Oliver Twist: Chapters 35 - 43

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

Beth wrote: "Ch. 40: as I listened to this chapter, I noticed that Dickens used "the girl" rather than "Nancy" several times ..."

Yes, I'm glad you noticed this while reading, Beth!

"I do wonder why it was used, though."

I believe it is deliberate and subtle. As I said somewhere, Charles Dickens moves between the three titles, "girl", woman" and "Nancy" to control how we view her. So if he wants to engage our sympathy for her innocence, he will employ "the girl"; if he wishes us to appreciate her as a young woman with a moral dilemma - an Everywoman - it will be "the woman", and if the most important thing is for all readers to emphathise and feel they know her personally, then it is "Nancy".

[Chris]

Message 201. Thanks, Jean, for the insight into the various descriptions of Nancy that Dickens used. I had also noticed that Nancy was often referred to as "the girl" but hadn't thought of the meaning behind it.

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

I think we also do this ourselves, to some extent.