Fagin's gang of young pickpockets have different names in different places. As many as I have heard of will be listed here with what I can tell you about each.
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General to all forms of Oliver Twist: The Artful Dodger The Artful Dodger is the most prominent and well known of Fagin's pickpockets, and probably a decided favorite of Fagin's as well, as he tells Oliver in his twisted speech when he first meets him. The Dodger is like Fagin's right hand and a person that young new-beginers look up to as a model with pride and respect. Especially in the movie musical played very well by Jack Wild, the Dodger appears a cheery and spirited lad with a talented hand for picking pockets. In the book and other versions his character is much more serious and dark novel and some screen versions, he is much more focused on pickpocketing and with not nearly so much chummy companionship with Oliver as in the musical. In most of the versions it is not Oliver who appears as the Dodger's best friend, but Charley Bates. The Dodger is the crafty and cunning pickpocket, the young prodigee of Fagin's. |
Charley Bates Charley is basically the Artful Dodger's partner, they often seen together, and in the novel, Master Bates is almost as big a part as the Dodger, therefore most of this is based from the book. Charley Bates contrasted the Dodger's composed serious attitude by being rowdy, swaggering, and quite often prone to long lengths of laughter and amusement, not always in the most appropriate times. A wide variety of things inspires amusement in Charley not excepting Oliver Twist's innocence and nieve outlook when he first arrives, Charley also found Oliver's capture hilarious until the Dodger reminded him of Fagin's reaction. When the Dodger is captured, Charley is quite naturally stricken, especially by how small the trinket was the boy was taken for. Fagin eventually convinces him that the Dodger will create such havoc in court that he will be properly noticed for the brilliant mind he was. At the end, Charley is horrified by the murder of Nancy and leaps bodily upon the murderer when he sees him, at last giving them away to the people searching by yelling out the window before he is locked in a cupboard. Charley quits crime and becomes a jolly farmer. |
Oliver Twist Oliver Twist cannot truly be considered a member of Fagin's band of young pickpockets due to the short amount of time he spent there and his lack of enthusiasm or talent for any of the activities they take upon themselves. Oliver Twist is the little young work house boy whom the Artful Dodger takes home with him one day, but who turns out to be of little help, and rather a great hindrance on the two business outing he is taken on, first getting caught when the Artful and Charley Bates pick Mr.Brownlow's pocket and secondly when he wakens the household when Bill Sikes takes him to rob the Brownlow estate in the country. He causes immeasurable worry and pain towards Fagin and Sikes trying to retrieve him from the wonderful life he was taken to. In the end, little Oliver manages to be the downfall of Fagin and Bill Sikes by inspiring motherly inclinations in Bill Sikes' girlfriend Nancy. When Nancy goes to help the Brownlows on Oliver's behalf she infuriates Bill into killing her, the upset of which leads to Fagin and his capture. However, before Oliver found out what sort of a game he was really playing when Fagin was teaching him to pick pockets, Fagin had thought Oliver would make an excellent thief for his angelic looks would divert suspicion, a clever scheme indeed except that Oliver had a heart to match his face. |
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The Novel by Charles Dickens: Tom Chitling Tom Chitling is only seen, I think, in the novel. When he is first introduced he is returning from a short stay in jail which he took to save Nancy's girlfriend Bet from a similar fate. He is greatly ridiculed for his attentions to Bet, and is generally considered not of the same caliber of mind as someone like the Artful Dodger. |
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The play Oliver!: These are taken from a list of children from my little program thingy- I'm not sure these are all Fagin's kids, most of their names are not mentioned. Nipper Kipper Spider Captain Handwalker Snakeman Stitch'em Dipper King Whistler Percy Edward Rose Nell Maylie Florence |
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Additional ones from different places: The Nasty Twins The Nasties are two identical twin brothers with nasty dispositions. I got these two from a crumy cartoon version of Oliver Twist, don't ask about the Dodger or Fagin, it was pretty terrible. The brothers usually find a surly or profane remark to fit with any situation, and more often than not substitute an ugly remark in the place of a pleasant one when they felt the urge to be positive. It doesn't matter who they are dealing with, if it can possibly be got their way, the Nasties will resort to any low down or dirty trick they can conjure up to make sure it turns out their way. A true testament to the origin of their name is that they don't mind being referred to by the term. The Nasties are named collectively as a twosome and a single boy is simply called a Nasty, since the boys looked so much like the other, and if there is a difference, it is so thorally buried by grime that sometimes it seems like it doesn't really matter which of the Nasties you appeared to be speaking to. The fact that they are both treated as one and the same doesn't bother the brothers overly much, they realize they are different and don't really care what people think of their uniqueness, or lack thereof. |