Harold Skimpole and Politicians

In Bleak House, which I am currently reading, there is a character named Harold Skimpole. He is a person who is taken care of by others because he himself is not capable of doing those things himself.

Here is a particularly classic reference -

“It’s only you, the generous creatures, whom I envy,” said Mr Skimpole, addressing us, his new friends, in an impersonal manner. “I envy you your power of doing what you do. It is what I should revel in myself. I don’t feel any vulgar gratitude to you. I almost feel as if you ought to be grateful to me, for giving you the opportunity of enjoying the luxury of generosity. I know you like it. For anything I can tell, I may have come into the world expressly for the purpose of increasing your stock of happiness. I may have been born to be a benefactor to you by sometimes giving you an opportunity of assisting me in my little perplexities."

Like many of Dicken's other characters Skimpole is an interesting one mired in contrasts. He offers other pleasure by allowing them to take care of him. This is much more than the offhand comment in the Christmas Carol where Tiny Tim suggests that people benefit from being able to see him in church.

What struck me about Skimpole is how much he is an archtype for many of today's politicians who believe that we get pleasure by taking care of them. Ultimately, like the character in the novel, we are asked to take care of the wants and needs of politicians (be it in set asides in spending bills or the perquesites of office that they feel an entitlement to) while also being required to pay for them.