I Content - Characterizations
Oliver Twist - A loving, innocent orphan child; the son of Edwin Leeford and
Agnes Fleming. He is generally quiet and shy rather than aggressive. Oliver's
affectionate nature, along with his weakness and innocence, earn him the pity and
love of the good people he meets. Dicken's choice of Oliver's name is very
revealing, because the boy's story is full of 'twists' and turns. Dickens uses his
skills at creating character to make Oliver particularly appealing.
Mr. Bumble - The parish beadle; a rat man and a choleric with a great idea of his
oratorical powers and his importance. He has a decided propensity for bullying.
He derived no inconsiderable pressure from the exercise of petty cruelty and
consequently was a coward. Halfway through the book, Bumble changes. When
he marries Mrs. Corney, he loses authority. She makes all the decisions.
The Artful Dodger - A talented pickpocket, recruiter, cheat and wit.
Fagin waits to be hanged.
"Please, sir, I want some more." From Oliver Twist...
Detail of an original George Cruikshank engraving ...Jack
Dawkins, known as the artful dodger, is a charming rogue. Fagin's most esteemed
pupil. A dirty snub-nosed, flat-browed, common-faced boy (short for his age).
Dickens makes Dodger look more appealing by describing his outrageous clothes
and uninhibited manners.
Fagin - A master criminal, whose specialty is fenang (selling stolen property). He
employs a gang of thieves and is always looking for new recruits. He is a man of
considerable intelligence, though corrupted by his self-interest. His conscience
bothers him after he is condemned to hang. He does have a wry sense of humor
and an uncanny ability to understand people. He's a very old shrivelled Jew, whose
villainous looking repulsive face was obscured by a quantity of matted red hair.
Mr. Brownlow - A generous man, concerned for other people. A very
respectable looking person with a heart large enough for any six...