into one character's thoughts, not a story's limited scope.

More Lessons In This Unit

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