‘Money mediates virtually all interactions in a bourgeois society ; ‘ [ 1 ] and in Our Common Friend money is the resource that interlinks the categories doing all involved in society interdependent. Dickens allows us to see Victorian society as a societal and market economic system where people are viewed as trade goods and even human waste is marketable. Dickens ‘s fresh emphasises the importance of money in relation to survival in society, which echoes Darwinian thoughts, in that he presents us with ‘a fictional universe of persons ferociously seeking their ain advantage ‘ [ 2 ] in order to win. In footings of economic system we can associate this thought of endurance and resources to the Darwinian theory of ‘natural choice ‘ against Adam Smith ‘s coined theory of the ‘invisible manus ‘ in the market topographic point. We can therefore discourse the value of money in Our Common Friend and the ways in which society uses this resource to its ain terminal.

Dickens representation of the Victorian society interlaces with the Victorian economic system which in the C19th was the universe ‘s greatest and most powerful. Critics such as J. H. Miller have commented that the novel is about ‘money, money, money, and what money can do of life ‘ nevertheless with the diminution of Britain ‘s economic system in the late nineteenth century, Dickens novel allows us to look more closely at the effects upon society, particularly with the influence of Free Trade. Adam Smith in his book The Theory of Moral Sentiments speaks of his coined term the ‘invisible manus ‘ which in the economic market refers to the ‘term economic experts use to depict the self-acting nature of the market place. ‘ [ 3 ] The thought of the unseeable manus as a free guiding manus in the actions of all those in the societal economic system of the novel, coincides with Darwin ‘s theory of ‘natural choice ‘ which focuses on the impression of endurance and the acquisition of the agencies and resources to make so.

In Our Common Friend we are able to see the battle for endurance from the beginning where Dickens introduces us to Gaffer Hexam whose agencies for income depends on the dead as he converts cadavers into capital: ‘As if it was n’t for your life! As if it was n’t meat and imbibe to you! ‘ [ 4 ] This exclaiming for Gaffer Hexam to his girl Lizzie Hexam reverberations of Darwin ‘s battle for endurance in that without money, Gaffer Hexam can non populate and back up his household. Equally good as recovering dead organic structures for the governments, we discover that he robs whatever capital he is able to happen upon these cadavers which brings into inquiry his impression of money belonging with the alive and non the dead. If we are to discourse that by looking at Dickens ‘s novel as an economic system and thereby sing worlds as trade goods so even deceased worlds can fall under the term trade good. In the decease of others, Hexam has found his advantage in life and therefore is able to last nevertheless, harmonizing to Darwin ; this procedure of natural choice in nature is by no agencies joyful as we can non ‘behold the face of nature bright with gladfulness ‘ [ 5 ] continually. Equally good as the resources needed to last, Darwin reminds us that in nature animate beings prey on each other, and similar to the societal economic system in Our Common Friend, people ‘prey ‘ on each other in order to give themselves an advantage.

Here we can discourse the impression of predation in the text, particularly with the chapter rubrics Dickens has provided, viz. the birds of quarry. In the Penguin Classics edition of the novel there are several illustrations of the chapter rubrics, a striking one being the illustration of ‘The Bird of Prey ‘ which shows Gaffer Hexam set over in his boat runing dead organic structures. The image once more connotes Darwin ‘s theory of the battle for being which he explains ‘includes the dependance of one being on another. ‘ [ 6 ] In Our Common Friend this battle for being and demand for money is apparent in the characters of Silas Wegg and Roger Rogue Riderhood who prey on their familiarities in order to better themselves. This thought of people feeding on the same land is mirrored in the planned arresting of Gaffer Hexam through accusal by his fellow boatman Rogue Riderhood. If we are to look at this scene so we can convey into inquiry the value of money in that Riderhood simply accuses Hexam for the pecuniary wages.

In Eugene Victor Wolfenstein ‘s essay Marx and Freud on the Meaning of Money the inquiry of the value of money is discussed in footings of its relation to society. Marx remarks that ‘the interpretative key to the value of money is the ‘simple, stray, or inadvertent signifier of value. ” Taking the latter term that money is an inadvertent signifier of value, we can reason that it echoes Darwin ‘s theory of natural choice in that there is no steering manus. The Boffins in Our Common Friend semen into money and are able to fall in the nouveaux-riches through the decease of Old Mr. Harmon and the inadvertent given of the inheritor ‘s decease, de facto through the deceases of both Harmons in the text, the Boffins are given their advantage in society. The value of their new wealth is described in the novel every bit deserved as Nicodemus Boffin is rewarded for his duteous old ages of service. In his new phase of fiscal independency nevertheless the fresh inquiries the significance of this wealth both in footings of its animalism, the dust, and its value in society.

The physical facet of this wealth lies in the dust pile that Mr. Boffin inherits and its significance. Old Harmon was able to do his luck through the waste of others by offering them a service to take it ; hence this modern twenty-four hours recycling emphasises the marketable waste of worlds similar to Hexam ‘s retrieval of dead organic structures. Marx discusses that each trade good has a value, non to itself but to others, hence by once more looking at worlds as trade goods we can reason that we are merely valuable due to the relationships that we create because: ‘only when two trade goods meet does it go possible for one of them to inquire the other how much am I deserving? ‘ [ 7 ] This is prevailing in Mr. Boffin ‘s demand to fit up to his freshly acquired wealth through the familiarity of Silas Wegg. Mr. Boffin in his pursuit for polish requires literacy and finds the agencies through money:

“ Now, it ‘s excessively late for me to get down shoveling and sifting at alphabeds and grammar-books. I ‘m acquiring to be an old bird [ … ] But I want some all right reading [ … ] By, ” tapping him on the chest with the caput of his midst stick, “ paying a adult male genuinely qualified to make it. ”

By using Silas Wegg to give him the gift of literacy, Mr. Boffin is trying to do himself worthy of his heritage. In Our Common Friend money as it stands entirely is non valuable, what brings about its importance is how it helps to progress those in society as Mr. Boffin declares that ‘a literary adult male [ … ] will get down to take me a new life! ‘

Promotion in the societal domain in Our Common Friend is a motive that echoes throughout the novel ; nevertheless where it shines most is through the characters of the Veneerings. This nouveaux-riche twosome exemplifies the demand to break themselves and mount the societal hierarchy, which they attempt to make abundantly through the usage of money with their presentation of its values. Dickens uses the subject of contemplation to explicate the value of money in that this value is merely reflected in what it is used for and to farther explicate we should look at the chapter named ‘The adult male from someplace. ‘ In this chapter we are given a description of the Veneers who portray a demand for endurance by merely entertaining those whom can help it:

The great looking-glass above the sideboard, reflects the tabular array and the company. Reflects the new Veneering crest, in gold and eke in Ag, frosted and besides thawed, a camel of all work. [ … ] Reflects Veneering, 40, wavy-haired, dark, be givening to corpulence, sly, cryptic, diaphanous [ … ] Reflects Mrs. Veneering ; just, aquiline-nosed and fingered, enthusiastic, expiatory, witting that a corner of her hubby ‘s head covering is over herself.

By insistent usage of the word reflect, Dickens portrays an aesthetic usage of money in that we can merely value money in what it can assist us achieve. For the Veneerings, money is used as jewelry, they wear their relationships, decorations and furniture so that as the name implies, they can reflect amongst their equals.

However, although cosmopolitan, money bears assorted functions of value and importance to the different characters in the novel. Obviously this disparity lies between the categories but what is peculiarly interesting is the value of money when related to the life and the dead. As outlined in the opening scene of the novel, Gaffer Hexam states that money can merely be utile to the life:

“ Has a dead adult male any usage for money? Is it possible for a dead adult male to hold money? What universe does a dead adult male belong to? ‘T other universe. What universe does money belong to? This universe. ”

From the start of the novel Dickens removes the value of money from the dead when we learn of Old Harmons decease and the will that has been left behind. Hexam explains that money has no usage for the dead because it can non be enjoyed as a cadaver no longer has any feelings. In contrast nevertheless, Mr. Boffin in the chapter named ‘Mr. Boffin in consulation ‘ high spots the importance of the relationship between hilarity and money:

“ the old adult male was a atrocious Tatar [ … ] It ‘s a’most a commiseration [ … ] that he of all time went and made so much money. It would hold been better for him if he had n’t so given himself up to it. ”

From this statement we can deduce that Old Harmon ‘s wealth merely brought him wretchedness due to the work load and duty, for Mr. Boffin exclaims that the heritage is much to look after. In answer to his concerns nevertheless, Mortimer suggests that he ‘put the whole in a cash-box to-morrow forenoon, and take it with [ him ] to – state, to the Rocky Mountains, ‘ which in other ways is to connote that Mr. Boffin bury the money so it neither dwindles nor additions but merely stays as it is, inactive, as if it still belonged to the deceased Old Harmon.

Throughout Our Common Friend Dickens portrays money in a assortment of ways, each dependant on the users fiscal state of affairs. To the nouveaux-riche and in-between categories, money is the window of chance, whilst to the hapless it is the agency of endurance. In mention to the life and the dead, Dickens explores the value of money and that its intrinsic value lies non in money entirely, but what money can make for you. The text allows us to research the theory of worlds as trade goods, and whilst this is prevailing we are besides able to antagonize this position by the impression of dead organic structures in stead of money. Through the narrative of Old Harmon we can reason that worlds are non trade goods themselves, but carriers of them and that in our relationships to each other we create economic pacts ; similar to that of trade understandings in the economic range. In this visible radiation, the societal economic system in Our Common Friend echoes that of an economic rhythm with all resources being used to make capital and value, even dust. Therefore in the fresh money is similar to the homo, it can be used, traded and sold. However, Dickens through his usage of interlacing relationships is able to demo the disparity of the value of money between the categories layering it with many different significances. Nevertheless the changeless motive of the usage of money by all characters emphasises Dickens implicit in message that money as a base entirely point is useless unless it is utilized.

Bibliography

• Crouzet, Francois, ‘The Victorian Economy, ‘ Routledge ( 2005 ) Darwin, Charles, ‘The Origin of Species ‘ erectile dysfunction. Gillian Beer ( Oxford World ‘s Classicss: 1998 )
• Fulweiler, Howard W. ‘ ” A Dismal Swamp ” : Darwin, Design, and Evolution in Our Common Friend ‘ Nineteenth-Century Literature, University of California Press ( 1994 ) pp. 50-74
• Hawes, Donald. Who ‘s Who in Dickens. London: Routledge, ( 1998 )
• Kucich, John, ‘Repression and Representation: Dickens ‘s General Economy ‘ Nineteenth-Century Fiction University of California Press ( 1983 ) pp. 62-77
• Smith, Adam, ‘The Theory of Moral Sentiments ‘ Printed for A. Millar, ( 1761 ) Sullivan, Arthur ; Steven M. Sheffrin, ‘Economics: Principles in action ” New Jersey Pearson ( 2003 )
• Wolfenstein, Eugene Victor, ‘Mr Moneybags Meets the Rat Man: Marx and Freud on the Meaning of Money ‘ Political Theory and Political Psychology ( 1993 )

1. Eugene Victor Wolfenstein, ‘Mr. Moneybags Meets the Rat Man: Marx and Freud on the Meaning of Money ‘ Political Theory and Political Psychology ( 1993 ) pp. 279-308
2. Ibid
3. Arthur Sullivan, ‘Economics: Principles in action ‘ New Jersey, Pearson ( 2003 ) p. 32
4. Charles Dickens, ‘Our Mutual Friend ‘ erectile dysfunction. Adrian Poole ( Penguin Classics, ( 1997 ) ) p.15
5. Charles, Darwin, ‘The Origin of Species ‘ erectile dysfunction. Gillian Beer ( Oxford World ‘s Classicss: 1998 ) pp. 52-3
6. Ibid
7. Eugene Victor Wolfenstein, ‘Mr. Moneybags Meets the Rat Man: Marx and Freud on the Meaning of Money ‘ Political Theory and Political Psychology ( 1993 ) pp. 279-308