The Great Trouble

For Eel, an impoverished orphan in Victorian London, education is his sole opportunity to pursue social advancement and bring about an improvement in his situation. The proof of this dynamic lies in Eel’s previous education and the chances it has afforded him despite his currently diminished circumstances. When Eel works at Lion Brewery in the beginning of the novel, he recalls that he obtained the job because Thumbless Jake advertised Eel as someone who could read and write: skills that were far from guaranteed for orphan children in Victorian London. Eel knows he is lucky to have such an opportunity, and he advertises his literacy whenever possible, often surprising the middle- or upper-class adults from whom he seeks employment.

The author uses the protagonist’s views to promote the value of education to young readers, for Eel thinks of education as something that transforms opportunities and improves the self as well. When Reverend Whitehead tells the boy that he was only able to attend school because his father was the headmaster, Eel finds it odd that “an educated man [like the reverend] would bother to talk to [him]” (72). From Eel’s limited perspective, the reverend is currently an elevated figure in society and therefore always has been, and Eel cannot quite conceive of the fact that the reverend was once, like Eel, an unlikely candidate for education. This scene therefore reflects yet another example of the boy’s misguided conviction that upper-class individuals should have no reason to care for a lowly orphan like himself. However, the boy does understand that education has the capacity to erase or at least mitigate the difficulties of the past and allow people to become better versions of themselves.

Despite his knowledge that education is a valuable asset, Eel does not use his earnings to fund his own education or advance his own situation. Instead, he funds his brother’s education, citing this responsibility as a necessity even when he lacks the money required to pay for Henry’s room and board. In Eel’s estimation, even the threat of Fisheye Bill’s search for Henry is secondary to the little boy’s education, for although Eel cautions his brother to be cautious when he travels to and from school, he never suggests that Henry should skip school to stay out of sight.

Because Eel has no extra money for his own education and no education to improve his earning potential, this vicious cycle could prevent Eel from achieving any form of upward social mobility. However, he possesses the cleverness, perseverance, and strength of will to make the most of his limited education and gradually advance to higher-paying jobs. Eel’s innate cleverness manifests in multiple ways as he helps Dr. Snow by making keen observations, thinking critically, and analyzing situations to make them work to his advantage. When he combines these skills with his honesty and his willingness to work hard, Eel seizes new opportunities and manages to keep them. This combination of qualities ultimately leads to his adoption by Mr. Edward at the novel’s conclusion, which presents Eel with a promising future: one that finally allows him to attend school.