Utterson's narrative function

Why does Stevenson use Utterson as the central narrative consciousness? Use Chapter 1 ("Story of the Door") as a starting point. (30 marks)

Mark scheme guidance:

• AO2: Utterson is "lean, long, dusty, dreary, and yet somehow lovable" — perfect Victorian gentleman whose discreet professionalism keeps secrets.
• Limited third-person via Utterson creates dramatic irony — readers know nothing more than he does until Lanyon and Jekyll's letters.
• Detective-fiction structure: the lawyer-investigator inviting readers to piece clues together.
• Withholding revelation amplifies the eventual horror — postponement, not surprise.
• Context: 1880s rise of detective fiction (Conan Doyle's Holmes 1887, just one year later).