A beadle's job was to maintain order in churches and other parish
institutions, and Mr. Bumble relishes his work--especially keeping
the poor in line. He takes a special responsibility for Oliver
Twist, from the day he names the infant to the time when people like
kindly Brownlow and evil Monks ask for information about the orphan's
past. But the evidence that Dickens provides (in Chapters XVII,
XXXVII, and XXXVIII) suggests that Bumble's interest is self-serving.
Some readers find Bumble revolting and others find him laughable.
His hypocrisy is obvious--he is fat while his clients are thin, and
self-important although he expects them to be humble. He revels in
his fancy beadle's uniform and pompously wields his cane against
whomever is handy. Readers who find him hateful claim he'd sell
anybody or anything to make a profit. Those who think he is a
harmless buffoon are amused by his grammatical errors,
mispronunciations, and "bumbling" incompetence.
Halfway through the book, Bumble changes. When he marries Mrs.
Corney he loses his authority. She makes all the decisions,
including the one to sell Monks the evidence that proves that Oliver
is Monks' brother. After the conspiracy is exposed, Bumble and Mrs.
Corney are punished by being removed from their jobs and end up
paupers in their own workhouse. Is this a fitting end? Do they
deserve it? It all depends on how you read the tone of Dickens'
satire on Bumble the beadle.
OLIVER TWIST: THE ARTFUL DODGER
A talented pickpocket, recruiter, cheater, and wit, Jack
Dawkins--known as the Artful Dodger--is a charming rogue. It's no
wonder Oliver is impressed by him and follows him willingly to
Fagin's school for thieves.
Some readers feel that the Dodger's charms simply make him a bad
example for Oliver and the other boys. On the other hand, you might
think of him as a misguided, but generous, teenager with the
potential to straighten out and be successful.
Consider the way Dickens makes the Dodger more appealing by
describing his outrageous clothes and uninhibited manners. At times,
he seems more like a free spirit than a conscious crook. Notice that
he's arrested before Nancy's murder. Some readers feel Dickens did
this so that the Dodger is not implicated in that grim act.
His fans agree that his finest hour is during his trial when he
indicts the legal system's treatment of the poor. The court thinks
it is sitting in judgment on him. Isn't just the opposite true?
OLIVER TWIST: FAGIN
