2.11 - Minor Characters
Overall role of minor characters
Minor characters in the novella support the central narrative by building suspense, advancing the plot through key revelations, and illustrating broader societal attitudes. They often embody Victorian values such as discretion and hierarchy, while exposing tensions between public respectability and hidden corruption. Through their interactions, Stevenson critiques how society maintains appearances despite underlying darkness.
Functions in the narrative
- Plot advancement - Minor characters provide essential information and witness events that drive Utterson's investigation into Jekyll's "strange case".
- Thematic emphasis - They highlight duality [the contrast between civilised exteriors and primal instincts] by showing how evil disrupts social order.
- Social commentary - These figures represent various classes, revealing hypocrisies in Victorian morality and the limits of institutional responses to moral decay.
Contextual connection
The inclusion of minor characters reflects Victorian gothic literature's focus on social realism, where everyday figures expose the era's rigid class structures and fears of degeneration, influenced by contemporary theories like Darwin's evolution.
Sir Danvers Carew
Sir Danvers Carew appears as a dignified gentleman whose violent death intensifies the story's horror and marks a critical escalation in Hyde's behaviour. As a symbol of established authority, his murder underscores the vulnerability of societal pillars to unchecked savagery.
Key aspects of his role
- Victim of brutality - Carew's encounter with Hyde results in a savage beating with a cane, transforming minor disturbances into irreversible crime.
- Catalyst for action - This event prompts deeper scrutiny from Utterson and the police, accelerating the unraveling of Jekyll's secret.
- Symbolic significance - His "aged and beautiful" appearance contrasts with Hyde's deformity, emphasising the clash between civility and primal urges.
Contextual connection
Carew's status as a Member of Parliament echoes Victorian ideals of gentlemanly conduct, yet his murder critiques the era's facade of order, drawing on real anxieties about urban crime in 1880s London. The brutality of his death alludes to sensationalised Victorian news stories of random violence, highlighting societal fears of moral decline amid rapid industrialisation.
Richard Enfield
Richard Enfield functions as an observer who introduces Hyde's menacing presence through casual storytelling, maintaining a detached yet intrigued stance that builds early mystery. His role emphasises the novella's theme of suppressed knowledge in polite society.
Key aspects of his role
- Storyteller function - Enfield recounts Hyde's trampling of a child, describing him as "like some damned Juggernaut", which sparks Utterson's curiosity without full disclosure.
- Social discretion - He adheres to gentlemanly codes by avoiding deeper inquiry, reflecting a reluctance to confront unsettling truths.
- Contrast with main characters - Unlike Utterson's proactive approach, Enfield's passivity shows how everyday gentlemen enable evil through inaction.
Contextual connection
Enfield embodies the Victorian gentleman's code of privacy, influenced by the era's emphasis on reputation, which often prevented open discussion of scandals like those in Stevenson's Edinburgh upbringing.
The witnessing maid
The witnessing maid provides a ground-level perspective as an eyewitness to Carew's murder, offering unfiltered testimony that contrasts with the guarded responses of higher-class characters. Her role adds authenticity and highlights class-based differences in confronting trauma.
Key aspects of her role
- Eyewitness account - From her window, she sees Hyde's "ape-like fury" in the attack, delivering a direct, honest report that aids the investigation.
- Class representation - As a servant, her straightforward honesty exposes the evasiveness of elites like Jekyll, emphasising social divides.
- Narrative realism - Her description grounds the supernatural elements in everyday observation, intensifying the horror for readers.
Contextual connection
The maid's working-class viewpoint critiques Victorian class hierarchies, reflecting Stevenson's interest in social realism and the era's growing awareness of servants' roles in exposing upper-class hypocrisies.
Inspector Newcomen
Inspector Newcomen embodies institutional authority, investigating Carew's murder with diligence but ultimately failing to grasp the deeper psychological horrors at play. His presence underscores the inadequacy of rational systems against irrational evil.
Key aspects of his role
- Investigative function - He leads the search of Hyde's Soho residence, uncovering clues like the broken cane, yet cannot resolve the mystery's core.
- Symbol of limitations - His methodical approach highlights how legal frameworks falter against Jekyll's internal duality.
- Contrast with supernatural - Newcomen's ineffectiveness amplifies the novella's tension, showing society's tools as insufficient for moral complexities.
Contextual connection
Newcomen's portrayal draws from Victorian faith in police reforms, like the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829, but critiques their limits in addressing psychological or "degenerate" crimes, echoing fears from criminal anthropology theories. The inspector's failure reflects Stevenson's biographical scepticism of authority, influenced by his Scottish background and the era's debates on law versus morality in an increasingly secular society.