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Old Mr. Harmon
River
The River Thames symbolizes the precariousness of lower-class life in Victorian-era London. Most of Our Mutual Friend takes place in London, where the River Thames runs through the center of the city, full of garbage…
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Dust
Dust (garbage, especially ash and cinder) is what old Mr. Harmon built his fortune on, and it symbolizes the irony of upward social mobility. Old Mr. Harmon didn’t make his fortune in a glamorous business…
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Dolls
Jenny Wren makes dresses for dolls, and the dolls symbolize the dehumanization and manipulation that most wealthy characters engage in. The characters who metaphorically “play with dolls” tend to be adults who come from a…
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