As Mr. Utterson and Mr. Enfield are walking through the city streets and sharing the story of Mr. Hyde and the young girl, the way they converse is interesting in comparison to how Mr. Utterson converses with Dr. Jekyll. Mr. Utterson and Mr. Enfield keep to a formal and rather nonabrasive style of communication as Mr. Utterson politely says, "I had a delicacy" (Stevenson, pp. 5). The choice of the word "delicacy" reflects Mr. Utterson's professional image as a lawyer; however, when Mr. Utterson speaks to Dr. Jekyll there is a sharp change. While in Dr. Jekyll's home, Mr. Utterson's speech becomes straight forward and some-what abrasive. He cuts straight to the point and makes statements such as, "What I heard was abominable" (Stevenson, pp. 18). Utterson's sense of "delicacy" quickly disappears as he steps into the private quarters of Dr. Jekyll's home. From a New Historicism perspective, this transformation of speech shows that the people of the Victorian Era kept a clean and professional image in public areas, while in private they tend to truly speak what's on their mind. Clearly, Mr. Hyde was on Mr. Utterson's mind since he tossed and turned all night thinking about him, but his true curiosity and thoughts came out while in private with Dr. Jekyll.
I can connect this to watching my own parents in and out of the workplace. While my parents are keeping a professional image, they tend to speak with advanced vocabulary and with a "delicacy." However, while at home, my parents are much more relaxed and share personal experiences with relatives.
I agree with your theory about adopting a more professional image in public. This seems to be very important during the Victorian Era. I think this has to do with the distinction between each class. The "upper class" was expected to be very professional in public, and they seemed to rely on their social status. It was imperative to be portrayed highly.
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