Читать книгу Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens, Чарльз Диккенс, Geoffrey Palmer - Страница 1

Oliver Twist: The novel’s protagonist; an orphan born in a workhouse. The gradual discovery of Oliver’s family background and true identity is the main mystery of the novel.

Fagin: A conniving career criminal, Fagin takes in homeless children and trains them to pick pockets for him. He also «fences» stolen goods.

Nancy: A young prostitute and one of Fagin’s former child pickpockets. Nancy is also Bill Sikes’s lover. Despite her background, she is among the noblest characters in the novel.

Rose Maylie: Agnes Fleming’s sister, raised by Mrs. Maylie after the death of Rose’s father. A beautiful, compassionate, and forgiving young woman, Rose is the novel’s model of female virtue.

Mr. Brownlow: A well-off, erudite gentleman who serves as Oliver’s first benefactor. Mr. Brownlow owns a portrait of Agnes Fleming and was engaged to Mr. Leeford’s sister when she died.

Monks: A sickly, vicious man, prone to violent fits and filled with hatred for Oliver.

Bill Sikes: A brutal professional burglar. Sikes and Nancy are lovers, and he treats both her and his dog Bull’s-eye with an odd combination of cruelty and grudging kindness.

Mr. Bumble: The pompous, self-important beadle – a minor parish official – for the workhouse where Oliver is born. Though Mr. Bumble preaches Christian morality, he behaves without compassion toward the paupers under his care.

Agnes Fleming: Oliver’s mother. After falling in love with and becoming pregnant by Mr. Leeford, she chooses to die anonymously in a workhouse rather than stain her family’s reputation. A retired naval officer’s daughter, she was a beautiful, loving woman.

Mr. Leeford: Oliver’s father, who dies long before the events of the novel. He was an intelligent, high-minded man whose family forced him into an unhappy marriage with a wealthy woman. He eventually separated from his wife and had an illicit love affair with Agnes Fleming. He intended to flee the country with Agnes but died before he could do so.

Mr. Losberne: Mrs. Maylie’s family doctor. A hot-tempered but good-hearted old bacheler.

Mrs. Maylie: A kind, wealthy old lady; the mother of Harry Maylie and adoptive “aunt” of Rose.

Harry Maylie: Mrs. Maylie’s son. Harry is a dashing young man with grand political ambitions and career prospects.

The Artful Dodger (Jack Dawkins): The cleverest of Fagin’s pickpockets. Though no older than Oliver, the Dodger talks and dresses like a grown man. He introduces Oliver to Fagin.

Charley Bates: One of Fagin’s pickpockets. Charley is ready to laugh at anything.

Old Sally: An elderly pauper who serves as the nurse at Oliver’s birth. Old Sally steals Agnes’s gold locket, the only clue to Oliver’s identity.

Mrs. Corney: The matron of the workhouse where Oliver is born. Mrs. Corney is hypocritical, callous, and materialistic.

Noah Claypole: A charity boy and Mr. Sowerberry’s apprentice. Noah is an overgrown, cowardly bully who mistreats Oliver and eventually joins Fagin’s gang.

Charlotte: The Sowerberrys’ maid. Charlotte becomes romantically involved with Noah Claypole and follows him about slavishly.

Toby Crackit: One of Fagin and Sikes’s associates, crass and not too bright. Toby participates in the attempted burglary of Mrs. Maylie’s home.

Mrs. Bedwin: Mr. Brownlow’s kind-hearted housekeeper.

Bull’s-eye: Bill Sikes’ dog. As vicious as his master, Bull’s-eye functions as Sikes’s alter ego.

Monks’s mother: An heiress who lived a decadent life and alienated her husband, Mr. Leeford. Monks’s mother destroyed Mr. Leeford’s will, which left part of his property to Oliver.

Mr. Sowerberry: The undertaker to whom Oliver is apprenticed. Though Mr. Sowerberry makes a grotesque living arranging cut-rate burials for paupers, he is a decent man who is kind to Oliver.

Mrs. Sowerberry: Sowerberry’s wife. Mrs. Sowerberry is a mean, judgmental woman who hen-pecks her husband.

Mr. Grimwig: Brownlow’s pessimistic, curmudgeonly friend. Mr. Grimwig is essentially good-hearted, and his pessimism is mostly just a provocative character quirk.

Mr. Giles: Mrs. Maylie’s loyal, though somewhat pompous, butler.

Mr. Brittles: A dim-witted handyman for Mrs. Maylie’s estate.

Mrs. Mann: The superintendent of the juvenile workhouse where Oliver is raised. Mrs. Mann physically abuses and half-starves the children in her care.

Mr. Gamfield: A brutal chimney sweep. Oliver almost becomes Mr. Gamfield’s apprentice.

Bet: One of Fagin’s former child pickpockets, now a prostitute.

Mr. Fang: A harsh, irrational, power-hungry magistrate.

Barney: One of Fagin’s criminal associates. Like Fagin, Barney is Jewish.

Duff and Blathers: Two bumbling police officers who investigate the attempted burglary of Mrs. Maylie’s home.

Tom Chitling: A rather dim member of Fagin’s gang. Tom has served time in jail for doing Fagin’s bidding.