The novel, Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens, is set in 1864 London, England, and therefore the language used is indicative of that time period. At that time, novels were a primary form of entertainment, so writers tended to enrich their stories with long descriptions and flowerly language. Many of the words chosen are more proper and varied than the type found in more contemporary novels. Dickens also uses differences in dialogue to show the chasm between the rich and the poor among London's social classes.