Question

Read the excerpt from chapter 7 of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

The middle one of the three windows was half-way open; and sitting close beside it, taking the air with an infinite sadness of mien, like some disconsolate prisoner, Utterson saw Dr. Jekyll.

"What! Jekyll!” he cried. "I trust you are better.”

"I am very low, Utterson,” replied the doctor drearily, "very low. It will not last long, thank God.”

"You stay too much indoors,” said the lawyer. "You should be out, whipping up the circulation like Mr. Enfield and me. (This is my cousin—Mr. Enfield—Dr. Jekyll.) Come now; get your hat and take a quick turn with us.”

"You are very good,” sighed the other. "I should like to very much; but no, no, no, it is quite impossible; I dare not.”

Read the excerpt from chapter 10 of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Under the strain of this continually impending doom and by the sleeplessness to which I now condemned myself, ay, even beyond what I had thought possible to man, I became, in my own person, a creature eaten up and emptied by fever, languidly weak both in body and mind, and solely occupied by one thought: the horror of my other self.

How does Dr. Jekyll’s confession answer questions about his strange behavior toward Mr. Utterson and Mr. Enfield?

It reveals what frightened the men when they looked in the window.
It reveals where Jekyll obtained the chemicals to change himself.
It reveals how Mr. Utterson found and disclosed Hyde’s true identity.
It reveals why Jekyll looked so sad and would not join the men.

Answer 1

Dr. Jekyll's sad and despondent demeanor, as well as his refusal to join Utterson and Enfield, is explained by his own internal struggle and fear of turning into Mr. Hyde, as revealed in his confession in Chapter 10.

Step-by-step explanation:

Dr. Jekyll's confession in Chapter 10 of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sheds light on his peculiar behavior toward Mr. Utterson and Mr. Enfield as witnessed in Chapter 7. The confession illustrates the immense internal struggle within Jekyll, his feeling 'eaten up and emptied by fever' due to the fear and dread of his transformation into Mr. Hyde. This internal turmoil explains why he appeared so sad and despondent, and why he refused to join Utterson and Enfield on their walk - Jekyll was afraid of succumbing to his darker side and the consequences that would bring. His refusal to leave the safety of his room was a desperate attempt to prevent another transformation into Hyde and, therefore, safeguard those around him from the danger he posed.