The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion

This section moves the plot forward significantly. Oliver remains safe with the Maylie's, but there is much movement happening in the Fagin/Sikes orbit.

Ch. 39 shows Sikes recovering from an illness, but continuing to treat Nancy cruelly despite all the care she has taken of him. However Nancy does take pains to listen in on Fagin and Monks conversation, although Dickens doesn't share it will us. Finally, Nancy drugs Sikes with laudanum and slips out to see Miss Maylie.

Ch's 40 and 41 involve Rose Maylie meeting with and hearing Nancy's story about Oliver, and then conferring with Misters Brownlow and Losberne and with Harry, to make a further plan for safeguarding Oliver and learning the truth about him. A time was set to be able to meet with Nancy later.

Ch's 42 and 43 are a rather humorous interlude in which Noah Claypole and Charlotte arrive in town and Noah demonstrates just how foolish and cowardly he is when he decides the only thieving he can take part in involves robbing small children. Charlotte remains very much in the background doing all the heavy lifting, and it is unclear why she chooses to remain with the clearly ineffectual man. The Artful Dodger has been arrested, but he is putting on a brave show at the courthouse, by contrast to Noah he is showing great spirit and wit, although it seems unlikely to serve him well.

Ch's 44 and 45 show cracks appearing in the company of thieves, with Sikes behaving cruelly to Nancy when she wishes to go out, Fagin suspecting that Nancy has a new lover to explain her erratic behaviour, and putting Noah Claypole to work to spy on them.

Ch 46 has Nancy succeed in her attempt to meet with Rose Maylie and her protector, to tell them about Monks possibly having had a proof of Oliver's identity, and telling them how to find him. This is all overheard by Noah Claypole who will likely inform Fagin of her betrayal of the gang.

This section brings the band of thieves into a much more threatening light, and shows the cracks in their solidarity.

1. Why do you think both Nancy and Charlotte stick to men who treat them so badly, particularly when in Nancy's case she is offered an out and a safe haven? Is this another case of Dickens not writing female characters with any depth or agency, or is it true to life?

2. What do you think of Dickens use of geography and weather to set the stage for his characters? Dickens was well known for walking many miles through the city and knowing its various quarters quite well-do you think he succeeds in setting the scene in a convincing manner?

3. This section focuses almost entirely on the band of thieves, and Oliver hardly appears. Do you think this was Dickens' intention-to highlight the life of thieves and runaways in London?

Please share your thoughts on this section and on the novel so far.

Frances wrote: "1. Why do you think both Nancy and Charlotte stick to men who treat them so badly, particularly when in Nancy's case she is offered an out and a safe haven? Is this another case of Dickens not writing female characters with any depth or agency, or is it true to life?.."
As my reading of other Dickens novels verified Dickens' reputation for creating shallow or one-note female characters, I expected to see that characterization tendency even more pronounced in this earlier Dickens. Instead, I have found Nancy's character to have more depth and range than most later created female Dickens characters.
My opinion may be influenced by the fact that I do think that Nancy and Charlotte's decisions to stick with controlling and abusive mates is a realistic portrayal. Just yesterday, my son was surprised to learn that a former girlfriend who had left an abusive and controlling husband, had returned to her spouse. My son was supposed to meet with her yesterday to talk about her life after leaving, but she called my son and said she had returned to her husband and that he, unsurprisingly, had forbid her to go out and meet my son, even as a friend. It still happens. Too often.

Frances wrote: "2. What do you think of Dickens use of geography and weather to set the stage for his characters? Dickens was well known for walking many miles through the city and knowing its various quarters quite well-do you think he succeeds in setting the scene in a convincing manner?"
I've found Dickens' descriptive settings to be very clear and intriguing, much better than the muddled settings I experienced in my last Dickens novel, the later-period, much-praised Our Mutual Friend. His background work has paid off as his setting depictions have definitely helped me enjoy this book more than most other Dickens' novels I have read.

Frances wrote: "3. This section focuses almost entirely on the band of thieves, and Oliver hardly appears. Do you think this was Dickens' intention-to highlight the life of thieves and runaways in London?.."
Yes. :)

I agree that Nancy is one of the rare well-rounded female characters in Dickens (although certainly not the only one). I so wish she had accepted Rose Maylie's help in leaving her current life, but I don't find it unusual. Although we know that Nancy is a thief, it is never explicitly stated that she is also a prostitute; however, it is easy to surmise that she is part of that life and that Sykes serves as her pimp as well as her lover of sorts. Whether he is a pimp or just an abusive mate, it's clear that Nancy is downtrodden and does not believe that she deserves freedom. She is doomed, and she recognizes that.

Maybe Nancy is more interesting because she is a "bad girl". The good girls in Dickens tend to be all the same.

I agree that Nancy is one of the more well-rounded female characters, and that she shows both good and bad sides to herself and we certainly see her struggling with her conscience and her desire to escape her life coupled with her overwhelming sense of unworthiness to be cared for by others and to get that happy ending. Truly a tragic figure.