# Harold Biffen — New Grub Street character guide > Harold Biffen in New Grub Street by George Gissing. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Biffen, old Biffen, poor Biffen **First appearance:** 0003-iv-an-author-and-his-wife ## Snapshot A penniless realist who writes with fierce conviction and lives on almost nothing, Biffen is Reardon's truest friend and the novel's starkest portrait of literary integrity. ## Who they are Harold Biffen lodges in Goodge Street and labors over a novel of absolute, unsparing realism that no publisher will touch, sustained by a conviction that art must not flatter. He adores Amy Reardon from a distance, dresses better than his means when he can, and shares with Reardon a friendship built on shared poverty and shared refusal to write down. His fate hangs over the novel's later chapters as the price of a life given wholly to literature without compromise. ## Relationships ### [Amy Reardon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/characters/amy_reardon) _friendship_ Amy maintains a cordial friendship with Harold, who is a loyal friend to her estranged husband Edwin. ### [Edwin Reardon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/characters/edwin_reardon) _friendship_ Edwin and Harold are close friends and fellow struggling writers, sharing a deep bond over their artistic ideals and mutual poverty. ### [Edwin Reardon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/characters/edwin_reardon) _friendship_ Edwin and Harold are close friends and fellow struggling writers, sharing a deep bond over their artistic ideals and mutual poverty. ### [Amy Reardon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/characters/amy_reardon) _friendship_ Amy maintains a cordial friendship with Harold, who is a loyal friend to her estranged husband Edwin. ### [Amy Reardon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/characters/amy_reardon) _friendship_ Amy maintains a cordial friendship with Harold, who is a loyal friend to her estranged husband Edwin. ### [Edwin Reardon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/characters/edwin_reardon) _friendship_ Edwin and Harold are close friends and fellow struggling writers, sharing a deep bond over their artistic ideals and mutual poverty. ## In the story ### [X: The Friends of the Family](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/chapters/x-the-friends-of-the-family) Biffen has pawned his coat and sits in his overcoat to hide it. He is respectful toward Amy and speaks in favor of realism in literature. He is poor and struggles to get enough to eat. ### [XV: The Last Resource](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/chapters/xv-the-last-resource) Mentioned as a recipient of Reardon's new novel, though Reardon fears Biffen will despise him. ### [Rejection](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/chapters/xvi-rejection) Visits Reardon, shares his meager meal of bread and dripping, and accompanies him to see Whelpdale. ### [XVII: The Parting](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/chapters/xvii-the-parting) Enviously referenced by Reardon as someone who can live on very little and is free from family obligations. ### [The Past Revived](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/chapters/xix-the-past-revived) Mentioned as the only person who might give Reardon a kind welcome. ### [XXV: A Fruitless Meeting](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/chapters/xxv-a-fruitless-meeting) Visits Reardon weekly, offers sympathy, defends Amy's actions, reads chapters of his novel 'Mr. Bailey, Grocer' to Reardon, and tries to encourage him to write again. ### [XXVII: The Lonely Man](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/chapters/xxvii-the-lonely-man) Accompanies Reardon and introduces him to Mr. Sykes; discusses the workhouse and poverty philosophically. ### [A Rescue and a Summons](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/chapters/xxxi-a-rescue-and-a-summons) Survives a fire in his garret, rescuing his manuscript 'Mr. Bailey, Grocer' but losing all his books and notes; he visits Reardon and later accompanies him to the station. ### [XXXII: Reardon Becomes Practical](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/chapters/xxxii-reardon-becomes-practical) Accompanies Reardon to the station and urges him to reconcile with Amy. ### [XXXIII: The Sunny Way](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/chapters/xxxiii-the-sunny-way) Author of 'Mr. Bailey, Grocer'; Jasper writes favorable reviews for him. ### [Fever and Rest](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/chapters/xxxv-fever-and-rest) His novel is published to poor reviews; he is consumed by unrequited love for Amy Reardon and decides to commit suicide by poison on Putney Heath. ### [XXXVI: Jasper's Delicate Case](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/chapters/xxxvi-jasper-s-delicate-case) Reported to have committed suicide by poison; his death is discussed by Jasper and others. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/characters/harold_biffen - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/new_grub_street_se/characters