Question

ead the excerpt from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

The butler was awaiting my arrival; he had received by the same post as mine a registered letter of instruction, and had sent at once for a locksmith and a carpenter. The tradesmen came while we were yet speaking; and we moved in a body to old Dr. Denman’s surgical theatre, from which (as you are doubtless aware) Jekyll’s private cabinet is most conveniently entered. The door was very strong, the lock excellent; the carpenter avowed he would have great trouble and have to do much damage, if force were to be used; and the locksmith was near despair. But this last was a handy fellow, and after two hour’s work, the door stood open.

How does the complication affect the story?

It resolves the story.
It delivers exposition.
It introduces a theme.
It intensifies the conflict.

Answer 1

It intensifies the conflict.

The locked door is an obstacle that delays the characters’ goals, raises suspense, and heightens tension before the eventual discovery—it blocks immediate resolution and forces further action (calling tradesmen, breaking in), increasing the story’s dramatic conflict.