Dickens uses different names for Sikes such as “..Mr Sikes,… housebreaker,.. man.” I think Dickens has done this to show the characters life, “..housebreaker”
Dickens then contrasts Nancy compassion and Skies brutality in detail, This is part of the novel where Nancy has gone to collect Oliver to take him to Sikes, she goes because she knows the others will be violent with him. Nancy calls Oliver “Nolly dear” as a friend and also making Oliver realize that she will not hurt him.
“Oliver could see that he had some power over the girl’s better feelings, and, for an instant though of appealing to her compassion for his helpless state.”
This tells us that Oliver can escape from Sikes using the “girl’s better feeling” and know that he will be safe with her. Also Nancy cares for Oliver ad a friend because she wants him to escape from Sikes clutches.
I have saved you from being ill-used once, and I will again, and I do now,” continued the girl aloud: “ for those who would have fetched you, if I had not, would have been more rough than me…you will only do harm to yourself and me too, and perhaps be my death.
This makes us be on Nancy’s side but also Dickens uses touching words and also when she says” …perhaps be my death.” Makes us feel sorry for her and also makes us feel that she is risking her life for someone else:
“She pointed, hastily, to some livid bruises on her neck and arm; and continued, with great rapidity”
Dickens has done this to show the readers that Nancy cares for everyone and loves Bill even though he beats her, these bruises were not from before but they were “fresh” bruises which were bright red. Even though she was beaten and could not defend herself she still makes others feel safe:
“The girl still held Oliver fast by the hand”
Sikes’ treatment of Oliver is very different:
“Grasping Oliver’s wrist, and putting the barrel so close to his temple that they touched.”
This makes us want to read on more because it scares us that he might shoot Oliver. Later on Dickens puts both Nancy and Sikes together so we can see Nancy’s’ love for Sikes and Sikes violence. When Bill is injured Nancy nurses him back to health. As soon as she helps him get up he.
“…struck her,”
Later on in the chapter Nancy goes to see Rose and tell her about Oliver and she is the first person to show Nancy compassion, Rose is 20 years old and is someone who Nancy can trust. Rose is offering Nancy safety.
Nancy sticks up for Sikes and states that she can’t leave Sikes even after what he has done:
“because among the men I have told you of, there is one: the most desperate among them all: that I can’t leave; no, not even to be saved from the life I am lending now.”
She is in love with Sikes and can never leave him alone. She will stick by Sikes forever loyal and never desert him. She also states that Rose is the first ever person who has been nice to Nancy and Dickens builds up sympathy for Nancy by doing this:
“… you are the first that ever blessed me with such words as these,… I cannot leave him now! I would not be his death.”
She says here that the person who she’s loved is hers forever and she cannot be his death and that is she tells someone then he will be executed. Also she says that she will stick with him and:
“I believe, if I knew that I was to die by his hand at last”
Nancy has a feeling that something terrible is going to happen:
“but I have such a fear and dread upon me to-night that I can hardly stand”
She then talks about her premonition of her own death which build up tension also suspense:
“Horrible thoughts of death, and shrouds with blood upon them, and a fear that has made me burn as if I was on fire, have been upon me all day. I was reading a book to-night, to wile the time away, and the same things came into the print… I’ll swear I saw “coffin” written in every page of the book in large black letters.”
Nancy has read a book and someone is murdered init, Victorians like horror stories and so Dickens puts this in that Nancy also read a horror story, words “coffin” keeps coming up which is a premonition of her death. She refuses to go with them because of Sikes and she states that eventually she will end up dying. Rose wishes to give something to Nancy. Rose offers her purse and Nancy refuses money. She then takes the handkerchief and this is the one which Nancy uses to tell Sikes to stop murdering her in “Fatal Consequences.” Nancy is a victim of poverty because to survive she had to become a child prostitute, this is why the audience feels sorry for Nancy because all her money is taken by Sikes and he spends it on drinking. Sikes is the Victorian villain in this novel and he is a very violent and emotionless man. There was a huge difference between rich and poor and Dickens wanted readers to feel and also learn that there should be no difference because we are all human beings, this is what J.B. Priestley did when he wrote “ An Inspector calls. “Fatal Consequences” is a melodramatic scene. Fagin tells Sikes not to be too violent.
“You won’t be-too-violent, Bill?”
Here Dickens uses dashes for emphasis and also the main word which tells the audience about Bill is “ Violent” These is a adjective and it builds up tension. Fagin wants Bill to hurt Nancy but not to kill her because of the consequences they will face. Both Fagin and Sikes are furious and wants to hurt Nancy we find this out here:
“….fire in the eyes of both,”
This is imagery which has an great impact on the audience. It tells us they are consumed with rage. Fagin then says to Sikes:
“not too violent for safety. Be crafty, Bill, and not too bold”
He is saying to Sikes to be careful, clear and crafty. Sikes does not reply which make him sinister. Sikes “dashed” out “into the silent streets.” The word “dashed shows Sikes anger and that he went quickly. This is a very emphatic word. “Silent streets” has a use of alliteration.
“ Without one pause, or moments consideration: without once turning his head to the right or left, or raising his eyes to the sky, or lowering them to the ground, but looking straight before him with savage resolution: his teeth so tightly compressed that the strained jaw seemed starting through his skin: the robber held on his headlong course, not muttered a word, nor relaxed a muscle. Until he reached his owndoor. He opened it, softly, with a key…”
All these lines have semi-colons which add emphasis. Also repetition is used to add emphasis. Sikes doesn’t look anywhere but just looks straight and is focused on one thing which is anger against Nancy. This builds up tension and also makes us want to read on more
“Without one pause nor moments considerations”
This shows us Sikes anger, “Savage resolution.” Shows us how wild he is and furious and anxious to do something to Nancy.
“…his teeth so tightly compressed that the strained jaw seemed starting through his skin”
This shows rage anger and so angry that his bones seem to be coming out.
“…nor relaxed a muscle”
This shows us that he is very tensed.
“He opened it, softly, with a key; strode lightly up the stairs,”
Dickens has done this to build up tension. He then
“..double latched the door and lifting a heavy table against it”
This is so she cannot come out of the room. The words softly and lightly are adverbs. Dickens also calls Nancy “the girl” which makes her more vulnerable and smaller, also makes her feel weaker and innocent, which makes Sikes big.
“… she raised herself with a hurried and startled look”
She gets up because of the noise and doesn’t know that he is here to kill her.
“Get up!”
Dickens uses explanation marks to make it look aloud.
“…said the man.”
The word man emphasises the difference between the weakness and strength.
“It is you, Bill!”
She is surprised and she is pleased to see him.
“….with an expression of pleasure..”
The words “Get up!” are repeated again. Because there was a candlestick burning he
“hurled it under the grate..”
He also stopped Nancy from undrawing the curtains.
“Let it be…There’s light enough for what I’ve got to do.
He thrusts his hand before her so he can kill her, no-one should see because he can be hanged if caught. Also Nancy will be getting scared and suspicious, and then she says:
“Bill…, why do you look like that at me!”
She asks this because she is scared. Now the tension really starts to build rapidly.
“The robber sat regarding her, for a few seconds with dilated nostrils and heaving breast; and then, grasping her by the head and throat, dragged her into the middle of the room, and looking once towards the door, placed his heavy hand upon her mouth.”
The first 2 lines above are flarry and are a sign of anger and also he is breathing hard. When he grabs her from the throat and drags her he is being physically violent and he doesn’t want her to scream.
“Bill, Bill! Gasped the girl, wrestling with the strength of mortal”
She is very, very scared. When she is “wrestling with the strength of mortal fear” she tries her best to fight him and has a fear of dying because of his strength against her. Dickens uses dashed again to emphasise the sentence because there are pauses it sounds to the reader that she is in deep pain, she is mumbling, gasping for breath and struggling to speak.
“You know, you she-devil”
The word “she-devil” could have been a swearing word but then it wouldn’t have been published and so Dickens uses “she-devil”
Even though Nancy is being physically hurt by Sikes she is still very emotive:
“Then spare my life for the love of heaven”
She calls on God because religion was very important then.
“….as I spared yours”
This is when she didn’t give names away. Even though Bill is being violent she still tells him that she loves him:
“Bill, dear Bill, you cannot have the heart to kill me. Oh! Thing of all I have given up, only this one night, for you. You shall have time to think, and save yourself this crime, I will not loose my hold, you cannot throw me off. Bill, Bill. For dear Gods sake, for your own. for mine stop before you spill my blood! I have been true to you, upon my guilty soul I have!”
She is very emotive here and pleading a lot, guilty but being true to him telling him to think. Dickens has used emotive, persuasive, appealing, repetitive language and this makes the audience tense and they are waiting for the murder. Also they have a small hope that he might let her live. She is very desperate and is showing incredible strength. He gets his pistol out but realises that if he shoots then I will make a lot of noise. He is fully aware of what he is doing because he doesn’t want to get caught by police. He then hits her on the face with the gun with all his force while she is next to his chest. She falls and she is nearly blinded with blood which “rained” down. The word “rained” is a metaphor and the word blinded is used to tell the reader that it is lots of blood. Dickens uses “deep gash” which is a very deep cut so there must be a lot of blood. She then draws from her bosom a white handkerchief. This was Rose’s. She pulls herself up with difficulty, on her knees which shows her state. She waves the handkerchief which is symbolic with folded hands like in a prayer. She is getting up as high as possible towards heaven that he “feeble” strength will allow and breathes a prayer to God and refers to him as “maker.” She prays to God for help because Bill won’t let her survive. This tells us that how important religion was at the time.
“It was a ghastly figure to look upon: The murderer staggering backward to the wall, and shutting out the sight with his hand, seized a heavy club and struck her down”
She is very weak now and in terrible difficulty. Sikes is now referred to as “the murderer” because he has committed a murder. He then shuts his eye because he doesn’t want to look and then gets a heavy club which is a type of baseball bat and “struck her down.” This is very violent and this is the end of Nancy and the audience want Sikes to be punished for this deed.
In “Flight of Sikes” there is a description of setting. Here one word which has an emphasis and also gives us the type of setting and also tells the audience how bad the murder was.
“….bad deeds…darkness….worst….horrors….ill scent….morning air…..foulest and most cruel.”
Then there are words which are to do with the sun. I think Dickens has done this to show unstoppable force of light which is powerful. It is bad for Sikes because it will light up the murder:
“….sun….the bright sun….light….life…hop…freshness…burst ,,,clear and radiant glory… equal ray…light….would stream…brilliant light”
There is also a mention of rich and poor and giving us the message to treat them equally:
“…costly coloured glass and paper mended window… equal ray...”
The coloured glass for rich people and paper mended windows for poor but both have equal rays so they should be treated the same because neither do the rich get more and neither do the poor get less.
He does not move, the terrible violence had shocked him. Nancy moves which brings a bit of joy for the audience and also hope but Sikes strikes her again. He throws a rug over the body and then he takes it off because he is more scared, There is loads of blood because it is referred to as “…pool of gore” and there is flesh is well. He then lights a fire and
“…thrust the club into it”
So he is getting rid of evidence. The hair on it burnt straight away. He then washed himself and rubs his clothes and there are spots that will not be removed so he cuts the pieces out and burns them. The dog’s feet are bloody and there are stains all around the room. Because there is a dead body he is scared that it might come up to him so he just walks straight ahead without looking back. He forgets to wipe dogs feet so that is evidence of the murder. He shuts the door softly, takes the key and goes. He’s a burglar so he is good at this. There is a reference of sun again also:
“He crosses over, and glanced up at the window, to be sure that nothing was visible from outside. There was the curtain still drawn, which she would have opened to admit the light she never saw again. It lay nearly under there. He knew that. God, how the sun poured down upon the very spot!”
This reminds us of Nancy opening the curtains. In this chapter there is symbolism of light and dark. Also another novel which Dickens wrote which has a ghost is “The Christmas Carol.” The Victorians believe in ghosts, Sikes imagination makes him more terrified and believes Nancy is a ghost. The romantic era believed in ghosts and Dickens believed in ghosts is well. There is this connection of ghosts which makes this part of the novel very dramatic.
In Conclusion Dickens portrays the murder very dramatically and with the use of melodrama it has a great emphasis on the audience. I think it is very effective and very touching because oh how he creates sympathy for her in the beginning. The Victorian audience would have been very shocked and some in tears and even fainted, also Dickens blood pressure and pulse rate went to a very high risk and he could have died. I found this scene very dramatic and very shocking and I can vividly imagine the murder scene because it is very detailed.
