The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde
             Story of the Door is referred to continuously throughout the novel, and is integral to the understanding of the novel. The battered, chipped, windowless wall that plays host to the door in this chapter is in fact a back door to Dr Jekyll's laboratory. This becomes apparent in the second chapter The Search for Mr Hyde, when Utterson refers to the door as 'the old dissecting-room door' to Dr Jekyll's butler Poole. Later on in the story, the door is also referenced as a problem: for the door had been locked, and the key that Hyde had apparently been using was lying outside on the flagstones, gathering rust. Story of the Door influences the novel in many ways, including the way it demonstrates the lack of efficient police, the importance of reputation and the 'won't talk to you because you lower on the ladder than me' mentality of the Victorians.
             The chapter also introduces the cruelty and callousness of Mr Hyde. The trampling of the child in such an uncaring way, which is the subject of this chapter. Later, his uncontrollable rage and possible mental health problem, becomes apparent in the brutal murder of Sir Danvers Carew down a dark alley in the middle of the night. This owes an indication to the character of Hyde as pure evil – Carew supposedly did nothing to Hyde but pass him on the street.
             The lack of an efficient police force in Victorian London presented a major problem. Despite not being able to stop small crimes such as petty theft, they were also incompetent at capturing the culprits of more serious felonies – such as murder or treason. Many times would ordinary civilians apprehend and 'deal with' villains, due to the very few numbers of actual policemen and detectives who actually knew what was happening. By 1867, there were still only 15 detectives at Scotland Yard. In the fourth chapter, Sir Danver
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