This is the only page of notes that explicitly separates

Mems

from

Mems: for future

This may suggest that the main function of this installment is to introduce characters that drive the rest of the plot.

"A New Lodger", "Tony Jobling", "Owen Weevle" all refer to the same character

Dickens considers formally including the Turveydrops in installment 7, but decides not to. However, he writes "next time", and installment 8's notes confirm that he does reintroduce them in chapter 23. This suggests that the timing could not be prolonged too far out; it was necessary to include the family again within a small window of time.

Instead of including Guppy's mother in this installment, which would drastically change the "masculine" atmosphere of the setting and content in chapter 20, Dickens chooses to make Krook the focus of Guppy's (and therefore Jobling's) suspicions.

Dickens is mapping out future roles for the new character Tony Jobling (Mr. Weevle)

All three of this installment's chapter titles focus on a new character of grouping of characters that are introduced.

A New Lodger

The Smallweed Family

Mr. Bucket

Here Dickens is planning the continuation of "mystery woman" investigation plot line based on the events the precipitated in installment 7.

The meaning of this is unclear, though it seems closely associated with Jo's needing to move on, and Krook's getting on. All of these, keeping/moving/getting on imply a tone of eternal monotony. In such terms, Mr. Tulkinghorn's "carrying on" may make sense in the opening pages' existential paragraphs wherein Tulkinghorn thinks of a man's suicide, and his relationship to a similar, linear lifestyle.

This note links Mr. Snagsby and the detective officer (Mr. Bucket) with a dash, which is logical considering the main journey of the chapter (retrieving a questioning Jo), the two characters are together. However, the dash also manages to mark the two men as separate from each other, which is also logical. Mr. Snagsby is consistently set apart from Bucket especially in terms of their natural investigative instincts and confidence in mannerisms.

Dickens decides to limit the presence of the brick makers' family in this installment, as well as Gridley's character.

Gridley is not an active character in this installment, and is only mentioned once, in chapter 22. Mr. Bucket casually, though purposefully, asks Mr. Snagsby about Gridley. Bucket mentions that Gridley made threatening remarks and that he is "keeping out of the way of a warrant. . . against him" (357).

The brick-makers' families play a bit more extensive of a role in this installment, as the women interact with Snagsby and Bucket while their husbands are drunk, unconscious, and out of work. One notable conversation takes place about the families' conditions. Bucket lectures Liz about her desperate idea that her child may be better off dead than alive. This is important because it shows Mr. Bucket's disconnect with the realities of life in Tom-All-Alone's. The shelter well-off people have from the reality of poor neighborhoods, to the point that may never know it exists and will likely never understand the toils, is another element of social criticism by Dickens.

Dickens again chooses not to include Miss Flite's friend. He considered this possibility in installment 5 and deferred it then as well.

This consideration to venture into Tom-All-Alone's as a setting in this installment is followed decided with underlined "Do" and the again affirmed with a double underlined "Yes." This is shown in the text when Mr. Snagsby and Mr. Bucket go to find Jo for questioning. The triple emphasis to include this setting in the notes suggests that the scene at Tom-All-Alone's is especially significant. In Chapter 22 we see the omniscient narrator privileging the perspectives of Mr. Snagsby and Mr. Bucket in the environment. Readers are then able to easily notice the contrasts between the well-off characters and the environment that is described as if it were an unworldly and nightmarish hell.

Mr. Snagsby passes along the middle of a villainous street, undrained, unventilated, deep in black mud and corrupt water—though the roads are dry elsewhere—and reeking with such smells and sights that he, who has lived in London all his life, can scarce believe his senses. Branching from this street and its heaps of ruins are other streets and courts so infamous that Mr. Snagsby sickens in body and mind and feels as if he were going every moment deeper down into the infernal gulf. (358).

The juxtaposition between the civilized characters and the uncivilized physical world reveals the ignorance of Snagsby and characters of his social circle, and the reality for characters like Jo, Jenny, and the Liz; these are major contributing factors to the broader idea of social commentary.

The Frenchwoman (Mademeoiselle Hortense) and Jo appear in this section of notes with a backslash between the two. It is interesting that "Frenchwoman" is written first, and Jo is written second, considering Jo exists in the chapter longer and much earlier than she does. That she is written before Jo in the notes suggests that the main point of Jo's presence is to lead up to this misidentification. It's also interesting that at the installment's conclusion, the informal acquittal of Hortense may lead readers to dismiss her of suspicion, when in fact this innocence is short-lived. On the other hand, "Jo" is underscored by bold ink, possibly indicating a larger significance to Jo's role here. (See Tom-all-alone's note caption)

Jo repeats this three times in the chapter. "The wale, the bonnet, and the gownd" are the three identifying articles that he recognizes of the mystery woman's (Lady Dedlock's) clothing that he sees on Hortense. The repetition of these three articles three times emphasizes Jo's role in the investigation. These three features are counteracted with another three.

It an't her hand, nor yet the rings, nor yet her woice" (364).

It is almost as if these nullify one voicing of the recognizable evidence, and dismiss the woman in the room, but there is still the remainder wale, bonnet, and gown. These items still remain valid evidence that will be carried through into future installments relating to the investigation.

The underlining of this character's name is interesting, considering Phil doesn't appear until the last two pages of the 21st chapter, and in a different setting from the Smallweed's home. He is described with incredible physical disfigurements, and as the closest relationship George has. Interestingly, Phil's physical appearance and mobility is described as primal and almost atavistic

George's Shooting Gallery to-night, which is so devoid of company that a little grotesque man with a large head has it all to himself and lies asleep upon the floor (350).

This is similar to the descriptions of Judy Smallweed earlier in this installment. George's connections with, or at least intrigue by, these characters help shape him as one of the most psychologically developed characters Bleak House offers.

She seemed like an animal of another species, and there was instinctive repugnance on both sides (335).

The trooper, George, is the vehicle through which the omniscient narrator travels from the Smallweed's residence to George's Shooting Gallery, &c.

Penetrating to the heart of this region, he arrives by a court and a long whitewashed passage at a great brick building composed of bare walls, floors, roof-rafters, and skylights, on the front of which, if it can be said to have any front, is painted GEORGE'S SHOOTING GALLERY, &c.

This establishes the shooting gallery as a casual setting with a potential that comes to significance in installment 15.

Dickens considers adding Mr. Guppy's mother to the installment, but decides not to. It seems most probable that this considerations as meant for chapter 20. Although Dicken's does not shy away from ambushing readers with a handful of characters at a time, the focus of the "A New Lodger" chapter benefits from having a wide focus on "the legal triumvirate", leading to a narrower purpose on Jobling/Weevel and his newfound spy duties. Mrs. Guppy's satirical model of femininity is delayed.

The cushion is a device used to highlight tension and induce an element of humor within the Smallweed house. The double underline in Dickens's notes is interesting. The most obvious use of the weaponized cushion is for comedic purposes, however it is possible that it was intended as an allegory, considering Grandfather Smallweed beats his old wife whenever she acts childishly. This may have a greater implication of the necessity to "shape up" people acting immaturely when the more pressing matter is earning money, without talking about earning money. Alternatively, it's possible that Dickens experienced some inspiration in the writing process, and simply wanted to include a scene in which one person's character quirk is to beat another person with a cushion, unlikely to do any serious harm though very likely to catch attention. It's easy to forget that Dickens had interactions with the world outside of writing these popular pieces.

That Young Smallweed and his twin Jenny are "old" young people is significant to the social commentary of Bleak House as a whole. They represent a class of children who must act as adults who must earn money, whether that be through honest work or through scheming, happily or grudgingly. These young "old" Smallweeds are foils to the already established character, a perpetual self-proclaimed adult "child"-- Skimpole. The 21st chapter "The Smallweed Family" depicts the physical space these Smallweeds inhabit as helplessly chaotic and desperate, whereas Skimpole, detailed in previous installments, is consistently and contently dependent on others for his protected and prosperous welfare.

The "old" Smallweed family is dedicated the longest chapter in the 7th installment.

This note is very pointed about the Smallweed family, but accurately sums up the biggest common denominator of the family. They are all old. Even the way in which Dickens has written

No childhood - no amusements

old man - old woman -old grandchildren in these working notes s very monotonous. While grandfather Smallweed does have bursts of animation, the monotony in these notes and in the story is of age, and even decay.

This is said by Jobling at the Slap Bang Dinner. "I don't know but what I..." is an expression used exclusively by men engaged in the legal dimension of Bleak House. The underline of "will" in the notices corresponds to italicization of the word in the chapter. This emphasis on a word within this expression, spoken by Jobling, is an additional marker of this new character as a member (successful or not) of the legal world.

The "Slap-Bang Dinner" takes up a large portion of the chapter's setting. The setting is important in terms of plot, because it provides a busy environment in which Guppy may address Jobling housing, his ill-defined suspicions about Krook, and the spying proposal.

Then, amid a constant coming in, and going out, and running about, and a clatter of crockery, and a rumbling up and down of the machine which brings the nice cuts from the kitchen, and a shrill crying for more nice cuts down the speaking-pipe, and a shrill reckoning of the cost of nice cuts that have been disposed of, and a general flush and steam of hot joints, cut and uncut, and a considerably heated atmosphere in which the soiled knives and tablecloths seem to break out spontaneously into eruptions of grease and blotches of beer, the legal triumvirate appease their appetites.

Tony Jobling, Guppy, and Young Smallweed make up "the legal triumvirate" engaged in semi-conspriring at the Slap Bang Dinner.

The two dashed notes to the right of the "Slap-Bang Dinner" note, as well as the one directly below it, are all parts of conversation at the Slap-Bang Dinner.

"There are chords"

Thank you Guppy I don't know but I will take a -" &c

Krook getting on

The space between Jobling's name, the dash, and the assumed name suggest that these notes may have been added at different times. The inclusion of the assumed name in addition to the original name indicates the significance of the dual identity as a feature of this installment. The assumed name serves some purpose that will persist throughout later sections.

The double underlining here suggests that this idea is a significant feature of this installment. Krook is the "old Marine store dealer - who has the papers" introduced in the working notes (and in the text) for installment #2. The mention of Krook now in installment #7 seems to be an EXPLICIT reminder of the character's quirks and attributes (never sober, nonsensical interests, etc.). The double underline suggests the significance of this reminder, as well as the significance of Krook's proximity to Mr. Guppy and the new character Jobling (Weevle), in order to set-up a familiarity with all three of these characters together in the same setting. This becomes relevant again in Installment 10, Chapter 32.

The underlining of “and” in this phrase in notes seem to suggest that in this chapter, Dickens is establishing this phrase as an identifiable tic associated with Mr. Guppy’s character.

“Chords of the mind” expressions are exclusively used through speech by Mr. Guppy. In fact, Chapter 20 is the first time Mr. Guppy speaks of such “chords”, and he does so five times. The first instance is in a sharp and incomplete reply to Jobling, who asks "How is she?" (318). The next line immediately follows with an apology from Jobling, and then Guppy’s second mention of these “chords”

"'Any subject but that!' says Mr Guppy, with a gloomy enjoyment of his injury. 'For there are chords, Jobling--" (318).

The italicizing of and in the text correlates with the underlining of "and" in the notes, indicating the importance of the phrase as an attribute of the character. These first instances alone suggests that the subject "she" is in reference to his continually failing love interest, Esther. This connection of emotionally charged phrase of bodily “chords” in relation to failed romantic endeavors seems connected to the term “heartstrings”. It’s interesting that Dickens would formulate this character identifier for Guppy to be “chords of the mind” (326) rather than, perhaps, “chords” of the heart. It seems as though this phrase, emphasized both in the working notes and in the text, is a key element to the satirical tone of the novel. Guppy, a man engaged in the world of the law, detaches romantic love from the heart to inflictions of the mind. Even more, he has a twisted pleasure in showing that he is troubled by these "chords". This portion of the working notes and the emphasis by underlining it, suggests the significance of the phrase as a character identifier as well as a contributing factor to satirical undertones.

The underlining of this section of the installment notes suggests that Mr Smallweed is an important character in this chapter of the seventh installment. The double underline of the parenthesized "(Ancient office Lad)" suggests that this characterizing feature is emphasized in this installment. This correlates to the text with extensive emphasis on the juxtaposition between Smallweed's age and physical body, with his habits, attire, and character.

Whether Young Smallweed (metaphorically called Small and eke Chick Weed, as it were jocularly to express a fledgling) was ever a boy is much doubted in Lincoln's Inn. He is now something under fifteen and an old limb of the law.

He is a town-made article, of small stature and weazen features, but may be perceived from a considerable distance by means of his very tall hat. To become a Guppy is the object of his ambition. He dresses at that gentleman (by whom he is patronized), talks at him, walks at him, founds himself entirely on him. He is honoured with Mr. Guppy's particular confidence and occasionally advises him, from the deep wells of his experience, on difficult points in private life.

The ink marking that edges "Owen weevle" may be accidental and/or arbitrary. Alternatively, this marking may suggest that assumed name is rather significant here, as it starts the interchangeability, (and later, temporary abandonment) of the name Weevle for Jobling. This is where the alternate identity begins.

This note identifies the chapter titular new lodger. Dickens gives a more thorough description of Jobling that any other character on this page of installment notes. His name, relationship to Guppy (who is the character followed by the omniscient narrator in this chapter), his assumed name, and a brief description of his action throughout the chapter are all featured here. Also, this detailed description is the first note under this chapter's title. The placement of the description and the length of the description in the notes, in conjunction with the chapter title, suggest that this character and course of action are the prioritized elements of the chapter.