At one of his dinner
parties, Dr. Jekyll is confronted by a concerned Mr. Utterson regarding his will and the
character of Mr. Hyde. When Utterson states that he's heard "abominable" things about
Hyde, Jekyll says,
You do not understand my position . . .
. I am painfully situated, Utterson; my position is a very strangea very strange one. It is one
of those affairs that cannot be mended by talking.
Thus,
Jekyll has a kind of external conflict with Utterson, only because Utterson is looking out for
the doctor's best interests and Jekyll does not want to reveal the particulars of his situation
and relationship with Hyde (for obvious reasons). This line, however, also shows a bit about his
internal conflict as well. It is "painful" for him to be in the position he's in: at
this point, he must already fear that Hyde could take over (as he's made provisions for this in
his will, and he extracts an additional promise from the lawyer that, in the event of Jekyll's
disappearance, Utterson...
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