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Book 4, Chapter 7
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
Jenny observes Riah at Pubsey and Co. and decides that in spite of Riah’s supposed reputation as a merciless creditor, Jenny thinks Lizzie can trust him. One day, while Jenny is sewing a dress for a doll, she has her door open to keep cool, and Fledgeby appears. As they talk, Jenny notices that Fledgeby slips up and alludes to his involvement in Pubsey and Co.
Once again Jenny’s dolls have a symbolic connection to Fledgeby’s work and how he tries to manipulate people like they’re dolls. The fact that Fledgeby slips up and reveals that he’s part of Pubsey and Co. in front of Jenny shows how he underestimates her, a common occurrence in Jenny’s life, despite the fact that she can be very perceptive.
Themes
Fledgeby pretends to be concerned about what Riah has done to Lizzie, but Jenny can sense that Fledgeby is just trying to find Lizzie’s location out for himself. Jenny promises to come meet Fledgeby for breakfast at his house later. Jenny isn’t sure what Fledgeby’s after, but she can tell he’s a liar.
Fledgeby is so used to successfully manipulating people that he doesn’t realize he hasn’t convinced Jenny of his lies. The novel shows how in spite of Fledgeby’s success and Jenny’s low class, Jenny is clearly the more intelligent, more honest person.
Themes
Jenny spends the evening watching over her father, Mr. Dolls, then goes the next morning to see Fledgeby. Outside his house, a lady is standing waiting, dressed in a traveling dress (Sophronia). A man comes out and hands Jenny three pieces of a broken cane. He says to return the pieces to Fledgeby, compliments of Mr. Alfred Lammle, who is leaving England. Alfred and Sophronia depart, and Jenny goes inside.
The broken cane that Alfred gives Jenny seems like a mysterious gift at first, but it’s implied that Alfred and Sophronia have taken their revenge on their creditor.
Themes
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When Jenny gets inside, Fledgeby is writhing in pain because someone put pepper in his eyes and up his nose. But when Jenny tries to help him, he cries out in pain that his body is full of welts. Jenny asks him why he put pepper up his own nose, but Fledgeby says it was all Alfred. Jenny gives Fledgeby the three pieces of the cane and asks if she should seek the police. She tries to help Fledgeby, but her attempts to dress his wounds only seem to make things worse.
Details like the pepper in Fledgeby’s nose make this scene comical—certainly it has a very different tone than when Headstone attacked Eugene. Fledgeby thought he was a master manipulator of other people, but as this chapter shows, he isn’t so tough when he actually has to face someone else in person.
Themes
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