Strictly speaking, of course, Jo writes nothing in his "will." He knows "nothink."  Reading and writing are utter mysteries
to him.  Perhaps with some vague memory of talk of wills, he merely instructs Mr Snagsby to write for him, "uncommon precious large," his sense of guilt and sorrow at having infected Esther, and grieved Mr Woodcourt.  That is all I gave of his "will."
      But I hoped readers might see the indignant irony in what I wrote.  Jarndyce v Jarndyce is about contested wills.  Mr Snagsby Jo's chosen amenuensis, is a law stationer who supplies ink, pen, paper, tape, wafer and sealing wax for the composition of wills. That Jo, one of the dispossessed, should be thought of as making a will was something I hoped readers might find bizarre and thought- provoking.
      It grieves me that people should suppose, when I imagined the character of Harold Skimpole, that in any but the most
superficial way in the world, I was modelling him upon the poet and esayist, Leigh Hunt.  Mr Hunt, to be sure, was sometimes
improvident, and sometimes looked to his friends for help, which they gave because they loved him.  He was selfless and noble,
unlike Harold Skimpole, who would never have gone to prison for his beliefs, as Hunt valiantly did.

Faithfully yours,
 

Charles Dickens.
 
 
 
 

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      Curso Académico 1999/2000
    Narrativa en lengua inglesa I
    © Ioana Basterra López
    © a.r.e.a/ Dr. Vicente Forés López
    Universitat de València Press
         jobaslo@alumni.uv.es