Charles Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend is his last completed work and is arguably his most famous one as well. The major theme of the novel revolves around the dangers of misusing money. Practically all of the well-to-do characters in the novel are portrayed in a mostly negative light. For instance, the heir to the Harmon fortune hides his identity so he can accurately discern the character of Bella Wilfer and the Boffins. The implication of his actions is that a rich man can never determine who his real friends are and, consequently, must trust no one. A related theme is predation—certain characters "prey" upon others by extracting wealth from them using less than honorable means. In fact, several chapter headings make references to hunters, such as Chapter 13's title "Tracking the Bird of Prey" (Dickens 159). Even the novel's opening scene has character Gaffer Hexam bent over the edge of his boat like a vulture "with an intent and searching gaze" (Dickens 3), looking for bodies in the river that he can divest of valuables before turning the bodies over to the authorities.
The novel also emphasizes the idea of surfaces and depths. Both the river and the dustheaps that form the basis of the Harmon fortune act as motifs and symbols that stand for decay, death and—ironically—livelihood. For example, the bottom of the river that Hexam negotiates is described as being covered with "slime and ooze" (Dickens 3) Just as he and his partner plumb the depths of the Thames in search of treasure, the Veneerings are the opposite: there is no depth to speak of on the glossy surface. The narrative also contains a wealth of masks and disguises that lead to cases of mistaken identity. For example, John Harmon is written off as dead because a man who resembles him is erroneously murdered in his place. Harmon then takes advantage of that by assuming a new identity as John Rokesmith. Mr. Boffin pretends to be one of the "plain people" (i.e. misers) (Dickens 108) in order to instruct Bella Wilfer regarding the dangers of greed and materialism. Bradley Headstone disguises his true identity and passes himself off Rogue Riderhood, diverting the blame for the attack on Eugene Wrayburn onto the waterman.
Finally, reading and literacy (or the lack of it) feature prominently in the story. Silas Wegg's powerful "sight of notice" (Dickens 47) observes the Boffins' illiteracy and allows him to feign literary expertise in order to gain employment. Gaffer Hexam's illiteracy forces him to memorize posters and pamphlets of missing persons who have died in the river for lucrative opportunities. Wrayburn uses Lizzie's Hexam's illiteracy as an excuse for getting involved with her—the lawyer offers to provide a reading tutorial program for Lizzie, reasoning that Jenny Wren "would profit by it, too" (Dickens 234).
Overall, Out Mutual Friends sets a narrative tone that is dismal and bleak at best. It may be thought of as the sum total of multiple references to corruption, decay, and death and an increasingly oppressive darkness—even in occasional instances of satiric humor. It is the kind of story that elicits, as the author puts it, "a grim sort of admiration" (Dickens 362).
Work Cited
Dickens, Charles. "Our Mutual Friend." Hn.psu.edu. Pennsylvania State Hazleton, n.d.
Web. 29 May 2013. E-book.
