Dickens introduces Nancy to the readers through Oliver’s eyes. I think she is a very important character or probably the most important character because the reader cannot help but feel sympathy for her. Dickens uses Oliver’s description of Nancy, as it would produce more sympathy towards her. Dickens tries to earn sympathy for Nancy only; in fact, she is the only member of the criminal underworld he does this for. “A couple of young ladies called. Being remarkably free and agreeable to their manners, Oliver thought them very nice girls indeed. As there was no doubt they were.”
Nancy, unlike many of the other characters, develops a complex personality, indeed Dickens states her as a member of the criminal underworld, yet I think she has great compassion for Oliver and I think she earns sympathy from the reader. This defiantly makes Nancy’s character more realistic.
Although Nancy does bring Oliver back to Fagin’s criminal gang, she still protects him, and that expresses her good side, however she is forced to be bad. She doesn’t want to help Fagin and Sykes get Oliver back and protest against it, but then changes her mind and is keen to help. “Nancy paused, winked to the company, nodded smiling and disappeared.” This proves that Nancy is a complex character, because she expresses her personality to the reader in many different ways.
In chapter sixteen Nancy explains how she got involved in the underworld and how she end up the way she is. “I thieved for you when I was a child not half as old as this, I have been in the same trade in the same service for twelve years.” This shows that Oliver definitely brought back Nancy’s childhood memories, during Nancy’s childhood she wished that someone had saved her from what she was getting herself into, she knew how naïve Oliver was and was trying to help him understand that what was doing is wrong. She feels sorry for Oliver and sees herself as a future for him; he knows no better and he is naïve as she once was. She is trying to save him from the immoral criminal life she is leading; she wants to save him as she wished someone had saved her.
Nancy has such compassion for Oliver that she is prepared to go to extremes to save him, even risk her life for him. Evidence of that is shown as she even stands up to Bill Sykes “keep back the dog Bill! He’ll tear the boy to pieces… the boy shant be torn down by the dog, unless you kill me first.” This shows Nancy’s commitment in saving Oliver whatever it takes, even to stand up to Sykes who is a violent, aggressive and intimidating man. This phase of Nancy defending Oliver shows that she has good conscience. “God almighty help me… I wish I had been struck dead in the street… than lend a hand in bringing him here. He’s a thief, a liar, and a devil, all that are bad, from this night forth. Isn’t that enough for the old wretch, without blows?” now, Nancy’s guilty conscience kicks in as she now feels totally guilty about helping Fagin and Sykes get Oliver back.
“I have served you from being ill-used… I have promised for your being quite and silent; if you are not, you will do harm to yourself and me too, and perhaps be my death… don’t let me suffer more for you… Hush! Every word from you is a blow for me!” Dickens uses this quote to interpret what will happen later on in the novel. This increases the reader’s interest. The purpose of Nancy’s complex character is to show that not everybody in the underworld is ‘bad’, nobody in the underworld can choose their position in society and they cannot change it because they are born into it and they are stuck init till the end, they are criminals because of the environment they grow up in.
In chapter forty Nancy goes to warn rose about the condition Oliver is in. most of the lower part of society thought that the richer part of society was a stuck up and arrogant image, so Nancy pre-judges Rose to be holding up that image. Rose however is not like all the other rich and arrogant people, she is kind and sympathetic towards Nancy, which surprises her! ‘ The kind tone of this answer, the sweet voice, the gentle manner, the absence of haughtiness or displeasure took the girl completely by surprise, “Oh lady… if there was more like you… there would be fewer like me, --there would-there would!”
When rose offers Nancy the opportunity to change and have a better life, Nancy refuses as she accepts that she is who she is and nothing can change that. She would rather carry on with her immoral life with Sykes than start a new one without him. She can’t and won’t leave Sykes because she is afraid that she might not find ‘love’ again. “When ladies as young and good and beautiful as you… give away your hearts, love will carry you all lengths… set our rotten hearts on any man and let him fill the place that has been blank through out our retched lives.” Although Nancy does go behind Sykes’s back to warn Rose, she still stays loyal to him and does not tell her about him.
In chapter forty-six, Nancy goes to the London Bridge to meet Mr. Brownlow and Rose. Whilst she is at the bridge, Dickens uses the description of the surroundings to create an atmosphere that builds suspense. “The heavy bell of St. Paul’s tolled for the death of another day.” Dickens purposely uses this sentence for the readers to foresee tragedy building up in the novel. Meeting Mr. Brownlow was selfless and altruistic of her, she has a feeling that something bad is going to happens but still continues to help Oliver despite putting her own life at risk. “Your haughty religious people would have held their heads up to see me as I am tonight… why aren’t those who claim to be god’s own folks as gentle and as kind to us poor wretches as you… and might be a little proud instead of so much humbler?” Dickens here is exposing the hypocritical double standards of the ‘religious’ Victorian society.
When Noah (one of the young pickpockets) and Fagin explain Nancy’s visit to the London Bridge to Sykes. They imply that Nancy informed about Sykes, though she didn’t. Sykes and Fagin’s view on Nancy having told on them is in contrast to what Nancy would think. Sykes and Fagin do not have trust in Nancy anymore and do not stop to question weather or not she would tell on them. “Without one pause, or moment’s consideration… looking straight before him with savage resolution… the robber held his head long course, not muttered a word, nor relaxed a muscle, until he reached his own door… entering his own room, double locked the door… drew back the curtain of the bed… the girl was lying, half dressed, upon it. He had roused her from her sleep, for she raised herself with a hurried and startled look.” In this scene Nancy was looking helpless and defenceless against a raging and aggressive man, this adds sympathy to Nancy’s character. “ The robber sat regarding her, for a few seconds, with dilated nostrils and heavy breasts; and then, grasping her by the head and throat, dragged her into the middle of the room. The housebreaker freed one arm, and grasped his pistol. The certainty of immediate detection if he fired, flashed across his mind even in the most of his fury; and he beat it twice with all the force he could summon, upon the upturned force that he almost touched his own.” Sykes kills her in cold blood, making her death have more impact. “ She staggered and fell nearly blinded with the blood that rained down from a deep gash in her forehead.” Nancy’s death description was nothing but gruesome, brutal and shocking. “It was a ghastly figure to look upon.” The unfairness of her death evokes more sympathy from the reader.
Nancy’s character is the most important in the sense that she allows the reader to feel for the poor. Dickens uses her character for this purpose. She acts like a representative for the lower classes. Nancy’s character is also the most important in the sense that she shows that not all people in the underworld are bad. They do have good consciences and they do have feelings for the others, it is just the simple case of environment that forces them to do what they do, and Dickens proves that in Nancy’s character.
Therefore I conclude that Nancy is, in fact, the most important character in Oliver Twist.