The Duchess and the Jeweller

“‘Behold Oliver,’ he would say, addressing himself. ‘You who began life in a filthy little alley.’”

This reveals Oliver’s impoverished start in life which contrasts starkly with his current wealth. Reminding himself of his humble beginnings gives Oliver an opportunity to celebrate himself but also reassure himself that he is successful.

“But he dismantled himself often and became again a little boy in a dark alley.”

Oliver enacts an almost compulsive “dismantling” of his identity. Repeatedly tracing his upward trajectory from rags to riches serves as a source of satisfaction. However, it also betrays an anxiety about his position. Despite being the “richest jeweller in England” (249), in his mind he repeatedly reverts to a scared little boy, hinting that his social airs are partly a performance.

“[H]e would rip his letters open with his long pointed nails and would extract thick white cards of invitation upon which the engraving stood up roughly from duchesses, countesses, viscountesses and Honourable Ladies.”

The description of Oliver’s “long pointed nails” is a jarring personal detail evoking the image of claws. The claws tie into the animal imagery repeatedly used to describe Oliver. They suggest a grasping, greedy aspect to his nature, highlighting the theme of Materialism and Greed.