Mr. Jobling / Mr. Weevle Character Analysis in Bleak House

Mr. Jobling is a friend of Mr. Guppy and Bart Smallweed’s and has recently been fired from his job as a clerk. Mr. Jobling is an unlucky man and an unsuccessful social climber. He plots with Mr. Guppy to move into Krook’s shop so that he can spy on the old man and find out if there are valuable legal papers contained within the jumble of documents which crowd the shop. Before this move, Mr. Jobling changes his name to Mr. Weevle. During his stay with Krook, Mr. Weevle works hard to ingratiate himself with the old man. He buys Krook gin and helps him to read—Krook is illiterate but jealously guards his documents because he knows they are legal papers and suspects their value—and does odd jobs around the house. This leads the neighbors to surmise that Mr. Weevle may inherit Krook’s fortune. Mr. Weevle almost succeeds in getting evidence from Krook, which proves that Esther Summerson is Lady Dedlock’s daughter, and that her father was Krook’s previous lodger, Captain Hawdon, but Krook spontaneously combusts before the exchange takes place and the letters are destroyed in the fire. Mr. Weevle is taken in by Mr. Guppy’s suggestions that he has powerful friends and is involved in an important and confidential mystery and is slightly in awe of his friend. However, because the reader knows that this is not the case, and that Mr. Guppy is exaggerating, it is obvious that Mr. Weevle is very gullible and not as cunning as his compatriot. Mr. Weevle regrets his involvement in the conspiracy after Krook’s death and comes to believe that his room, which was the room occupied by Captain Hawdon before his death, is haunted because of his guilt over trying to steal the letters.

Mr. Jobling / Mr. Weevle Quotes in Bleak House

The Bleak House quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Jobling / Mr. Weevle or refer to Mr. Jobling / Mr. Weevle. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Social Mobility, Class, and Lineage Theme Icon

They gradually discern the elder Mr Smallweed, seated in his chair upon the brink of a well or grave of waste paper; the virtuous Judy groping therein, like a female sexton; and Mrs Smallweed on the level ground in the vicinity, snowed up in a heap of paper fragments, print and manuscript, which would appear to be the accumulated compliments that have been sent flying at her in the course of the day. The whole party, Small included, are blackened with dust and dirt, and present a fiendish appearance not relieved by the general aspect of the room.

Related Characters: Mr. Guppy, Mr. Jobling / Mr. Weevle, Mr. Smallweed, Judy Smallweed, Krook

Page Number and Citation: 477

Explanation and Analysis:

Mr. Jobling / Mr. Weevle Character Timeline in Bleak House

The timeline below shows where the character Mr. Jobling / Mr. Weevle appears in Bleak House. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Passion, Obsession, and Madness Theme Icon

...Mr. Guppy leans out of the window to cool himself down and sees his friend Mr. Jobling below. (full context)

Mr. Jobling shouts up to Mr. Guppy that he is hungry and Mr. Guppy shouts back that,... (full context)

They order three meals and Mr. Jobling , who has a downtrodden appearance, eats heartily. He has fallen on hard times, been... (full context)

Mr. Jobling gratefully thanks Mr. Guppy and accepts his offer. Mr. Guppy tells Mr. Jobling that Krook’s... (full context)

Bart Smallweed leaves them, and Mr. Guppy and Mr. Jobling go on to Krook’s shop. They find Krook asleep in the shop, with a gin... (full context)

Krook shows Mr. Guppy and Mr. Jobling the room—Mr. Jobling assumes the false name, Mr. Weevle, to disguise himself and listens to... (full context)

...Mrs. Perkins, Krook’s neighbors, gossip on a doorstep in the clammy air. At Krook’s shop, Mr. Weevle goes up and down the stairs anxiously and hovers by the door as though waiting... (full context)

Mr. Weevle says that the dense air gives him “the horrors,” and Mr. Snagsby says that this... (full context)

Mr. Weevle remains in the street and awaits his companion, who had promised to meet him. At... (full context)

Mr. Guppy looks at the portrait of Lady Dedlock on Mr. Weevle ’s wall. Mr. Weevle thinks it is strange that Krook chose midnight as the time... (full context)

Mr. Weevle is to go downstairs at midnight. As the men wait, they notice that the air... (full context)

...false letters, they will call his bluff because the letters are neither theirs nor his. Mr. Weevle says that, although this seems honest, they are being very secretive and mysterious about it.... (full context)

Mr. Weevle muses on Krook’s strange habit of spelling out words. He will never learn to read,... (full context)

Mr. Weevle goes down the stairs but, suddenly, charges back up. He cries that Krook is not... (full context)

...see a pile of ashes on the floor. Horrified by this discovery, Mr. Guppy and Mr. Weevle rush out of the house and call for help. Krook has died from spontaneous combustion,... (full context)

...for Nemo, and Krook’s death is also the talk of the street. Mr. Guppy and Mr. Weevle are supplied with drinks in the pub and asked to repeat the story many times.... (full context)

Mr. Weevle and Mr. Guppy walk from the pub together towards the court and are both very... (full context)

...chant crazily when she hears this, and Mr. Smallweed swears at her. Mr. Guppy and Mr. Weevle are rather indignant that Bart never told them of this relation. They help carry Mr.... (full context)

...his complexion is ruddy and inflamed as he stalks across the courtyard. Mr. Guppy and Mr. Weevle watch him and remark that there may be another case of “combustion” soon. Mr. Guppy... (full context)

Mr. Guppy and Mr. Weevle discuss the Smallweed family; they are still in Krook’s shop and seem to be sifting... (full context)

...of gossip and activity and the pub nearby does a roaring trade. Mr. Guppy and Mr. Weevle approach and knock on the shop door. They are admitted and go, squinting, into the... (full context)

Mr. Weevle says that he has come to empty his room. He and Mr. Guppy are shocked... (full context)

...gloomy, just as they left it. Mr. Guppy is in the middle of taking down Mr. Weevle ’s Great British Beauties collection when Mr. Tulkinghorn appears in the doorway and asks to... (full context)

...it. As soon as he is gone, Mr. Guppy begin to pack hastily. He begs Mr. Weevle not to ask any questions and heavily implies that, through his failed romance, he has... (full context)

...and Mr. Jarndyce return to London and are surprised when Mr. Guppy, Mrs. Guppy, and Mr. Weevle come to see them. Mr. Jarndyce is very amused when Esther tells him of Mr.... (full context)

...decent man and that Esther should be grateful for the offer. Finally, Mr. Guppy and Mr. Weevle , both deeply embarrassed, drag her from the room. (full context)

Mr. Jobling / Mr. Weevle Character Analysis

Mr. Jobling / Mr. Weevle Quotes in Bleak House

Chapter 39 Quotes

Mr. Jobling / Mr. Weevle Character Timeline in Bleak House