# A Social Chorus explained — Our Mutual Friend

> Chapter companion for Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens.

## What happens

The chapter opens with the astonishment of the Lammles' social circle at their financial collapse, prompting the Veneerings to host a dinner in their honor. The dinner is a gathering of fashionable society, including Lady Tippins, Boots, Brewer, Buffer, the Podsnaps, and others, where the conversation revolves around the Lammles' ruin. Eugene Wrayburn is called away during the dinner to attend to a matter involving Lizzie Hexam, and he leaves to think over the situation.

## Themes in this chapter

### Wealth and Corruption

The Lammles' financial ruin and the Veneerings' lavish dinner highlight the corrupting influence of wealth and social pretension.

### Charity and Hypocrisy

The dinner guests express shock at the Lammles' downfall while indulging in gossip and self-congratulation, revealing their hypocrisy.

## Character check-ins

### Alfred Lammle

His financial collapse is the subject of the dinner conversation.

### Sophronia Lammle

She visits Twemlow to seek his help, and her ruin is discussed at the dinner.

### Mr. Veneering

Hosts the dinner in wonderment at the Lammles' downfall.

### Mrs. Veneering

Co-hosts the dinner and expresses shock at the Lammles' living beyond their means.

### Eugene Wrayburn

Attends the dinner but is called away by a message about Lizzie Hexam, leaving to think.

### Twemlow

Receives a visit from Sophronia Lammle at his lodgings.

## Key lines

> Amazement sits enthroned upon the countenances of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Lammle’s circle of acquaintance, when the disposal of their first-class furniture and effects (including a Billiard Table in capital letters), 'by auction, under a bill of sale,' is publicly announced on a waving hearthrug in Sackville Street.

The Lammles' friends are shocked to learn that their luxurious furniture is being auctioned off due to debt.

_Opens the chapter with the social fallout of the Lammles' financial collapse._

> The gold and silver camels, and the ice-pails, and the rest of the Veneering table decorations, make a brilliant show, and when I, Podsnap, casually remark elsewhere that I dined last Monday with a gorgeous caravan of camels, I find it personally offensive to have it hinted to me that they are broken-kneed camels, or camels labouring under suspicion of any sort.

Podsnap is offended if anyone suggests that the Veneerings' lavish decorations are tainted by the Lammles' disgrace.

_Illustrates the social anxiety about associating with disgraced individuals._

> Eugene, with a slightly satirical touch, suggests that Mrs. Lammle, not being a mother, had no baby to look at, to which Mrs. Veneering replies that 'the principle is the same.'

Eugene wryly points out that Mrs. Lammle has no child to consider, but Mrs. Veneering insists the moral principle still applies.

_Highlights the hypocrisy and abstract moralizing of the dinner guests._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/our_mutual_friend_se/chapters/xvii-a-social-chorus
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/our_mutual_friend_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/our_mutual_friend_se/chapters