Excerpt

Excerpt from Our Mutual Friend, by Charles Dickens

It had come to pass that Mr Silas Wegg now rarely attended the minion of
fortune and the worm of the hour, at his (the worm’s and minion’s) own
house, but lay under general instructions to await him within a certain
margin of hours at the Bower. Mr Wegg took this arrangement in great
dudgeon, because the appointed hours were evening hours, and those he
considered precious to the progress of the friendly move. But it was
quite in character, he bitterly remarked to Mr Venus, that the upstart
who had trampled on those eminent creatures, Miss Elizabeth, Master
George, Aunt Jane, and Uncle Parker, should oppress his literary man.

The Roman Empire having worked out its destruction, Mr Boffin next
appeared in a cab with Rollin’s Ancient History, which valuable work
being found to possess lethargic properties, broke down, at about the
period when the whole of the army of Alexander the Macedonian (at that
time about forty thousand strong) burst into tears simultaneously, on
his being taken with a shivering fit after bathing. The Wars of the
Jews, likewise languishing under Mr Wegg’s generalship, Mr Boffin
arrived in another cab with Plutarch: whose Lives he found in the sequel
extremely entertaining, though he hoped Plutarch might not expect him to
believe them all. What to believe, in the course of his reading, was Mr
Boffin’s chief literary difficulty indeed; for some time he was divided
in his mind between half, all, or none; at length, when he decided, as a
moderate man, to compound with half, the question still remained, which
half? And that stumbling-block he never got over.

One evening, when Silas Wegg had grown accustomed to the arrival of
his patron in a cab, accompanied by some profane historian charged with
unutterable names of incomprehensible peoples, of impossible descent,
waging wars any number of years and syllables long, and carrying
illimitable hosts and riches about, with the greatest ease, beyond the
confines of geography—one evening the usual time passed by, and no
patron appeared. After half an hour’s grace, Mr Wegg proceeded to the
outer gate, and there executed a whistle, conveying to Mr Venus,
if perchance within hearing, the tidings of his being at home and
disengaged. Forth from the shelter of a neighbouring wall, Mr Venus then
emerged.

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Explanation

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens

This passage from Our Mutual Friend (1864–65), Charles Dickens’ last completed novel, is a masterful blend of satire, social commentary, and character study. The excerpt focuses on the strained relationship between Silas Wegg, a one-legged ballad-seller and self-styled "literary man," and Nicodemus (Noddy) Boffin, a newly wealthy dust contractor who has hired Wegg to read to him in an attempt to refine his education. The scene is rich in irony, class critique, and Dickens’ signature wit, while also advancing the novel’s themes of social mobility, deception, and the absurdity of human pretensions.

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Context of the Scene

Our Mutual Friend is a sprawling novel that critiques Victorian society’s obsession with wealth, social climbing, and the corrupting influence of money. The Boffins—a formerly poor couple who inherit a fortune—become the target of opportunists like Silas Wegg, who sees in Boffin a chance to exploit his newfound wealth.

Wegg, a cynical and resentful man, has been employed by Boffin to read aloud from historical texts, ostensibly to improve Boffin’s mind. However, Wegg resents Boffin’s control over his time, particularly because it interferes with his own schemes (the "friendly move" refers to his plot to blackmail Boffin using a supposed will). Meanwhile, Boffin, though generous, is increasingly suspicious of those around him, including Wegg.

The passage occurs at a turning point: Boffin, growing disillusioned with Wegg’s arrogance, begins testing his loyalty—leading to the moment when he fails to arrive for their usual reading session, leaving Wegg frustrated and exposed.

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Key Themes in the Excerpt

1. Class Resentment and Social Pretension

   • Wegg, though of low social standing, fancies himself an intellectual superior to Boffin, whom he calls an "upstart." His bitterness stems from Boffin’s rise in status, which Wegg sees as undeserved.
   • The phrase "the minion of fortune and the worm of the hour" is a scathing insult: Boffin is a "minion" (a favorite of luck) and a "worm" (insignificant, yet temporarily powerful). Wegg’s resentment is clear in his sarcastic remark that Boffin has "trampled on" the imaginary aristocratic relatives Wegg invents for himself ("Miss Elizabeth, Master George, Aunt Jane, and Uncle Parker").
   • Dickens satirizes the Victorian obsession with lineage—Wegg, who has no real claim to gentility, invents a noble past to justify his disdain for Boffin.

2. The Absurdity of "Education" and Historical Grandeur

   • Boffin’s attempts to educate himself through history books are comically futile. The texts he chooses—Rollin’s Ancient History, Josephus’ The Wars of the Jews, and Plutarch’s Lives—are dense, boring, and often incredible to a man of Boffin’s practical background.
   • Dickens mocks historical grandeur by reducing it to absurdity:
     • The Roman Empire’s fall is dismissed as something that "worked out its destruction" (as if it were a simple mechanical process).
     • Alexander the Great’s army bursting into tears over his illness is presented as melodramatic and ridiculous.
     • Plutarch’s Lives are "extremely entertaining" but unbelievable—Boffin can’t decide whether to trust half, all, or none of history, a joke about the subjectivity of truth.
   • The passage suggests that history is just another form of storytelling, no more reliable than Wegg’s fabrications.

3. Power Dynamics and Control

   • Boffin, though wealthy, is naïve and easily manipulated, while Wegg, though poor, wields intellectual condescension as a weapon.
   • The shift in their meetings—from Boffin’s house to the Bower (a secluded spot)—symbolizes Boffin’s growing suspicion and Wegg’s diminished influence.
   • When Boffin fails to appear, Wegg is left waiting like a servant, reinforcing the reversal of their perceived roles. His whistle to Mr. Venus (a taxidermist and Wegg’s accomplice) signals his frustration and need for validation.

4. Deception and Performance

   • Wegg’s entire persona is a performance—he pretends to be a scholar to exploit Boffin, yet his "literary" pursuits are just a front for blackmail.
   • The historical texts become a metaphor for deception: just as Boffin can’t tell which parts of history to believe, he also can’t discern Wegg’s true intentions.
   • The cab arrivals (a recurring motif in Dickens) symbolize sudden, disruptive changes—each new book represents Boffin’s futile search for meaning, while Wegg grows increasingly impatient.

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Literary Devices & Stylistic Techniques

1. Irony & Satire

   • Dramatic Irony: The reader knows Wegg is a fraud, but Boffin (initially) does not.
   • Verbal Irony: Wegg’s description of Boffin as a "worm" is ironic because Wegg is the real parasite.
   • Satire of Education: Boffin’s struggle with history books mocks Victorian self-improvement culture, where wealth could buy superficial learning but not real wisdom.

2. Hyperbole & Exaggeration

   • The absurdity of ancient history is exaggerated for comic effect:
     • "An army of Alexander the Macedonian (at that time about forty thousand strong) burst into tears simultaneously"
     • "Wars any number of years and syllables long"
   • These exaggerations highlight how remote and irrelevant history seems to Boffin’s practical mind.

3. Symbolism

   • The Cab: Represents sudden, disruptive wealth—Boffin arrives with new books (new ideas) but no real understanding.
   • The Bower: A secluded, almost Edenic space, but also a place of conspiracy (where Wegg and Venus plot).
   • The Whistle: A signal of Wegg’s desperation, marking his shift from predator to supplicant.

4. Dickensian Character Naming

   • Silas Wegg: "Wegg" suggests a wedge (someone who inserts himself where he doesn’t belong) or a wag (a joker, but also a deceiver).
   • Nicodemus (Noddy) Boffin: "Boffin" implies a sudden stroke of luck ("boffin" also slang for a clever person, though Boffin is not truly clever).
   • Mr. Venus: The taxidermist’s name contrasts beauty (Venus) with death (stuffed animals), reinforcing the novel’s themes of decay beneath surface appearances.

5. Stream of Consciousness & Free Indirect Discourse

   • Dickens blends Wegg’s bitter internal monologue with the narrator’s voice, creating a sarcastic, judgmental tone.
   • Example: "it was quite in character, he bitterly remarked to Mr Venus, that the upstart who had trampled on those eminent creatures..."
     • The phrase "quite in character" could be Wegg’s thought or the narrator’s irony—both mock Boffin.

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Significance of the Passage

1. Character Development

   • This scene marks the beginning of Boffin’s disillusionment with Wegg, leading to his later pretended cruelty (a test of loyalty).
   • Wegg’s arrogance and impatience foreshadow his downfall—his overconfidence will be his undoing.

2. Critique of Victorian Values

   • Dickens mocks the idea that wealth equals virtue—Boffin’s money doesn’t make him wise, just a target.
   • The futility of self-education without moral growth is highlighted—Boffin reads history but learns nothing useful.
   • The hypocrisy of social climbing is exposed—Wegg resents Boffin for rising above his station, yet Wegg himself is a fraud.

3. Foreshadowing & Plot Progression

   • Boffin’s absence is a deliberate test—he is starting to see through Wegg’s schemes.
   • The historical books symbolize the past’s irrelevance to the present, just as Wegg’s fabricated noble ancestors mean nothing.
   • The whistle to Venus sets up their later collaboration in blackmail, a key plot point.

4. Dickens’ Meta-Commentary on Storytelling

   • The unreliability of history mirrors the unreliability of narratives in the novel (e.g., rumors about John Harmon’s death, Wegg’s lies).
   • The reader, like Boffin, must decide what to believe—a theme that runs through Dickens’ work.

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Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt is a microcosm of Our Mutual Friend’s central concerns:

• The corrupting influence of money (Boffin’s wealth makes him vulnerable; Wegg’s poverty makes him resentful).
• The performativity of class (Wegg acts the scholar; Boffin plays the patron).
• The instability of truth (history is as unreliable as Wegg’s schemes).

Dickens’ sharp wit, layered irony, and social critique make this more than just a comic scene—it’s a damning indictment of Victorian hypocrisy, where no one is quite what they seem, and education, wealth, and morality are all up for negotiation.

The passage also sets up the novel’s climax, where Boffin’s feigned cruelty will expose the true natures of those around him—proving that, in Dickens’ world, money reveals character more than it creates it.