Student Question
Why did Dr. Lanyon initially believe he was dealing with a case of cerebral disease?
Quick answer:
Dr. Lanyon initially believes he is dealing with a case of cerebral disease when he receives a letter from Mr. Jekyll with bizarre instructions. Jekyll requests Lanyon to retrieve certain items from his house and bring them back. The items appear trivial and nonsensical, leading Lanyon to suspect that Jekyll has lost his sanity, prompting Lanyon to think of it as a case of mental illness.
When Dr. Lanyon thinks he is dealing with a case of cerebral disease, it is when he has obeyed the instructions in the letter that Mr. Jekyll has sent him. He thinks that Mr. Jekyll must have gone kind of crazy because of what he is asking Dr. Lanyon to do.
What Jekyll has asked is that Lanyon should go to Jekyll's house and get some stuff and bring it back to Lanyon's own home. When Lanyon gets to Jekyll's house, he finds the stuff that Jekyll wants him to bring back. The stuff seems so completely useless and unimportant that Lanyon figures that Jekyll has gone insane.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.