Read the excerpt from the strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde.
mr. utterson the lawyer was a man of a rugged countenance that was never lighted by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary and yet somehow lovable.
this sentence is part of the exposition because it
introduces a character.
makes the reader curious.
develops the central conflict.
provides tension for the story.

A) Introduces a character.

Explanation: Exposition is a literary device used to introduce background information about events, settings, characters, or other elements of a work to the audience or readers. The given excerpt from "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson, is part of the exposition because it introduces a character, specifically the character of Mr. Utterson, who was Dr. Jekyll's lawyer.

Introduces a character.

Explanation:

The very first sentence/ line of Robert Louis Stevenson's gothic novel "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" gives an introduction about the character of Mr. Utterson. This novel revolves around the two personality of Dr. Jekyll led to commit sui cide by his alter ego, the monstrous Mr. Hyde.

The primary choice of introducing the character of Mr. Utterson in the very first lines of the story may have been the writer's way of making us better understand the way the story will be told. Though Mr. Utterson is not our protagonist, he played a huge role in the whole uncovering of the plot-line. Thus, the sentence -

Mr. Utterson the lawyer was a man of a rugged countenance that was never lighted by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary and yet somehow lovable.

is part of the exposition for it introduces the character of Mr. Utterson who will be the most vital part of the story.

breathe, think and analyze the situation, pull them aside and talk to them about it