Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

What effect is created on the reader by the opening description of Mr. Utterson?Is anything added by the knowledge that he is a lawyer?

plz i need help :/ i kinda dont get the book

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Yes, the language is kind of strange. We get this in the beginning of Ch. 1," In this character, it was frequently his fortune to be the last reputable acquaintance and the last good influence in the lives of downgoing men. And to such as these, so long as they came about his chambers, he never marked a shade of change in his demeanour." Basically the narrator is trying to establish Mr. Utterson as a credible source of information. Much of what the narrator learns of Dr. Jekyll comes from Utterson. Utterson helps put the plot in motion so the reader needs to trust him. The fact that he is a lawyer gives him certain credibility. The subtext is that Utterson is a fair minded individual not prone to fantastical tales like what we learn in this story.