Our Mutual Friend
Dickens' last completed novel; also the most challenging and complicated John Harmon's servant. When John's son is supposed drowned, Boffin and his wife inherit the Harmon fortune, for a time. Alias taken by John Harmon in order to investigate his own supposed drowning. Son of a wealthy dust contractor and heir to his fortune if he agrees to marry Bella Wilfer. He is away from England when his father dies and on the way home he is supposed drowned in a case of mistaken identity. With his supposed death the dust fortune goes to Boffin. John gets himself hired into the Boffin home as secretary John Rokesmith. Here he meets Bella and, with the help of the Boffins, wins her love as Rokesmith, and marries her. He later reveals his true identity and regains his fortune. A school teacher and master of the boys department of a school on the borders of Kent and Surrey. Charley Hexam becomes Headstone's pupil and Bradley becomes obsessed with Charley's sister Lizzie. Lizzie wants nothing to do with him and he becomes jealous of Eugene Wrayburn who also has eyes for Lizzie. He attempts to murder Wrayburn and believes he has been successful. Rogue Riderhood discovers the supposed murder and attempts to blackmail Headstone. In a later confrontation Riderhood and Headstone are both drowned. Waterman, father of Lizzie, who plies the Thames looking for dead bodies. He finds a body thought to be John Harmon, the central character in the story. Daughter of waterman Gaffer Hexam and sister of Charlie. She is opposed to her father's business of combing the Thames looking for drowned bodies but is true to him. When her father drowns she goes to live with Jenny Wren. Lizzie rejects the advances of schoolmaster Bradley Headstone and opposes the attention of Eugene Wrayburn, although she loves him, because they come from different classes of society. She runs away from London to a mill up the river. Wrayburn succeeds in finding her and is followed by Headstone who attempts to murder Wrayburn. Lizzie rescues Wrayburn and later marries him. A lawyer too lazy to take on much work and friend of Eugene Wrayburn. His only client is the Boffins, which puts him in the middle of much of the story. Model for "Podsnappery" or Victorian middle-class pomp and complacency, along with his wife, and daughter Georgiana. Dickens modeled John Podsnap on his friend and first biographer John Forster. 'An old Jewish man, in an ancient coat, long of skirt and wide of pocket' who fronts Fledgeby's money-lending business. He befriends Lizzie Hexam and Jenny Wren. Waterman and former partner of Gaffer Hexam who tries to pin blame on Gaffer for the Harmon murder to gain a reward. Riderhood later becomes a lock-keeper and tries to blackmail Bradley Headstone after Bradley tries to murder Eugene Wrayburn. In a quarrel both Riderhood and Headstone drown in the Thames. Rogue is also the father of Pleasant Riderhood. Alias used by John Harmon when he is employed as secretary to the Boffins. Hamilton and Anastasia Veneering. High society couple at whose frequent dinner parties the story of John Harmon is discovered. Hamilton buys his way into Parliament and is later bankrupt and the couple flees to France. Hamilton and Anastasia Veneering. High society couple at whose frequent dinner parties the story of John Harmon is discovered. Rascally street vendor hired by Mr Boffin to read to him. Wegg is illiterate and makes the stories up as he "reads" along. After installing himself in the Boffin household he goes about trying to get a piece of the Boffin fortune. Girl specified in old Harmon's will that his son John should marry in order to gain his inheritance. When John disappears and is presumed drowned she is left " a widow without ever being married". She leaves her home and goes to live with the Boffins where she is wooed by John Rokesmith, alias of John Harmon. She refuses him at first but later falls in love with him and they marry. She finds out later that he is really John Harmon and that they have gained his inheritance. Lawyer and friend of Mortimer Lightwood. He becomes interested in the Harmon case and meets Lizzie Hexam and falls in love with her. She loves him also but tries to distance herself from him because they come from different classes of society. Lizzie leaves London to get away from Bradley Headstone, the school teacher who also loves her, and Wrayburn. Eugene finds her and is followed by Headstone who attempts to murder him. Lizzie nurses Wrayburn back to health and they are married. Crippled doll's dressmaker with whom Lizzie Hexam lives after the death of her father. She helps Lizzie escape London when pursued by Headstone and Wrayburn. Director: Julian Farino. Also starred Anna Friel, David Morrissey & Peter Vaughan Girl specified in old Harmon's will that his son John should marry in order to gain his inheritance. When John disappears and is presumed drowned she is left " a widow without ever being married". She leaves her home and goes to live with the Boffins where she is wooed by John Rokesmith, alias of John Harmon. She refuses him at first but later falls in love with him and they marry. She finds out later that he is really John Harmon and that they have gained his inheritance. A school teacher and master of the boys department of a school on the borders of Kent and Surrey. Charley Hexam becomes Headstone's pupil and Bradley becomes obsessed with Charley's sister Lizzie. Lizzie wants nothing to do with him and he becomes jealous of Eugene Wrayburn who also has eyes for Lizzie. He attempts to murder Wrayburn and believes he has been successful. Rogue Riderhood discovers the supposed murder and attempts to blackmail Headstone. In a later confrontation Riderhood and Headstone are both drowned. Lawyer and friend of Mortimer Lightwood. He becomes interested in the Harmon case and meets Lizzie Hexam and falls in love with her. She loves him also but tries to distance herself from him because they come from different classes of society. Lizzie leaves London to get away from Bradley Headstone, the school teacher who also loves her, and Wrayburn. Eugene finds her and is followed by Headstone who attempts to murder him. Lizzie nurses Wrayburn back to health and they are married. Hamilton and Anastasia Veneering. High society couple at whose frequent dinner parties the story of John Harmon is discovered. Hamilton buys his way into Parliament and is later bankrupt and the couple flees to France. Son of a wealthy dust contractor and heir to his fortune if he agrees to marry Bella Wilfer. He is away from England when his father dies and on the way home he is supposed drowned in a case of mistaken identity. With his supposed death the dust fortune goes to Boffin. John gets himself hired into the Boffin home as secretary John Rokesmith. Here he meets Bella and, with the help of the Boffins, wins her love as Rokesmith, and marries her. He later reveals his true identity and regains his fortune. 'An old Jewish man, in an ancient coat, long of skirt and wide of pocket' who fronts Fledgeby's money-lending business. He befriends Lizzie Hexam and Jenny Wren.
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