Read the excerpt from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The large handsome face of Dr. Jekyll grew pale to the very l
ips, and there came a blackness about his eyes. "I do not care to hear more," said he. "This is a matter I thought we had agreed to drop." "What I heard was abominable," said Utterson. "It can make no change. You do not understand my position," returned the doctor, with a certain incoherency of manner. "I am painfully situated, Utterson; my position is a very strange—a very strange one. It is one of those affairs that cannot be mended by talking." The direct characterization of Dr. Jekyll implies that he is upset by Utterson's persistence. resigned to discussing the will. offended by Utterson's disrespect. bored by having the same old argument.
The direct characterization of Dr. Jekyll implies that he is upset by Utterson's persistence.
Explanation:
"Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is a gothic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. The main character is Dr. Jekyll, a doctor who is able to develop a potion that separates the good aspects of his personality from the bad. Mr. Hyde is the man he transforms into when the bad traits take over.
In this particular excerpt, we have a brief direct characterization that reveals something about the character. Direct characterization takes place when the narrator/author is the one explicitly describing the character. In this case, it is <u>"The large handsome face of Dr. Jekyll grew pale to the very lips, and there came a blackness about his eyes." This characterization shows that Jekyll is upset. He is clearly not bored, offended, or resigned. Those adjectives would need a completely different description. The paleness of his face and lips, the shadow over his eyes, all show that Utterson's persistence is disconcerting Jekyll. He does not wish to discuss this any further.</u>
