After our class
exercise today, I would like to focus in on a character that although we have
not paid him much attention so far in our discussions, is an interesting and
integral character to Dickens world of Bleak
House: Mr. Tulkinghorn. Although he at first seems to be someone we can
trust, as he is friends with the Deadlocks whom despite their abundant
affluence, seem to be still genuinely good people. However, we learn that
Tulkinghorn can and will use anything and anyone to gain advantage, such as using
Jo for information and acquiring the letters that belonged to Lady Deadlock and
Captain Hawdon to keep Lady Deadlock in silence. He is one of the most corrupt
in my mind because his flaws are plentiful. He is a user, deceiver, schemer,
prier, money seeker and lender, retracts his word and the list goes on.
However, the actual reasons behind his flaws are not always clear. We do not
know much about his childhood or early life and so cannot use that as an excuse
as to the cause of his flaws. However, I would say that much of the influence
on his flaws is for personal gain, especially for material wealth and/or favors
from others through learning information to use against others, like
threatening Lady Deadlock with information about Esther in order to keep her
silenced. In addition, he is a lawyer for the Jarndyce and Jarndyce case so his
motives are always ulterior and for his own gain. In considering whether or not
he is a sympathetic character there is not really much to consider. There is
not a single redeeming quality about him and I feel that this is a unanimous
view of his character.
When we look at
the larger picture of what Dickens is trying to show us through Tulkinghorn, I
believe there are several concepts at work. First, Dickens is showing us the corruption
of the legal system with Tulkinghorn being a prime example from the Jarndyce
case. In addition, I think Tulkinghorn is definitely one of the characters that
embodies all the wrong qualities of human nature: lying, cheating, using, etc
with Skimpole’s flaws being another example from the story. In addition,
Dickens is showing us what power, influence and money can not only do to
someone but how these things entitle and enable people to control others. Dickens
criticism of those with money is biting and harsh in that like others in the
story, Tulkinghorn is corrupted by power and greed which is in harsh contrast
to characters like say poor little Jo and Jenny who have no one and nothing and
do not really fit anywhere in the class divide. In addition, combined with his
actions, Tulkinghorn has a very disagreeable personality. His temperament is
harsh and his loyalty lays with no one, not even his old and trusted friends
the Deadlocks. He uses their trust in him to his advantage and knows that he
can manipulate people through this covenant of secrecy and trust.
I agree with this completely and I think that he is the least looked at character because he seems like the most normal one int he novel sort of. He is everywhere but he is doing things or appears to be doing things that seem so normal why would we pay any attention to him? It's so hard to tell when he is loyal and when he's not unless you look at him completely at one time, not a chapter or so at a time and that's the only way I was able to agree with this is by looking at him altogether.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statements of him being overlooked. He is quite a character, the way he becomes involved in everyone’s business. I like that you pointed out the fact that with his status, he feels like he is entitled to control others. His past remaining a mystery also adds to his character as being untrustworthy. Whereas anyone else’s past being a mystery might just be swept aside, the fact that he is such a sketchy liar and evil guy makes us wonder what he is hiding. It is also interesting to see how he interacts with different characters. We feel that we can trust him in the beginning of the novel as the lawyer and document carrier for the Dedlocks, but we figure it out that he’s just a leech and creep.
ReplyDeleteHe seems to take such a strange pleasure in holding secrets and power over others. Do you think he acts out of class anxiety or jealousy? He's important to the Dedlocks, but he isn't family and won't ever be. It seems to give him pleasure to be able to control Lady D.
ReplyDeleteOn parting company with Esther, Lady Dedlock should have penned a brief note to Sir Leicester about her daughter, mentioning that Tulkinghorn was probing her past with a view to her total discredit. Hortense ( Mme Defarge) knowing nothing of this would have shot Tulkinghorn & gone to the gallows in early course. And Chesney Wold would no longer be such an "infernal ol' jail".
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