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Situational Irony
Definition of Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a literary device, most often found in dramas, in which a character speaks to him or herself, relating his or her innermost thoughts and feelings as if... read full definition
A soliloquy is a literary device, most often found in dramas, in which a character speaks to him or herself, relating his or her innermost... read full definition
A soliloquy is a literary device, most often found in dramas, in which a character speaks to him or herself... read full definition
Book 2, Chapter 13
Explanation and Analysis—Think it Out:
After threatening Riderhood at Pleasant’s store, Rokesmith sheds his disguise and tries to find his way out of Limehouse. In Chapter 13 of Book 2, he wanders through the streets and speaks to himself aloud:
‘But this is the fanciful side of the situation. It has a real side, so difficult that, though I think of it every day, I never thoroughly think it out. Now, let me determine to think it out as I walk home. I know I evade it, as many men—perhaps most men—do evade thinking their way through their greatest perplexity. I will try to pin myself to mine. Don't evade it, John Harmon; don't evade it; think it out!’
The chapter—written almost entirely in the form of a soliloquy—adds an unexpectedly theatrical flourish to a third-person Victorian novel. Though somewhat contrived, John Rokesmith’s (now Harmon) self-addressed speech functions as the linchpin of Dickens’s elaborately devised plot. The soliloquy ties together the narrative’s loose ends and fills in crucial exposition to the novel. Rokesmith reveals himself to be John Harmon, and by talking aloud he unravels the elaborate backstory that the reader has struggled to solve. The “reserved, diffident, troubled” man now makes the reader privy to his secret with George Radfoot, subsequent assault, and motives for becoming Secretary. Through soliloquy, Dickens shows his hand.
John Harmon’s speech marks a turning point in the novel. From the perspective of plot, the story’s main mystery has been solved—the rest now tends towards resolution. The novel’s focus shifts from unearthing the answer to disclosing it. Done sleuthing, the reader now waits for John Harmon to reveal his identity. By allying the reader with John Harmon, the soliloquy’s disclosure colors the rest of the work with rich dramatic irony. Bella scoffs at his marriage proposal and Mr. Boffin shows him out the door, both seemingly oblivious to the truth that Dickens has shared with his readers. Part of the story’s suspense and emotional appeal lie in seeing other characters misrecognize him. John Harmon’s process of “thinking it out” sustains the plot and redirects the story.
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