Nowhere could the contrast between the lifestyles of the rich and poor be better observed than in London, home of Parliament, playground of the wealthy, and the hope of immigrants and rural laborers. The capital boasted select neighborhoods distinguished by tall, gracious homes, as well as theaters, clubs, plush hotels, and modern shops that were regularly patronized by the rich. But London was also notorious for its slums, its abject poverty, and its crime. Dickens's friend Thomas Carlyle critiqued the city when he wrote in 1824:

I had much rather visit London... than live in it. There is in fact no life in it that I can find: the people are situated here like plants in a hothouse.... It is the case with all ranks: the carman with his huge slouchhat hanging half-way down his back, consumes his breakfast of bread and tallow...