Mr Enfield & Poole (Scottish Highers English): Revision Notes
Mr Enfield & Poole
The importance of minor characters
Minor characters in "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" serve essential functions within the narrative. They drive the plot forward, contribute to the novel's central themes, and provide different perspectives on the main characters. Both Mr Enfield and Poole offer insights into Victorian society and the nature of loyalty, reputation, and respectability.
While Enfield and Poole are considered minor characters due to their limited appearances, their roles prove crucial to understanding both the plot mechanics and the deeper thematic concerns of Stevenson's novel. They serve as windows into Victorian values and provide essential perspectives on Jekyll's character and situation.
Mr Enfield: the distant cousin
Mr Enfield is a distant relation of Mr Utterson. Though he appears only briefly in the novel, his role proves essential to the unfolding mystery. He first introduces Utterson to the disturbing figure of Hyde through the story of the trampled child. This initial encounter sets the entire investigation in motion and draws Utterson into the mystery surrounding his friend Jekyll.
Victorian values and the power of reputation
Enfield demonstrates the values common in Victorian society, particularly the overwhelming concern with public reputation. When he encounters Hyde after the trampling incident, he uses the threat of social destruction as a weapon. He pressures Hyde into paying compensation by threatening to "make his name stink from one end of London to the other."
This quotation reveals how reputation functioned as a form of social currency in Victorian London. The verb "stink" suggests permanent contamination, showing how scandal could irreparably damage a person's standing in society. In Victorian England, one's reputation could be more valuable than wealth itself.
Enfield also displays the Victorian gentleman's supposed distaste for gossip. After telling Utterson about Hyde, he admits he is "ashamed" of his "long tongue." The phrase "long tongue" implies excessive talking and indiscretion. However, this shame relates not to moral concerns about truthfulness, but to fears about damaging reputations through careless talk. Enfield understands that gossip can negatively affect a person's social standing, making respectability fragile and easily destroyed.
Lack of curiosity and Victorian hypocrisy
Unlike Utterson, Enfield shows no curiosity about the mysterious connection between Jekyll and Hyde. He deliberately avoids asking questions, stating "the more it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask." The phrase "Queer Street" was Victorian slang for suspicious or questionable circumstances.
This attitude may reflect a broader commentary on Victorian society. People maintained a collective pretence of respectability while privately acknowledging that others engaged in secret sins. By not asking questions, they protected both their own reputations and those of others, maintaining the social facade. This "willful blindness" was an essential part of how Victorian society functioned.
Hints of an immoral side
Stevenson includes subtle suggestions that Enfield himself may not be entirely respectable. He is returning from "some place at the end of the world" at 3 am when he witnesses Hyde trampling the child. The vague phrase "some place" and the late hour invite speculation about where he has been and what he has been doing.
The narrative leaves these questions unanswered, but the implication remains that Enfield may have his own secrets. This detail connects to the novel's theme of dual nature—even seemingly respectable gentlemen may have hidden, less acceptable sides to their lives.
The relationship between Enfield and Utterson
An unlikely friendship
Enfield and Utterson maintain a close relationship despite having little in common. Other people wonder "what these two could see in each other," yet both men regard their regular meetings as the "chief jewel of each week." The metaphor "chief jewel" suggests something precious and highly valued, indicating genuine affection between the two men.
However, the text suggests that Utterson's loyalty stems from long acquaintance rather than true compatibility. Utterson remains loyal to those he has known the longest, regardless of whether they truly suit each other.
Connection to the theme of dual nature
This relationship between two seemingly incompatible men links to the novel's central theme of duality. Just as Jekyll and Hyde represent two opposing aspects of one person, Utterson and Enfield demonstrate how apparent differences can coexist. Their friendship suggests that contrasting qualities can be drawn together and maintained despite surface incompatibility. This foreshadows and reinforces the more dramatic duality at the heart of the narrative.
Poole: the loyal butler
Poole serves as Jekyll's butler and has worked in this position for twenty years. This long service means he knows his master's habits and routines intimately. He can recognise when something has gone badly wrong, making his growing alarm particularly significant. When Poole eventually approaches Utterson for help, his deep concern lends weight to the situation. Utterson's initial reluctance to believe Poole seems unreasonable given the butler's long experience and evident distress.
Maintaining respect and avoiding scandal
Poole views Jekyll as a respectable man. This perception shapes how he interprets the mysterious events in Jekyll's house. He would rather believe that his master has been murdered than consider any darker explanation.
This preference reveals the power of reputation and respectability in Victorian thinking. Murder, though terrible, remains comprehensible within the social framework. The true explanation—that Jekyll has transformed into Hyde—would challenge fundamental assumptions about human nature and identity. Poole's interpretation shows how the need to maintain respectability can prevent people from seeing disturbing truths.
Genuine concern and loyalty
Poole demonstrates real care for Jekyll. He becomes very anxious about his master's strange behaviour, eventually overcoming his natural deference to seek help from Utterson. This action requires courage, as it means admitting that something has gone seriously wrong in the household. Poole also shows bravery when he helps knock down the cabinet door, despite not knowing what they will find inside.
This loyalty and concern reflect positively on Jekyll's character. The fact that Poole, after twenty years of service, cares deeply about Jekyll's welfare suggests that Jekyll has been a good employer and a decent man. He proves worthy of such concern and loyalty. This makes Jekyll's situation more tragic, as we see a fundamentally good person destroyed by his own experiments with his darker nature.
Key Points to Remember:
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Mr Enfield introduces the mystery of Hyde but deliberately avoids asking questions, reflecting Victorian attitudes toward reputation and private conduct.
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Enfield values reputation as social currency, threatening to "make his name stink from one end of London to the other" to force Hyde to pay for his crime.
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Enfield has secrets too, returning from "some place at the end of the world" at 3 am, suggesting that even respectable gentlemen may have hidden, immoral sides.
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Poole's twenty years of service give him intimate knowledge of Jekyll's habits, making his recognition that something is badly wrong particularly significant and reliable.
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Both minor characters contribute to themes: Enfield and Utterson's unlikely friendship reinforces the theme of dual nature, while Poole's loyalty highlights Jekyll's fundamental decency and makes his fate more tragic.