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Book 2, Chapter 3
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Our Mutual Friend, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Society, Class, and Character
Greed and Corruption
Marriage, Adoption, and Family
Education vs. Real-World Experience
Misfits and Outcasts
Summary
Analysis
Sophronia continues her scheme of befriending Georgiana. Sophronia and Alfred have been telling all their friends that their current house is just a temporary residence and that they’re always just on the verge of buying a new one. Sophronia tells Georgiana that it sounds like Georgiana is looking to find someone to love, but Georgiana strongly rejects the idea. Alfred arrives, and Sophronia explains what they were talking about. Alfred says this is a coincidence, because he just met with somebody who is interested in Georgiana.
Sophronia and Alfred are so afraid to reveal that they’ve each been tricked into a marriage without money that they’ve taken to pretending that their modest home is only temporary—similar to Wegg, who fantasizes about living in a mansion. Rather than learning from their mistake, Sophronia and Alfred double down, trying to find a new victim to scam in Georgiana. This failure to learn from their mistakes foreshadows bad things for their characters.
Themes
Literary Devices
According to Alfred, there’s a young man named Fascination Fledgeby who likes Georgiana. The only problem is that he’s even shier than Georgiana. Alfred and Sophronia invite Georgiana to come to the opera with them and Fledgeby. Georgiana reluctantly agrees.
Given how easily Alfred and Sophronia were tricked into their marriage, it seems questionable whether Fledgeby is actually a worthwhile match for Georgiana. Alfred thinks he’s a master manipulator, not realizing his own short-sightedness may come back to haunt him.
Themes
Alfred, Sophronia, Georgiana, and Fledgeby meet for dinner. Fledgeby struggles even with small talk and eventually says almost nothing, and Georgiana is quiet at dinner too. Alfred and Sophronia each talk as if Georgiana and Fledgeby are talking with them. They end up having a whole conversation with Alfred speaking for Georgiana and Sophronia speaking for Fledgeby.
This passage makes it plain how much Alfred and Sophronia are trying to manipulate Georgiana and Fledgeby. In attempting to force a conversation, they put words in the mouths of their young companions. In many ways, Sophronia and Alfred treat Georgiana and Fledgeby like the dolls that Jenny is always making dresses for.
Themes
After the dinner, Sophronia and Alfred talk privately about what a “dolt” they think Fledgeby is. Still, Georgiana’s family has money, and Sophronia and Albert believe Fledgeby will be interested in her as soon as he learns that—and that maybe he can be their ticket to getting some of Georgiana’s money too.
Although when they’re in public, Sophronia and Alfred maintain the pretense that they are helping Georgiana and Fledgeby, in private they reveal their true feelings and how they see the young people merely as a potential source of profit.
Themes
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