Grub Street as a Symbol of Hack Writing
Until the early 19th century, Grub Street in London (later renamed Milton Street) was famous for its concentration of impoverished hack writers, aspiring poets, and low-end publishers. During the era covered in the novel, the street name had already vanished, but the term itself remained as a symbol of hack writing. Accordingly, Grub Street, in the novel, is a symbol of impoverished authors and works of literary value.
Death as a Motif for Social Degradation
Death and social degradation are closely linked in the novel. Edwin Reardon, Harold Biffen, and Alfred Yule are characters driven away from the higher literary and social circles due to poverty, traditional, and rigid writing. Driven down the social ladder at a dangerous speed, death is the ultimate end result of such a course. Thus, death is used by the author as motif to develop the theme of social injustice.
Failed Relationships as a Motif for Social Status
The novel covers a number of failed relationships. On the one hand, there is the broken engagement between Marian Yule and Jasper Milvain; on the other, the crumbling marriage of the Reardons. Both pairs split because of poverty and its obstruction in connection with social mobility. Thus, they are used as a motif to expand upon the evils of social conventions, and the restriction exerted by penury over people in the lower classes.
Money as a Symbol of Power
The money left by John Yule to his nieces is a symbol of power, for money, at the time, was a mighty influence. Amy’s inheritance exceeded by far that of her cousin. Accordingly, the power in her hands was potent. It gave her access to the higher circles of society, and the finest accommodations she had ever desired. Marian’s share was a very small one in comparison. Consequently, hers was a limited improvement. Money stands thus symbolic for power in a highly materialistic community.
Garrets as a Symbol of Isolation
Edwin Reardon and Harold Biffen are two destitute characters who, driven by need, find themselves confined to a miserable existence in garrets. In such poverty-stricken quarters, they are isolated from the outer world, and all but forgotten by everyone. The two friends keep one another company. They shoulder their hardships together, but have no assistance from the world. Thus, the garret itself is a symbol of such isolation; isolation forced upon people by unjust notions of wealth.
The Allegory of Life as a Battle
Following Biffen’s suicide and Reardon’s death, Jasper comments upon these events saying, “There are two of my companions fallen in the battle”. This is an allegory, for neither of his friends was a soldier who had died in the battlefield, but the words and terms are used to represent and signify another meaning; namely that life is a battle and that the two have fallen in its arena.
