Dickens Description Of Silas Weggs Corner example essay topic

During his novel Our Mutual Friend, Dickens attempts to portray a picture of the London of his day through imagery and symbolism. He achieves a stark contrast between the rich and poor, the way in which they live, their lifestyles and that which surrounds them. He looks closely at the shiny veneer of London with all its glamour and finery and contrasts these lives of luxury with those of squalor next to the river. A study of the central characters described by Dickens in the novel helps us to understand this better as we study their context and circumstances.

From the outset, Dickens attempts to give the reader rather gloomy picture of London. The river, a central theme in the book, is described by Dickens in a very negative manner is if it demonstrates the epitome of all which is bad about London. At the beginning of the novel, Dickens describes both Lizzie and Gaffer Hexam. The description of Gaffer Hexam gives the reader an idea of a typical waterside character: (A strong man with ragged grizzled hair and a sun-browned face.) Dickens also describes the river itself, as well as those who feed off it: (Allied to the bottom of the river rather than the surface, by reason of the slime and ooze with which it was covered, and its sodden state, this boat) In this way, Dickens creates and impression in the readers mind so that the river seems to be surrounded, throughout the book, by poverty, squalor and evil. The image of filth surrounding the river is extended to the shack that the Hexams live in, it is described in the following manner: The low building had the look of a mill. There was a rotten wart of wood upon its forehead that seemed to indicate where the sails had been The fire was a rust brazier, not fitted to the hearth; and a common lamp, shaped like a hyacinth-root, smoked and flared in the neck of a stone bottle on the table and in another corner a wooden stair so clumsy and steep it was little better than a ladder.

These images indicate inadequate, impoverished living quarters. This picture seems to add to the image of the waterside and the general negative imagery that the reader associates with the river and life beside it for the remainder of the novel. On the other hand, the lavish dinner-party at the Veneerings is used to emphasise the contrast between the rich and poor. The newness and polish of the Veneerings abode, contrasts powerfully with the plain simplicity and lack of comfort in the home of the Hexams. (For, in the Veneering establishment, from the hall-chairs with the new coat of arms, to the grand pianoforte with the new action, and upstairs again to the new fire-escape, all things were in a state of high varnish and polish.) This contrast is used to great effect throughout the novel to show the two sides of London, the pleasant life led by those fortunate enough to have money, and those who clearly were without it.

This creates a great divide between the haves and the have nots in Dickens novel Our Mutual Friend Dickens intersperses relevant description on the relative living conditions of an individual with general description of London as a whole in order to create his contrast between rich and poor. His visual description of the town lends weight to his very pessimistic view of the town as a whole and its relative merits or lack of them. Dickens description of Silas Weggs corner is particularly powerful in its method of giving a very negative impression of a relatively upmarket area of London. (A howling corner in winter time, a dusty corner in the summertime, an undesirable corner at the best of times. Shelter less fragments of straw and paper got up revolving storms there, when the main street was at peace; and the water cart, as if it were drunk or short-sighted, came blundering and jolting round it, making it muddy when all else was clean.) This description is partially used in order to create a negative image around Wegg and his stall. However, it also gives the reader an image of the street where Boffin will eventually come to live.

The picture is certainly very different to that of the dinner party at the Veneerings, and in many ways gives us as readers a different view point on the richer streets of London, which are obviously not always that pleasant. The description of Weggs corner could also be described as symbolic. Throughout the novel, Dickens creates an analogy between the Dust mountains and dirty money. The idea of money being dirty is certainly emphasised by Dickens throughout the course of Our Mutual Friend and the corrupting influence that money has also plays a role of paramount importance in the novel. This is an early example of symbolism being used to create a negative image.

The dusty, dirty corner on the end of a rich street is a direct analogy with the dirt and filth that is associated with money throughout the novel. Although Dickens describes effectively and powerfully the filth and squalor that existed in the streets of London in the 1860's, perhaps more effective is his descriptions of those who inhabited London. Dickens clearly sympathies with the poor people of London and understands that many cannot be held responsible for their extreme poverty. Dickens makes this point using Betty Higden, an example of the deserving poor.

She gives us, as readers an insight into the life of a poor person in London, her problems and worries are understood. Her fear of the workhouse is explained and understood by the reader, but the attitudes of others towards this hard working poor person are clearly shown in a bad light by Dickens. Her eventual death is due to her desire to maintain her independence, but in this way Dickens powerfully emphasises his dislike for the workhouse system, but also his distain for the way in which the poor are treated by society in general. Despite the kindness of the Boffins and Lizzie Hexam, it appears that nobody quite grasps the reason for Betty struggle, but in her own words: Ive never took charity yet and it would be forsaking of myself indeed to set up a contradiction now at the last. It seems that the world is blind to the fact that all Betty Higden wishes for is a means by which she can support herself and those belonging to her independent from anybody else. The workhouse is her ultimate humiliation and she goes to great lengths in order to avoid that eventuality.

This is a unique character study of an attitude that existed during Dickens time, those people who wished to work to support themselves but had no means of doing so through no fault of their own, for them, charity and provision was what they wished to avoid at all costs as it would have meant the humiliation of having to rely on somebody's support. Dickens uses character studies in order to give us an impression of the kind of attitudes that existed in London at that time. Dickens uses exaggerated characters such as Podsnap and Veneering in order to demonstrate to us as readers the epitome of the attitudes that were being displayed by a certain class of people at that time. In the case of this particular group of people, in a society so determined by class, people become unknowable to each other except as impressions of class, friendship ceases to exist and other people simply become objects, and in doing so the characters themselves become objects.

Dickens makes particular use of Podsnap in this picture of objectivity. Dickens uses the phrase Podsnappery to describe a certain type of behaviour displayed particularly well by Podsnap. The sheer joylessness of the Podsnap way of life, its brutal determination to authenticate itself through material possession is apparent in the passage: Hideous solidity was the characteristic of the Podsnap plate. Everything was made to look as heavy as possible.

Everything said boastfully I am so many ounces of precious metal wouldnt you like to melt me down. Podsnap is an extremely shallow character, he concerns himself little with other people and cares only for himself, and he finds it difficult to look beyond himself, shown by his disregard for all those who are foreign. He concerns himself not with who his friends are, but to which class they belong and how they enhance his own position in society, thereby giving his friends almost objectivity. A similar criticism can be levelled at Veneering in his bid to become an MP, a position to enhance his own standing in society.

This again shows his desire to improve his own personal standing among his friends, and in order to make new friends in high positions. This concept again treats people as objects to be used to advance ones own position. He also shows the fickle nature of the society of his time by showing how characters react to the Veneerings and the Lammles fall from grace. When both go bankrupt, the objectivity of friendships among society is demonstrated by the uncaring and almost unconcerned attitude taken by their group of friends.

It is clear that both the Lammles and the Veneerings were simply respectable friends being used to enhance the standing of those who dined with them. Dickens deals with the contrast between London rich and poor in great depth in the novel Our Mutual Friend. This contrast gives us an impression of London, its problems, and more importantly the views of the inhabitants who make London what it is. However, Dickens also deals with the struggling middle classes in the novel. Using the example of Bradley Headstone, Dickens contrasts the upper classes and their petty troubles with the struggle for respectability of Mr Headstone. Bradley, a schoolteacher by profession, has struggled all his life to be a respectable gentleman.

However, it is clear that the respectability on the surface simple covers a wild, untamed interior. This is shown in the passage: Suppression of so much to make room for so much, had given him a constrained manner, over and above. Yet there was enough of what was animal, and of what was fiery, still visible in him. It is clear that his lack of respectability due to his profession is a sore point for him, and when Eugene Wrayburn taunts him about this, his anger and wrath is exposed. This is one of the reasons for his mad attack on Eugene towards the end of the novel.

In this way, Dickens deals with the apparent struggle for respectability among the middle classes, the battle for position in society. In this way Dickens demonstrates his own distain for the society of his day and its shallow, fickle nature. Amid the striving for respectability, all else pales into insignificance for Bradley Headstone, and his actions among society are controlled by his desire to be respectable. Eventually his control breaks and he becomes like an animal after Lizzie Hexam refuses him. Dickens also uses visual description to great effect to give the reader an impression of London in Our Mutual Friend. So far, I have simply dealt with the way in which the characters portray London through the way in which they dress, live and act.

This is the main way that Dickens gives us a sense of setting and in this way the characters give us a more complete picture of London, as they are its inhabitants and ultimately shape the city. However, perhaps equally important are the visual descriptions of places that Dickens gives us to give us a more complete understanding of the state into which London has deteriorated. This is increasingly obvious in the descriptions of the poorer parts of London. I have already mentioned the description of the river and the Hexams abode beside it, but perhaps a better example of extreme poverty is the description of Pleasant Riderhood, living in Limehouse hole, (a kind of ships hold stored full of waterside characters) and owning a small shop, described as: a wretched little shop, with a roof that any man standing could touch with his hand; little better than a cellar or cave. However, despite these descriptions of poverty, Dickens sinks lower and describes the surroundings in the following passage: looking from the reeking street to the sky, she may have had some vaporous visions These descriptions simply give the reader a more complete image of the total poverty that surrounds a place such as the hole and allows the reader to understand how different life was for those who lived their, struggling for survival in comparison to the richly furnished abode of the Veneerings.

However, despite the negative description, the image of poverty that sticks most firmly in my mind is that of the hair of the women who lived in the hole. Dickens describes this picture in the following manner: Pleasant Riderhood shared with most of the lady inhabitants of the hole the peculiarity that her hair was a ragged knot, constantly coming down behind, and that she never could enter upon any undertaking without first twisting it into place. This for me gives the impression of ragged, barefooted women running around in the hole in a similar fashion to rats, in degrading ly inhumane conditions. This is my interpretation of the image that Dickens attempts to put across to his readers, and it certainly sticks in my mind. I find that the way that Dickens puts his meaning across to the reader is extremely effective, but also that he manages to give the reader an impression using a very short sentence or sentences, on which the reader can expand their own picture of the poverty of London. The description of one aspect of Pleasant Riderhood, her hair, is an excellent example of this technique.

Dickens descriptions of the poorer parts of London are also complete as he examines every aspect of poverty, from the waterside characters who feed from the river, to the poor shop keepers such as Mr Venus, whose dingy little shops give them a conservative income. These shops are again concisely, but powerfully described in the following manner: The poorer shops of small retail traders in commodities to eat and drink and keep folks warm from these in a narrow and dirty street devoted to such callings, Mr Wegg selects one dark shop-window. Again, Dickens uses few words to convey the setting, but the reader has imagined the dark, narrow, dingy street to which Dickens refers, with its rows of dark shop-windows selling produce not fit for human consumption. In this way, and through the characters of Pleasant Riderhood and Mr Venus, Dickens has conveyed to us as readers the poverty stricken and the poorer elements of London.

However, even in his visual descriptions, Dickens uses his characters to convey the correct impression to the reader. Dickens also makes some attempt to describe the working class elements of London. The description of the tall, dark mounds rising high against the sky clearly indicates the working class element of London, and Mr Boffin is the epitome of the simple working class man. In this way, Dickens attempts convey to the reader the impression of working class life in London, through the simplicity that Mr and Mrs Boffin maintain despite coming into money.

However, perhaps the best description of working class life is the following: The City looked unpromising enough, as Bella made her way along its gritty streets. Most of its money-mills were slackening sail, or had left off grinding for the day. The master-millers had already departed, and the journeymen were departing. There was a jaded aspect on the business lanes and courts, and the very pavements had a weary appearance, confused by the tread of a million feet Dickens cleverly compares the factory work associated with long hours and low pay, with the businesses transacting their business in London. This clever analogy creates an image in the readers mind of a tiring, unrewarding profession in which life was hard and work was dull. These few lines convey to me as a reader much about how those who worked in the money-mills lived and went about their daily lives, and also the poor quality of the lives they lived.

In the novel Our Mutual Friend, Dickens uses symbolism to great effect. He often uses an object in order to tell us something about a character. This symbolic object can be as simple as the name of a character, such as Veneering, indicating shallowness, or Bella Wilfer, beautiful wilful one. Dickens also uses descriptions of the living quarters or clothing in order to show us something new about a character. In this way, Dickens can tell the reader something about an individual character without actually saying it. For example, the bran-newness of everything at the Veneerings indicates the fact that they have come into new money and are new-comers to society, or in the case of Mr Boffin, described as a very odd-looking old fellow altogether, his dress shows us the comic nature of the character and also his utter clueless ness when it comes to fashion.

It also shows us something of his simple nature, all through a simple description. However, perhaps the visual symbolism is almost more powerful. The symbolic dust mountains I have already mentioned, and the theme of money from rubbish, and therefore money being dirty is prevalent throughout the story. Another symbolic image is that of the river, which serves as the embodiment of all that is dirty and poor in London, through the description of the waterside characters that make their livings from it.

However, it can also be a symbol of purification, and in some cases seems to have baptismal qualities as in the case of Eugene Wrayburn who arises from the river a new man, similarly, it is the river that eventually proves to be the end of Gaffer Hexam, Rogue Riderhood, Bradley Headstone and George Rad foot, the characters which could be described as evil in the story. Perhaps the most discreet use of symbolism that Dickens uses is the symbolism he attributes to his characters. In order to create a true impression of London, Dickens encapsulates an element of the city in a character or characters. For example, Veneering and Podsnap are used to give the reader an impression of the lives of the richer, shallower upper classes.

Noddy Boffin and Reginald Wilfer are used to portray the typical working class gentlemen, the former fortunately rich the latter extremely poor, but between them they give us a fair impression of the type of honest, down to earth people that made up the working classes and whom Dickens clearly admired. Mr Venus, Mr Wegg, Pleasant Riderhood, and Betty Higden are used to portray the poorer people who attempt to work for their living. However, Dickens displays symbolically the range of characters who make up this element of society, Mr Venus, an honest shopkeeper, Mr Wegg, a scoundrel, a cheat, a liar and an opportunist, Pleasant Riderhood, a poor girl attempting to make some sort of living for herself and Betty Higden, an example of the deserving poor, who wants to support herself through working, but for whom supporting herself is a never ending struggle. I could continue, as most characters in the book are representative of a certain type of character who existed in London at that time, and between them gave a cross-section of society as it existed then.

In this way, Dickens most important use of symbolism is the way in which his characters portray the society that existed in the city of London at that time. In his novel Our Mutual Friend, Dickens touches upon the recurring issues of whether man in formed by his circumstances or the circumstances are formed by man. His essential, ethical integrity leads to the conviction that things could and should be better. Dickens takes characters such as of the Veneerings and the Podsnap with their affluence and wealth, and the apparent empty, shallow lives they lead and contrasts this with the poverty of characters such as Betty Higden and confronts the reader with the social injustices that are so apparent within the city that Dickens describes.

Dickens symbolism is an integral part of his writing, however, it is used sparingly and only when it is vital to make a point. When symbolism is used, it is either making a statement about society or else forming an integral part of the story. It is generally fairly obvious and easy to pick up on. However, in the same way that the characters are symbolic of London as a whole, the setting is symbolic of society. The negative description of London used almost throughout the novel, (it is rare that anything positive is said, except perhaps in the case of the light, airy description of the childrens hospital), and this negative imagery and description of dark streets, a dirty river and looming dust mounds certainly is symbolic of the state of society as a whole. The negative setting certainly tells the reader what Dickens thinks of the shallow, upper classes only concerned with each other in so far as they advance oneanothers positions in society, the hard working middle classes, working endlessly for little or no reward, and the swindling lower classes, blackmailing their way towards money in some shape or form.

Dickens decrepit, run-down picture of London is symbolic of his opinion of the society that surrounds him, and it can be said that perhaps a hint of depression is visible in the novel Our Mutual Friend.