Tulkinghorn

Tulkinghorn is a fictional character in Charles Dickens' novel Bleak House. He is the family lawyer for the aristocratic Dedlock family and has been in their service for decades, accumulating immense power and influence through his knowledge of their secrets. Tulkinghorn is depicted as a shrewd, calculating, and morally ambiguous figure, embodying the rigid, ancient traditions and hidden machinations of the English legal system. He lives in a grand but somewhat dusty old house, surrounded by legal documents and the weight of history.

Throughout the novel, Tulkinghorn acts as a keeper of secrets, particularly those concerning Lady Dedlock's past and her illegitimate daughter, Esther Summerson. He uses his knowledge to manipulate events and maintain the status quo, often with a detached and unfeeling demeanor. His loyalty is primarily to the institution of the law and the preservation of the Dedlock name, rather than to any individual. Despite his reserved nature, he is a formidable antagonist whose actions drive much of the plot. Tulkinghorn's eventual death, occurring mysteriously within his own home, is a pivotal moment in the narrative, symbolizing the unraveling of long-held secrets and the disruption of established order. He represents the oppressive and often corrupt nature of the legal and social structures of Victorian England.