Martin Chuzzlewit

by Charles Dickens

Start Free Trial

"I Don't Believe There's No Sich A Person!"

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

Context: In his novels, Charles Dickens is noted primarily for his host of memorable characters. One of the most memorable of them all is Mrs. Gamp of Martin Chuzzlewit. Midwife, sick nurse, and layer out of the dead, she has two traits that set her apart–her fondness for whiskey, which, because of her position, she must use with great discretion, and her respect for her friend Mrs. Harris, whom no one else has ever seen. Mrs. Gamp's affection for Mrs. Harris has reached such proportions that almost every speech is punctuated by a "Mrs. Harris says." A Mrs. Betsy Prig, with whom Mrs. Gamp has formed a sort of working partnership, finally reaches the saturation point with Mrs. Harris and says:

"I don't believe there's no sich a person!"
After the utterance of which expressions, she leaned forward, and snapped her fingers once, twice, thrice; each time nearer to the face of Mrs. Gamp, and then rose to put on her bonnet. . . .
The shock of this blow was so violent and sudden, that Mrs. Gamp sat staring at nothing with uplifted eyes, and her mouth open as if she were gasping for breath. . . .

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Previous

"He'd Make A Lovely Corpse"

Next

"Leave The Bottle On The Chimley-piece"

Loading...