Nancy\'s Legacy in Oliver Twist

Nancy's Legacy In Oliver Twist

Charles Dickens is recognized for his literary work emphasizing social and moral issues. Characters that linger in readers' imaginations long after the work is read are the ones that transcend their normal capacities. In Oliver Twist, the character that leaves the most profound impression is Nancy. In the midst of moral decay, Nancy resists the notion of environment affecting an individual's nature. This is the question Dickens hypothesizes to readers: are individuals strong enough to overcome their environment or are their souls poisoned with no hope of redemption? With Nancy, Dickens' answers this question, demonstrating the complex nature of humanity in the process. We are not a sum total of pure good or evil, as Nancy proves. The contrast between Nancy and the other characters in the novel emphasize Nancy's gesture toward Oliver but it also proves that there is hope for even the lowliest of human creatures. Dickens' point is more compelling because Nancy comes from the background she does. Her sacrifice means more because she does it for nothing and no one other than Oliver. Nancy receives no recognition for her bravery nor does she get attention, fame, or assistance. She commits an act of kindness that is above and beyond what anyone would expect of her. Her life on the streets becomes the medium through which Oliver is freed. Dickens establishes a harlot living in squalor is capable of virtue.

Nancy demonstrates the complexity of man in her character and her choices. She is fully human when she betrays the gang in order to help Oliver. She experiences difficulty when it comes to incriminating her friends because she loves Sikes. George Watt explains the complicated circumstances surrounding Nancy revolve around her environment and her soul. She is indeed a harlot but "she can still be essentially good" (Watt). Even more, she is aware of her "condition." When she lashes out at Fagin, we see how one's soul can rise above a lifetime of deplorable conditions. Nancy, well aware of her past, can recognize harm and unjust behavior. She understands how Oliver may not be the most perfect child in the world but he does not deserve "blows" (Dickens 135). In a moment of clarity, she accuses Fagin of ruining her life and taking her to the "gallows" (135) before her time. She also realizes that her life will probably remain on the streets. These conditions would harden someone to many things. Such a desensitized individual would not respond to Oliver's risk of being injured by a dog or hit with a club. Watt contends through Nancy, Dickens forces readers to confront the fact that "virtue and vice can mix in one character" (Watt). That this exists in fiction may be unusual but that it exists in the real world is what makes it appealing. Unlike other characters in the novel, Nancy is not purely evil not is she purely good. Her choice to do good without any recognition and at great personal risk speaks volumes about the inherent nature of man. In short, good does exist in the least likely places. For intents and purposes, Nancy should not care what happens to Oliver but she does. Difficulty or obstacles do not hinder Nancy and, because of this, she makes a great case against one's environment being ultimately responsible for one's character.

Dickens posits the question of environment and influence in Oliver Twist. A person's soul and character are poisoned by his or her environment or is their a glimmer of hope that even the most depraved people can turn their lives around. With Nancy, Dickens provides us answer. Nancy, the harlot, might be perceived as a weak character but something about her emerges strong and indelible. She is like Laura in the Glass Menagerie, who appears to be the weakest character only to materialize as one with superior strength. Nancy makes the greatest sacrifice yet she does give herself enough credit. She is convinced her fate is sealed. When the gentleman at London Bridge offers her any help, she refuses, stating she is "chained to my own life. I loathe and hate it now, but I cannot leave it" (Dickens 406). Nancy buys into the belief that she cannot change but this does not prevent her from making moral decisions. She accepts the concept that people cannot rise above their environment while she masterfully illustrates it is not true. Her sacrifice remains the true testament to this. Watt writes Nancy challenges the view of "once a harlot, always a harlot" through her gift to Oliver. She "dies in the act of saving, not in the act of destroying or corrupting. Her death also brings about the defeat of Bill and Fagin, so has a power in its passivity" (Watt). Nancy overcomes what she perceives to be her limits and actually rises above the moral boundaries of many good people in the novel. Dickens gives readers Nancy to project not only the limitations but also the capabilities of man. Nancy commits one of the most dignified acts of compassion in literature when she risks her life in an attempt to help Oliver. This cannot be denied; the act is good. Readers are left with the reality that Nancy was still a harlot. In addition, readers must also attempt to answer the question who, if not Nancy, in the novel would have committed such an act. The contrast is palpable and it accomplishes the task of causing readers to question the absolutes associated with environment.