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Bleak House · Character

Mr. Vholes

A pale, soft-spoken Chancery solicitor whose relentless diligence in Richard's suit quietly consumes his client's fortune.

supporting

Also known as Vholes

First appearance: xxxviii a struggle

As a supporting figure in Bleak House, Mr. Vholes is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Vholes, the respectable attorney with impaired digestion, manipulates Richard's distrust of Jarndyce while professing his own professional duty and disinterest.
In the storyAttorney and ClientOpen this moment free

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Mr. Vholes is a lawyer of pinched respectability who keeps his shoulder to the wheel of Jarndyce and Jarndyce with grim, unflagging patience. He presents himself as a man of duty and family feeling, yet his fees and his…

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See Mr. Vholes in xxxviii a struggle

Character Web

16 connections

A slice of how Mr. Vholes sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

SLSir Leicester …RCRichard CarstoneMWMr. WoodcourtKEKengeMJMr. JarndyceMVMr. Vholes

Relationship types

  • Other

Character groups

  • Minor Figures and Background Characters
  • Chancery and Mystery Core

+11 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.

SetupAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

This passage marks the dramatic climax because it depicts Esther’s psychological reversal from illness and los…

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In the story

Mr. Vholes appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

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See Mr. Vholes in xxxviii a struggle
Who is Mr. Vholes in Bleak House?