Dickens and Identity. And Zoolander.

Who am I? Zoolander was not the first person to ask the question and will not be the last. I talked about identities in my first blog post, but I’m going to talk about it again. Identity has always been important. Society is built upon it. In older societies (we’re talking hundreds of years ago), where you were born defined who you were, what you did, what your potential was, how much money you made, and who you associated with.  Today, not so much. And if there is still some kind of correlation, we don’t like to talk about it in America. Because we’re all middle class.

Back to identity. In today’s society, the Internet has given people the means to reinvent themselves countless times through various means. There are roleplay games and virtual reality games. Even Twitter and Facebook give people the opportunity to present themselves to the world in a very selective manner (thought we could probably all name some people we wish were more selective).

Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend facilitates the same kind of selection. Characters make and hide identities. Fascinating Mr. Fledgeby and the Lammles use their deceitful identifies commit fraud and abuse their associates. They manipulate others for their own gain. Productive, yes, but not necessarily moral.

Other characters use their identities, or lack thereof, for good. The stoic Secretary John Rokesmith hides the fact that he is in fact the murdered dust pile heir John Harmon and also the person-of-suspicion Julius Hanford. He navigates life as secretary to the man who inherited his (John Harmon’s) money in order to help the man manage the money and for some other reasons. Lizzie Hexam completely disappears, essentially wiping out her identity (in London at least) in order to protect the man she loves.

Many of the characters of Our Mutual Friend are asking the question “Who am I?” And if not that question, then they are asking, “Who are you?,” to at least one other character in their society.