Author's Intentions Chapter 5

Through Stevenson's detailed description of Jekyll's residence, the reader gains insight into the character's evolution. In the laboratory, Utterson describes "three dusty windows barred with iron." One year previous, Mr. Enfield described the same windows as, "always shut but...clean." This slight detail provides a glance into the tumbling personal world of Dr. Jekyll.

At this point in the novel, it is important to examine what Utterson suspects of Jekyll. While Jekyll clearly is acting abnormal, Utterson does not yet comprehend that his friend and the evil Mr. Hyde are one in the same, although he appears to suspect foul play. Thus, the detective story continues, the intrigue grows, and the supernatural influence in the novel becomes stronger. Much of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is written in a perfunctory, businesslike tone. However, from this point forward, supernatural imagery begins to appear more frequently, and Stevenson's language becomes increasingly descriptive and poetic. These changes assist in heightening the novel's suspense, and successfully carrying an intrigued reader to the shocking conclusion.