Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Flashbacks 1 key example

Chapter 9
Explanation and Analysis—Lanyon's Letter:

Utterson, whose perspective the narrator follows the most closely, is frequently the last person to know of crucial developments in the story. Often, these events are recounted in flashback, adding to the narrative’s suspense. One of the  most important flashbacks comes at the end, when Lanyon’s letter reveals the truth about Hyde. It begins:

On the ninth of January, now four days ago, I received by the evening delivery a registered envelope, addressed in the hand of my colleague and old school-companion, Henry Jekyll.