The Duchess and the Jeweller

The theme of Materialism and Greed is embodied in the character of Oliver Bacon. Initially, readers learn about Oliver through the objects that he owns rather than his thoughts or actions. This subtly suggests that it is his commodities that make him who he is rather than his values. He lives in Green Park, an affluent and upper-class area of London where Buckingham Palace is located. His furnishings include curtains incorporating the “proper allowance of discreet net and figured satin” (248), and a mahogany sideboard that “bulge[s] discreetly with the right brandies, whiskeys and liqueurs” (248). The narrator’s emphasis on “right” and “proper” suggests that Oliver is sensitive to current social conventions dictating good taste. He is also careful over his appearance, buying clothes from the best tailors in London. These details suggest that material goods are important to Oliver, and he wants to communicate his wealth and status to others.

Access to Oliver’s thoughts and memories through the technique of interior monologue reveals that he was born into a poor family and has worked to become rich and increase his social standing. His present luxurious life is set against constant thoughts of his impoverished past.