. . . "If it wasn't for the nerve a little sip of liquor gives me (I never was able to do more than taste it), I never could go through with what I sometimes has to do. 'Mrs. Harris,' I says, at the very last case as ever I acted in, which it was but a young person, 'Mrs. Harris,' I says, 'leave the bottle on the chimley-piece, and don't ask me to take none, but let me put my lips to it when I am so dispoged, and then I will do what I am engaged to do, according to the best of my ability.' . . ."

This quote from "Martin Chuzzlewit" captures the essence of Mrs. Gamp, one of Dickens’ most vivid characters. Known for her dubious professionalism and penchant for alcohol, Mrs. Gamp’s comment highlights her dependency on liquor as a crutch for facing her grim duties. Her request to "leave the bottle on the chimley-piece" suggests a casual, almost ritualistic approach to drinking; it serves as both a coping mechanism and an enabler of her work performance. By referencing the fictional "Mrs. Harris," she maintains an illusion of propriety, finding a way to justify her behavior while hinting at her isolation and the fabrication of her social circle. Dickens uses Mrs. Gamp to satirize the pretenses and underlying vices within Victorian society, illustrating how individuals like her navigate their roles with a facade of respectability.