Utterson: Character Breakdown
Here’s a full analysis of Mr Gabriel Utterson as a character in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. If you’re looking for more help with the text, you’ll find links at the end to a full analysis of every significant character in the novella, and our Complete GCSE + iGCSE Jekyll + Hyde course!
“Mr Utterson the lawyer was a man of rugged countenance, that was never lighted by a smile; [...] lean, long, dusty, dreary, and yet somehow loveable.”
Gabriel Utterson
The protagonist of the story — the main figure in the novella until Chapter 8 (after that, he disappears).
Utterson is a distinguished and upstanding lawyer held in high esteem across the community of London. Although Utterson is quiet, polite, and maybe even a little lacking in creativity, he seems interested in life’s darker aspects. This is in contrast to his restrained and dignified demeanour.
Kind and dedicated to his friend - he is determined to help Jekyll, whereas many Victorian men of his standing would have turned away from him when he began to associate with Hyde, because they would have been afraid of damaging their own reputation.
On the other hand, his rationality renders him incapable of imagining the supernatural aspects of the connection between Jekyll and Hyde, because it is not logical.
A proto-detective figure — a neutral and objective observer of the case, nosey and inquisitive — at times he’s quite pushy about retrieving the right information or following clues.
Utterson is not a man of science, but he is similar to his friend Dr Lanyon and maybe Victorian civilization as a whole in that he is dedicated to rational explanations and denies the existence of the supernatural.
He may seem dull, but he provides a counterpoint and a sensible viewpoint on the “strange case” surrounding his close friend, Dr Jekyll, and works as a balance in the story.
Provides a “reliable” perspective on the story — we trust his judgements, insights and opinions.
Not a perfect person — “lean, long, dusty, dreary… yet somehow loveable” — this description makes him more likeable and more realistic.
TASK: Utterson is an important character because his journey helps build suspense. Create a bullet-pointed list of Utterson’s discoveries about Jekyll and Hyde. Note down next to each discovery how it builds further suspense.
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