The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Robert Louis Stevenson
Book Club
The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
8 ways to start a deeper conversation.
Contains spoilers for the entire book.
Discussion topics
Topic 01 of 08
Utterson
Why is the story told through Utterson, a lawyer who keeps his distance from scandal?
Keep the conversation going
- What does his loyalty to Jekyll make him overlook?
- How does his reserve shape the mystery?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.
Discussion topics
Why is the story told through Utterson, a lawyer who keeps his distance from scandal?
Keep the conversation going
- What does his loyalty to Jekyll make him overlook?
- How does his reserve shape the mystery?
What does the story of the door, and of Hyde trampling the girl, set up for the rest of the book?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does everyone who sees Hyde feel instant disgust, though no one can say why?
- What does it mean that Hyde pays to make the matter go away?
What does the story suggest about Victorian respectability and what it hides?
Keep the conversation going
- Why are so many characters reluctant to ask questions?
- How does reputation drive Jekyll's choices?
Is Hyde a separate being, or simply Jekyll without restraint?
Keep the conversation going
- Why is Hyde smaller and younger than Jekyll?
- What does Jekyll actually want when he first takes the drug?
How did the murder of Sir Danvers Carew change the way you saw Jekyll's experiment?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does Jekyll then try to give Hyde up?
- Why does he fail?
What does Dr Lanyon see that destroys him?
Keep the conversation going
- Why do you think Lanyon's response to it is so extreme?
- What does his rivalry with Jekyll over science add to the story?
How did the scene of Poole and Utterson breaking into the cabinet affect you?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does Hyde take his own life rather than be caught?
- What does Jekyll's will tell you about his last hopes?
How does Jekyll's full statement at the end change your sense of who he is?
Keep the conversation going
- Does he take responsibility for Hyde's acts?
- Is the story a warning about science, about the self, or about something else?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.