Do the names of the some of the characters mean something of their character as people? Like Skimpole skimps out on paying his debts. And Flite is a flighty woman and so on? I'm just curious if I'm looking for something that isn't there...
shareDickens often uses names as a way of portraying aspects of character.
shareYes I believe this was Dickens intention. Colourful names for colourful characters.
The most interesting one I think is Lady Dedlock's first name, Honoria. The given name stems from the word "honor" although her past was anything but honorable. I think it was intentional irony on Dickens's part.
And no, it's not a stupid question.
All wish to possess knowledge, but few are willing to pay the price.
How about Nemo which means "no one" in Latin. They kept saying that. I find a lot of the names very comical
shareYeah I really like when authors do things like that. Very creative imo
shareThis was one of the best things about Dickens's writing in general.
I always began an oft very-long Dickens opus, excited about what appropriate goofball names he would use for his various characters.
He wrote about such horrific topics sometimes, I always wondered if he did that fun thing with names, not only for a literary hint to the reader as to the character's traits, but to lighten things up JUST a tad to make the whole story bearable.
My personal fave is the "Barnacles" who run the "Circumlocution office" one of the greatest literary "right on" moments in history--when referring to real life.
Friends and I always use the "Circumlocution Office" when describing something that's broken down and completely ridiculous.
"Oh this is like something from the Circumlocution office..." :-))
Serjeant Buzfuz is also a great one.......
Far from being "stupid," it is astute of you to notice this. Dickens also used character names to play sly tricks on his prudish audience. The most notable case of this I know of is the name of Charlie Bates, whose nickname in Oliver Twist is The Artful Dodger. Dickens referred to Charlie as "Master Bates." That this was intentional is evidenced by the fact that he changed more alternated references to this double entendre name in the second edition of the novel.
shareJack Dawkins was the 'Artful Dodger' not Charley Bates and the word masturbate wasn't in use at the time of writing Oliver Twist so Dickens didn't mean any reference to it when he regularly refers to Charley as 'master'.
shareI am sure Guppy was so named because he resembled a fish.
Gordon P. Clarkson
I must admit that I was disappointed that "Professor Dingo", although mentioned in passing, didn't appear.
shareI like Dickens' use of imaginative names. I always wonder where he got the name Turveydrop from for the character in 'Bleak House.' I think that turvey is an old English name for grass. But I was looking for something associated with dance for the dancing master, Turveydrop.
share