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Our Mutual Friend – 1864-1865 – a monthly serialised novel
 Our Mutual Friend is the last novel that Charles Dickens completed before his death. It was illustrated by Marcus Stone, it was the first serialised novel to use woodcut illustrations. An interesting feature of the novel is its focus on the ‘dust’ business. The novel looks at the effects of greed and corruption that too often accompanies money. |
| THE STORY: Old Mr Harmon had made his fortune from London’s rubbish but had become a miser. His only friends had been Noddy Boffin and his wife. His will left his estate to his estranged son, John Harmon, who was overseas. The will insists that this is on condition he marries Miss Bella Wilfer, whom he has never met. John is known to have returned by ship but is then reported as dead. Gaffer Hexham and his daughter, Lizzie, scour the Thames in a rowing boat, they collect bodies and steal their cash. They find a body which has papers that appear to suggest this is John. A mysterious young man, Julius Handford, hovers at the edge of the identification process, showing much interest but then disappearing. The will is thus determined for the Boffins. Though naïve they have good hearts and decide to enjoy the cash but to share it with others. They feel sorry for Bella Wilfer, with her hopes dashed, and she moves in with them. Bella sets her goals as marrying a rich man. The Boffins hire John Rokesmith to be their secretary for a trial period. Rokesmith is a new name taken by Julius Handford, he uses this role to learn about the Boffins and Bella and the aftermath of the news of John Harmon’s death. Mr Boffin hires Silas Wegg, a one-legged ballad-seller, to read to him in the hope of educating himself. They buy a big house and permit Wegg to live at Old Mr Harmon’s home. Wegg hopes to find treasures amongst the rubbish stored there. A reward is offered for information about John Harmon’s murder. Roger ‘Rogue’ Riderhood accuses Gaffer Hexham of the murder. Hexham’s accusation leads to him being banned from his local public house, the Six Jolly Fellowship Porters. His son, Charley, is encouraged by his sister, Lizzie, to train as a teacher and better himself. She stays loyally with her father. Still being investigated, Hexham is found dead, while Riderhood fails to get the reward. Lizzie moves in as a lodger of a dolls’ dressmaker, ‘Jenny Wren’, a disabled teenager actually named Fanny Cleaver. They live with Jenny’s alcoholic father, she treats him like a child. A diversion is provided by Mr and Mrs Lammie who have married each other for money, but find out neither has any. They plot to gain from getting naïve heiress, Georgiana Podsnap, to link up with Fledgeby, a money-lender. They plot, embroiling Mr Riah, to befriend her and steal her money. Eugene Wrayburn, a lazy barrister, while accompanying a business partner, Mortimer Lightwood, notices Lizzie and falls in love with her. But he learns he has a rival in Bradley Headstone, her brother Charley’s schoolmaster. Headstone proposes to Lizzie but she gently refuses him. Headstone as a result takes against Wrayburn, following him around London at night. Lizzie is concerned about Headstone’s intentions to Wrayburn and does not know Wrayburn’s intentions to her. With Riah’s help she takes work up-river from London, away from both of them. Betty Higden minds children, and offers an orphan to the Boffins but the child dies. Lizzie comes across Mrs Higden dying and stops to help. As a result she meets the Boffins and Bella Wilfer. Rokesmith is in love with Bella, but she rejects him saying she intends to marry for money. Mr Boffin has been drawn to the genealogies and stories of misers. He begins to treat Rokesmith unfairly (of course this is John Harmon) and Bella softens to him. The Lammies tell Boffin that Rokesmith had proposed to Bella, he responds by firing Rokesmith. Bella stands up for him, and later marries him. They are poor but happy and she soon becomes pregnant. Wrayburn discovers Lizzie’s whereabouts. Headstone follows him and attacks him, he is dressed the same as Rogue Riderhood, now working as a lock-keeper. He leaves Wrayburn for dead. Riderhood gathers Headstone’s clothes from the river. Lizzie finds him with Jenny and nurses him. Apparently on his deathbed he marries Lizzie, then survives and is content with the loving marriage that he had felt unlikely because of the social gulf between them. Riderhood attempts to blackmail Headstone, but he is distraught from the news of Wrayburn’s survival and his marriage to Lizzie. He pulls them both into the lock, they both drown. Wegg has in the meantime been searching the rubbish and finds, with the assistance of Mr Venus, a later will that bequeaths the Harmon wealth to the Crown. Wegg plans to blackmail the Boffins, but Venus relents and tells them of the plan. It becomes clear that Rokesmith is John Harmon, switching clothes with a shipmate on his way to London, to test his betrothed’s nature, But Riderhood had drugged and robbed both of them, They had been thrown in the Thames but Harmon had survived. He had won his marriage to Bella for himself rather than as part of a will. Wegg tries to blackmail them, but Boffin has an even later will that gives the fortune to the Boffins. They are further determined that the Harmons become their heirs, all ends well. |  Gaffer and Lizzie search for bodies THE CHARACTERS: Major: Harmon, John – heir to the Harmon estate if he marries Bella Boffin, Nicodemus (Noddy), aka ‘Golden Dustman’ Boffin, Henrietta – wife to Noddy Boffin Hexam, Lizzie – daughter of Gaffer Hexham Lightwood, Mortimer – a solicitor to the Harmons Riderhood, Roger ‘Rogue’ – a rogue, Gaffer Hexham’s partner Wegg, Silas – a one-legged ballad-seller, and blackmailer Wilfer, Bella – born into poverty, she is a condition of a will Wrayburn, Eugene – a barrister and gentleman Minor: Harmon, Old John – the father of John, will created a furore Headstone, Bradley – Charley Hexham’s teacher Hexam, Charley – son of Gaffer, drops his sister Lizzie Hexam, Jesse (Gaffer) – collects bodies from the Thames Riah, Aaaron – a Jew, runs Mr Fledgby’s money-lending Wren, Jenny (Fanny Cleaver) – a dolls’ dressmaker, disabled Incidental: Akershem, Horatio – father of Sophronia Lammle Analytical Chemist, The – a friend of the Veneerings Baldwin, Robert – his will discussed by Wegg Blight – clerk to Mortimer Lightwood Dancer, Daniel – a miser referenced by Boffin Dolls, Mr – Jenny Wren’s alcoholic father Elwes, John – a miser referenced by Boffin Fledgeby, ‘Fascination’ – plots with the Lammies Glamour, Bob – a regular at Miss Abbey Pottersons inn Gliddery, Bob – a regular at Miss Abbey Pottersons inn Handford, Julius – name adopted by John Harmon Higden, Mrs Betty – a child-minder Hopkins, Vulture – a miser referenced by Boffin Jarrel, Dick – a miser referenced by Boffin Joey, Captain – a regular at Miss Abbey Pottersons inn Johnny – the orphan, great-grandson of Betty Higden Jonathan – a regular at Miss Abbey Pottersons inn Jones, Blewbury – a miser referenced by Boffin Jones, George – a regular at Miss Abbey Pottersons inn Kibble, Jacob – a passenger on John’s ship Lammle, Alfred – believed marrying Sophia was for money Lammle, Sophronia – believed marrying for money Little, John – a miser referenced by Boffin Mary Anne – student at Charley’s school Milvey, Reverend Frank – friend to the Boffins Milvey, Margaretta – wife of Reverend Frank Mullins, Jack – a regular at Miss Abbey Pottersons inn Overs, John – a miser referenced by Boffin Peecher, Miss Emma – a schoolteacher in love with Bradley Podsnap, Georgiana – a naïve target for the Lammies Podsnap, Mr John – father of Georgiana Podsnap, Mrs – mother of Georgiana Potterson, Abigail (Abbey) – Six Jolly Fellowship Porters Potterson, Job – the ship’s steward of the John Harmon’s ship Radfoot, George – third mate on John Harmon’s ship Riderhood, Pleasant – daughter to Rogue Riderhood Rokesmith, John – name taken by John Harman Sampson, George – suitor to Lavinia Wilfer Sauteuse, Madame – a contact of the Lammies Sloppy – a foundling who helps Betty Higden Snigsworth, Lord – contact of the Veneerings Sprodgkin, Sally – contact of the Milveys Tapkins, Mrs – a caller at the Boffins Tippins, Lady – a contact of the Veneerings Tootle, Tom – involved in the inquiry of the body Twemlow, Melvin – a friend of the Veneerings Veneering, Hamilton – nouveau-riche Veneering, Anastatia – Hamilton’s wife Venus, Mr – friend of Mr Wegg, and a taxidermist Whitrose, Lady Belinda – client of Miss Wren Wilfer, Lavinia – other daughter of Rumty Wilfer, Mrs – wife of Rumty Wilfer, Reginald ’Rumty’ – Bella’s doting father Williams, William – a regular at Miss Abbey Pottersons inn  ‘Jenny Wren’ |
| OVERVIEW: I – May 1864 (chapters 1–4); II – June 1864 (chapters 5–7); III – July 1864 (chapters 8–10); IV – August 1864 (chapters 11–13); V – September 1864 (chapters 14–17). VI – October 1864 (chapters 1–3); VII – November 1864 (chapters 4–6); VIII – December 1864 (chapters 7–10); IX – January 1865 (chapters 11–13); X – February 1865 (chapters 14–16). XI – March 1865 (chapters 1–4); XII – April 1865 (chapters 5–7); XIII – May 1865 (chapters 8–10); XIV – June 1865 (chapters 11–14); XV – July 1865 (chapters 15–17). XVI – August 1865 (chapters 1–4); XVII – September 1865 (chapters 5–7); XVIII – October 1865 (chapters 8–11); XIX-XX – November 1865 [chapters 12–17 (Chapter the Last)]. |
Forward to The Mystery of Edwin Drood – His Life – His Works – His Characters – Go to Bob Denton.com
