Clues in the Mirror: The Detective Structure of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is tinged with prominent detective elements.The supposed detective of the novel, Utterson navigates through the incidents of the crime, the investigation, and the unravelling of the truth.In doing so he embodies some traits of the detective but ultimately fails to be an ideal one.This article argues that the failure of Utterson as a detective is the result of the conflicting interests of Utterson the detective and Utterson the lawyer.The article also questions the notion of whether the author intended to write a detective story in the first place.