Eugene Wrayburn of Our Mutual Friend—A Favorite Character

Even on the first reading of Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens, I had already learned to appreciate Eugene Wrayburn. Dickens gives him so many moments of witty dialogue and of compassion for the under-privileged I could not help but admire him. His best friend, Mortimer Lightwood, shows such adulation toward Eugene, it seemed natural to enter into the mode of looking up to him, if only out of sympathy with the gentle Mortimer. When Lizzie Hexam falls in love with Eugene, and deep tragedy follows, my feelings deepened into love. By the second reading, I was deeply smitten. Eugene Wrayburn is in many ways a combination of Jane Austen's Elizabeth Bennett and Baroness Emmuska Orczy's Scarlet Pimpernel, Sir Percy Blakeney.

At first blush it may seem odd to compare a male character to Elizabeth Bennett, the heroine of Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth is a dependent character, because of her gender and her status in a society that subjugated women. Yet, Eugene is also in a subjective state due to his dependence on his father's wealth. As a fourth son, he has no property of his own to uphold himself in the status to which he was born. But, as a son, he is required to live up to that status in spite of the near impossibility of the task. Like Elizabeth, in order to achieve that objective, he is expected to marry for wealth and, again like Elizabeth, he refuses to marry without love.

There is a great deal to be said for his resemblance to Elizabeth in social status, but the way in which Eugene resembles Elizabeth the most is in his character traits. Elizabeth Bennett charms us with her ready wit. Even when she is humiliated by Mr. Darcy, she does not sit and brood, but almost immediately turns her disgrace into a humorous anecdote for her friend's amusement. Eugene also finds himself in humiliated circumstances, with a father who tries to arrange his life. As he explains his circumstances to his friend, he makes light of it, joking with him about not wanting to meet the lady in question. Eugene insists that, in spite of this near tyranny, his father amuses him. "Touching the lady?" asks his friend. "There [my respected father] ceases to be amusing," answers Eugene, "because my intentions are opposed to touching the lady." Both prefer to maintain a playful manner rather than to brood about their misfortunes.

Another way in which Eugene resembles Elizabeth is in his keen observation of human nature. When Charlie Hexam shows his true colors by deprecating his sister, Eugene grabs the boy by the chin to study his countenance, as if he is interested in seeing if his ingratitude was apparent in his face. More telling still is Eugene's behavior toward Charlie's school teacher, Bradley Headstone. When Mr. Headstone's passion gets the better of him, Eugene perks up. As Dickens has it, "Eugene Wrayburn looked on at him, as if he found him beginning to be rather an entertaining study."

As to the eponymous character in the Scarlet Pimpernel, Eugene takes on the most appealing characteristics of this character as well. The Baroness' main character plays a double role, as Lord Blakeney the foppish fool and as the Scarlet Pimpernel a swashbuckling hero. At first look, there would appear to be little resemblance between Eugene and Lord Blakeney, because Eugene is neither fool nor hero. The similarity is more subtle. Like Lord Blakeney, Eugene often affects an outward appearance that conceals his true character.

When Lord Blakeney acts the fool, we can tell it is mere pretense from the clever way he speaks. While outwardly Eugene appears gloomy, his lighthearted wit shows his true nature. Lord Blakeney conceals his identity in order to keep himself and his compatriots safe. Eugene uses his affectation more to reveal than to conceal, for through his affected gloom he shows his disdain for the trappings of high society. Yet, both characters only become truly admirable when their hidden nature shines through. Lord Blakeney shows that underneath his affected foppishness he is a hero who rescues the doomed aristocrats in revolution-torn France. Eugene Wrayburn shows that in spite of his lethargic, gloomy and bored exterior he can be both active and passionate in his concern for both Lizzie Hexam and her friend Jenny Wren.

There is something so very British about being outwardly able to blend in with any society, but inwardly to burn with a passion for social justice. These are the marks of a true British gentleman. Eugene, in spite of his gloomy front, blends seamlessly into the Verneering's dinner party group, which he qualifies for by his lofty birth. He seems even more at home in the industrious Jenny Wren's parlor-workshop. He does not even stand out uncomfortably in the lowly hovel of the Hexam family. His confidence makes him at home in the first extreme as his courtesy makes him at home in the last. At the Verneering's party, he feels that justice has been abused by the waste of resources in mere glittery show. At the Hexam's house, he feels that a sensitive soul is languishing for want of those resources, and so he works to right that injustice.

Those who would take Eugene Wrayburn as he merely appears to be, or even oft times by his words alone, would misread him disastrously. Lizzie catches a glimpse of Eugene's earnest conviction, behind the façade "usually so light and careless." It is this part of him that she falls in love with. But the true test of Eugene's character is in how his best friend perceives him. Eugene affects gloom, but Mortimer sees him as primarily playful, never able to take anything seriously. He affects a languishing demeanor, but Mortimer notices that he is vigorous enough to outpace the stalking Mr. Headstone night after night. Eugene affects boredom, but he becomes consumed with introspection so intense that his friend becomes concerned to know what is troubling him so deeply.

It is that matter that is trouble Eugene so deeply that most enables us to sympathize with him. He knows that he is falling in love with Lizzie Hexam, but he cannot decide if she is in love with him. Nor can he decide whether loving her is in her best interests. As becomes apparent in the final chapters, the vast majority of society would not accept Lizzie's rise in social status through marriage to an aristocrat. Most of them will make her feel unwelcome, and unworthy. It was serious business in those days to marry outside of one's class.

As a consequence, Eugene tries to repress his love, while still working to do as much good as he can for Lizzie. To marry such extremes of class difference could mean to give up society at both ends of the scale, and to be left friendless throughout life. Eugene hesitates to inflict this upon Lizzie, until he sees how passionately she loves him. When he sees that it is as painful for her to deny herself as it is for him to deny himself this love, he is completely torn. On the one hand, if he marries her she will become a social outcast, and on the other hand she will be denied her love. He can only decide to leave her because it is her decision to separate, and he respects her wishes. The intimate cluster of friends, who finally join the two in the end, are sufficient to ensure that this loving pair will not be friendless, though the rest of society disdains their union.

In short, Eugene Wrayburn is one of the most delightful, endearing and sympathetic characters of all time. His character alone makes Our Mutual Friend a book worth reading, but there are many more worthwhile characters in this novel and many fascinating themes to explore as well. Eugene is just my favorite reason to read and reread this classic.

Do you have a favorite Dickens character from this, or his other masterpieces?