Read the excerpt from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.Mr. Utterson the lawyer was a man of a rugged countenance that was never lighted by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary and yet somehow lovable.

The excerpt describes Mr. Utterson’s appearance and personality, introducing him to the reader as a character. It does not yet develop the story’s central conflict or create tension; its main purpose here is characterization.

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