# Who was Mr Harris in Dickens?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-mr-harris-in-dickens/990617>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** books-writing-myths\
**Created:** [September 24, 2023, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-mr-harris-in-dickens/990617 "2023-09-24T03:00:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2023, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-mr-harris-in-dickens/990617/1 "2023-09-24T03:00:35Z")

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In _Murder on the Orient Express_, it’s a key plot point that Poirot has trouble getting a berth on the Express, but is able to take the place of a Mr Harris who seems to be late.

Poiroit says, “I know my Dickens. Mr Harris will not show up.”

So, who is Mr Harris, what Dickens novel is he in, and why doesn’t he show up?

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**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2023, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-mr-harris-in-dickens/990617/2 "2023-09-24T03:04:42Z")

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[Sarah Gamp - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Gamp)  
From _Martin Chuzzlewit_  
“Mrs. Gamp is dissolute, sloppy and generally drunk. In her long, rambling speeches, she refers constantly to her friend _ **Mrs. Harris** _ as support for her questionable practices. It becomes clear, however, that no such person exists other than as a figment of her imagination.”

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2023, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-mr-harris-in-dickens/990617/3 "2023-09-24T03:06:18Z")

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Aha. I’ve never read that one. Thanks.