Our Mutual Friend

Book Review # 110646

Our Mutual Friend

An analysis of Charles Dickens' novel, "Our Mutual Friend", focusing on its message about materialist capitalism and personal disintegration.

888 words () | 1 source | APA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses Charles Dickens' novel, "Our Mutual Friend" which centers on materialist capitalism and how its acceptance or rejection leads to personal disintegration or reunification. The paper notes that to this end, Dickens places most of his characters into a dichotomy--on one end of this dichotomy are the characters who ruthlessly trample upon others in order to economically advance themselves, while on the other end are those who seek wealth while still maintaining ethical standards. The paper discusses how, in the work, Dickens illuminates the dark realities of the cutthroat capitalism, which epitomized his contemporary Victorian society.

From the Paper:

"Ultimately, the characters who eschew morality and integrity in their aspirations to prosperity face misfortune and personal destruction while those who maintain their altruism and dignity even within this ruthless capitalist society experience personal reunification, redemption, and honor. Through these events, Dickens illuminates the dark realities of the cutthroat capitalism, which epitomized his contemporary Victorian society. Materialist capitalism, unlike mixed or regulated capitalism, is an economic system by which the pursuit of wealth and material goods is a significantly greater priority than the pursuit of personal character, virtue, and altruism. In the novel, Dickens illustrates its dangers by showing how it ravages human relationships, destroys communities, and pollutes individual character".