OMF, Book 1, Chap. 05-07

[Kim]

There's also a Charley in Bleak House. Remember her? She was Coavinses' daughter, hired by John Jarndyce to be a maid to Esther. I'm not going to try to figure out a link between her name and anyone else's, I have illustrations to go get.

Oh, I almost forgot, regarding post 149, I say "grump".

[Mary Lou]

Kim wrote: "There's also a Charley in Bleak House. Remember her? She was Coavinses' daughter, hired by John Jarndyce to be a maid to Esther. I'm not going to try to figure out a link between her name and anyon..."

Ah! I knew there was another Charley, but couldn't remember from which book. I'm sure it didn't come to me because I was thinking of boys. Thanks for reminding me!

[Bionic Jean]

She's a really good hardworking person too ... maybe there's a common thread here. Then there's his eldest son, Charley link here

[Tristram]

Kim wrote: "Oh, I almost forgot, regarding post 149, I say "grump"."

It's just that my daily diet normally does not contain a lot of sugar. It's simply too sticky.

[Tristram]

Kim,

The thought that the Bleak House Charley could also have been named with a reference to the author never occurred to me - simply because she did not play such a big role. With Charley Hexam it's different because he is a torn character - torn between the love for his sister and a dim memory of family obligations on the one hand and personal ambition (maybe also selfishness) on the other. That made me reflect on whether Dickens had a special relationship with this character.

[Kim]

Tristram wrote: "Kim,

The thought that the Bleak House Charley could also have been named with a reference to the author never occurred to me - simply because she did not play such a big role. With Charley Hexam i..."

It didn't occur to me either, but talking about the name Charley kept my brain trying to remember another Charley we once read about. I then searched and found our other Charley.

Oh, eat some sugar, who knows it may help.

[Tristram]

You mean Charley Bates, the promising young pickpocket from Oliver Twist, don't you? Maybe, on second thoughts, it's more difficult to name a Dickens novel in which there is no Charley. :-)

[Kim]

Tristram wrote: "You mean Charley Bates, the promising young pickpocket from Oliver Twist, don't you? Maybe, on second thoughts, it's more difficult to name a Dickens novel in which there is no Charley. :-)"

I didn't think of him. Now we have three Charleys, I think.

[Tristram]

There will probably be another one of those Charleys hidden in Pickwick, given the impressive cast of that novel.