In Robert Louis Stevenson's fantastical story of
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Gabriel Utterson is
both Dr. Jekyll's friend and lawyer ("solicitor").
Because
Jekyll and Hyde are so "closely tied," and are seen so infrequently, Utterson is a good
choice to narrate the tale of what he has witnessed, for Jekyll and Hyde never present
themselves to share any information. Secondly, Utterson's own lack of conclusive
knowledge for most of the story intensifies the mystery surrounding
the association of these two mysterious men.
Once the
reader realizes that Jekyll and Hyde are the same man, one transformed to the other and
back again, it is clearly evident that someone on the outside of this "experiment" had
to tell the tale. In that the two characters are basically two sides of the same man,
neither one would be able to tell the story without sharing the secret and indicating
that both were inextricably tied to one another.
The third
person in the equation, Utterson, has the details collected from various sources that he
shares with the reader. Jekyll's doctor is one of these sources, and as the reader gets
closer to the truth, Utterson is in possession of more pertinent information. We learn
that Dr. Lanyon has knowledge that has chilled him to his very core: something from
which he "will never recover." Close to death himself, he entrusts Utterson with
information he must guard until the death or disappearance of
Jekyll.
When word comes to Utterson that Jekyll has not
come out of his room for a week, he goes to the man's home, and breaking down the door,
finds a dying Hyde. With Jekyll "gone," Utterson reads Dr. Lanyon's confession. It is
only with all the information now at hand that Utterson can shed light on the mysterious
bond between the two men because he is an observer and our "reporter." From an objective
standpoint, he not only shares what he has learned, but his level-headed approach to the
entire affair makes him a credible source for this bizarre tale.
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