How_Does_Robert_Stevenson_Build_Up_Our_Expectations_in_the_Story_of_the_Door__Dr_Jekyll_and_Mr_Hyde.

How Does The Writer Build Up The Readers Expectations In The Story Of The Door ' In the story of the door Robert Stevenson builds up the readers expectations by talking about the characters, setting, themes and mystery and suspence. In this essay i will look at all four points and explore the methods Stevenson uses to build up our expectations. In the opening paragraph of the story of the door, Stevenson starts by describing Mr. Utterson. We find out that Utterson is a lawyer. This already make the reader to expect some crime and court scenes to be involved in some part of th story. Utterson personality is described as having two sides to it. Stevenson describes Utterson as, "Lean, long, dusty and dreary, yet somehow loveable. At friendly meetings, and when the wine was to his taste." This tells the reader that Utterson's appearence is dull and lifeless, but has a pleasant personality. The idea of split personalities is a main theme throughout the story, so by describing Utterson of having a split personality in a less extreme way than Hyde can help the reader to expect more of this later on in the story. Mr. Enfield who is a relative and friend of Utterson is then introduced to the story. Utterson and Enfield seem to have a strange relationship as they don't have much in common and don't seem to talk to eachother when the go on walks. "It was reported by those who encountered them in their Sunday walks, that they said nothing." This shows a theme of contrast which is shown later on in the book as there is a big contrast between Jekyll and Hyde. Dr. Jekyll is the good person and Mr. Hyde is the evil person. A time when Utterson and Enfield are on a walk together in a busy quarter of London they come upon a two story neglected building. The building has no windows and only a door that has no bell or knocker. "It was two storeys high; showed no window, nothing but a door on the lower storey and a blind forehead of discoloured wall on the upper." This shows us that whoever owns this building or lives in it is presumably hiding something and dosn't want any company as there is no bell or knocker. This shows a sign of mystery and suspicion which is shown later in the book when nobody knows who the killer is. As Utterson and Enfield are across the road from the mysterious building, Enfield relates back to a story of when one time he was in the area. The story is about when he witnessed a violent crime when a small man trampled over a young girl of around eight years-old. "For the man trampled over the childs body calmly and left her screaming on the ground." This is evidently a theme of violence and helps build up to approaching chapters as numerous amounts of violence is involved when Hyde is murdering people. On the whole I understand that all the themes in the opening paragraph are included for a reason which is to help the reader expect all of these themes throughout the book. Robert Stevenson does the superbly as by reading the first chapter the reader already knows what the book includes and helps to develop the readers thoughts to what could happen further on in the story. Jack Smith