Characters From Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens (1812-1870), pen name 'Boz', was the most popular English novelist of the Victorian era. The popularity of Dickens's novels and short stories has meant they have never gone out of print. One of the delights of Dickens's writings was the wonderful names he gave to his characters. Here we recall some of those characters with a short note as to who they were.

URIAH HEEP (David Copperfield) - A hypocritical clerk of Mr Wickfields who is continually citing his humbleness. He deviously plans to ruin Wickfield but is later undone by Mister Micawber.

FAGIN (Oliver Twist) - A crafty old Jew who runs a thieves school near Field Lane in Saffron Hill. Oliver falls in with Fagin's band when he runs away from the undertaker Sowerberry.

FEZZIWIG (A Christmas Carol) - Scrooge was apprenticed to 'Old Fezziwig' in his youth. Scrooge visits his old employer with the 'Ghost of Christmas Past' and is reminded what a kind generous man he was.

MARTIN CHUZZLEWIT (Martin Chuzzlewit) - Grandson of Martin Sr. he has a falling out with his grandfather over his love for Mary Graham. Becomes a pupil of Pecksniff who, because of pressure from the grandfather throws young Martin out.

SETH PECKSNIFF (Martin Chuzzlewit) - Sanctimonious surveyor and architect, who has not designed or built anything, and one of the biggest hypocrites in fiction. Father of daughters Mercy and Charity.

Footnote
According to John R. Greenfield in his 'Dictionary of British Literary Characters', Dickens created 989 named characters during his career.

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