The Old Curiosity Shop (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Charles Dickens
- First Published: 1840
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: Early nineteenth century
- Setting: England
- Principal Characters: Little Nell Trent, Nell’s Grandfather, Quilp, Kit Nubbles, Dick Swiveller, Sampson Brass, Sally Brass, The Single Gentleman
- Genres: Long fiction, Sensation novel
- Subjects: Traveling or travelers, Gambling, Nineteenth century, Emotions, England or English people, Good and evil, Money, Dwarfs, Debtors or creditors
- Locales: London, England
The Story:
Little Nell Trent lived alone with her aged grandfather, who ran an old curiosity shop. The grandfather, Little Nell’s mother’s father, had two obsessions. One was keeping Little Nell away from her brother Fred, a drunken profligate. The other was a burning desire to gamble. Hoping to provide a fortune for the little girl, the old man gambled away every penny he could get. Not content with using the income of the curiosity shop, the old man borrowed money recklessly.
One of his creditors was an ugly, misshapen, cruel dwarf named Quilp. The husband of a...
[The entire page is 2441 words long]
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