著者

吉田 一穂

出版者

桃山学院大学

雑誌

英米評論 (ISSN:09170200)

巻号頁・発行日

no.20, pp.129-153, 2006-03-20

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In The Old Curiosity Shop (1841), Charles Dickens (1812_70) used the same method as he had used in Oliver Twist (1838). He gave a strong impression of goodness to readers by showing the contrast between goodness and evil until the end of the story ; Nell's innocence, purity, beauty, and goodness, became more striking by the grotesqueness of Quilp, the evil.Quilp could scarcely be said to be of any particular trade or calling, though his pursuits are diversified and his occupations numerous. He collects the rents of whole colonies of filthy streets and alleys by the water-side, advances money to the seamen and petty officers of merchant vessels, has a share in the ventures of divers mates of East Indiamen, smokes his smuggled cigars under the very nose of the Custom House, and makes appointments on Change with men in glazed hats and round jackets pretty well every day.Quilp is also a malevolent dwarf who lends money to Nell's grandfather, takes over the Old Curiosity Shop in payment, and then pursues Little Nell and her grandfather when they flee from him. Dickens represented Quilp's appearance: `His head and face were large enough for the body of a giant. His black eyes were restless, sly, and cunning. What added most to the grotesque expression of his face, was a ghastly smile, which revealed the few discoloured fangs that were yet scattered in his mouth, and gave him the aspect of a panting dog.' One can safely state that Dickens created the sadistic Quilp by Punch and Richard III. First, the source of Quilp is, as Paul Schlicke supposes, Punch in Punch and Judy. Quilp who gives a lot of blows to Kit and Tom Scott with hiscudgel and says, `I'll beat you to a pulp, you dogs' in Chapter 6, reminds readers of the destructive power and the sadistic aspect of Punch who hits the characters with his stick and kills Toby, his child, Judy, the doctor, and the Devil. The feature of Punch can be seen in Quilp in his relationship with his wife. The words of Quilp to his wife in Chapter 4 (`Oh you precious darling! Oh you de-licious charmer!') are similar to the words of Punch to his wife (`What a pretty creature! Isn't she a beauty?). Not only the relationship between Quilp and his wife but also the relationship between Quilp and Nell is similar to the relationship between Punch and Judy. Dickens seems to intend to represent a male chauvinis and an obedient woman in the relationship between Quilp and his wife and the relationship between Quilp and Nell. The difference between Judy and Nell is that Judy is killed by Punch while Nell escapes from the menace of Quilp. Richard III is thought to be the other model of Quilp. As Philip Collins describes Quilp as an exultant bourgeois Richard III, there are some common points. The appearance of Richard III overlaps with the appearance of Quilp. Richard III tells us about his appearance, `I, that am curtailed this fain proportion, heated of feature by dissembling Nature, Deform'd, unfinish'd sent before my time Into this breathing world scarce half made up-And that so lamely and unfashionable That dogs bark at me, as I halt by them-', while Dickens represented Quilp as `a dwarf whose head and face are large enough for the body of a giant, whose black eyes are restless, sly, and cunning, and whose finger-nails are crooked, long, and yellow'.Quilp, the hideous dwarf, terrifies and dominates all who come into contact with him. His power of sexual invasion reminds us of Richard's power of sexual invasion. Ann is urged to make a definite decision by Richard III : `Take up the sword again, or take up me'. His persistence wears her down, and she gives in. Quilp admires the sexual attraction of Nell and says, `To be Mrs. Quilp the second, when Mrs. Quilp the first is dead, sweet Nell'. In The Old Curiosity Shop, the bird symbolizes Nell who has escaped from Quilp and dies at the ending ofthe story. Quilp's words, `Wring its neck', show his sadistic aspect. Dickens created the sadistic aspects of Quilp, dexterously making use of the sadistic aspects of Punch and Richard III. The sadistic aspects of Quilp contribute to the emphasis on Nell's femininity. What has to be noticed is that Quilp's death presents a contrast to Nell's death. Quilp's shout in the water is equivalent to Richard's shout, `My kingdom for a horse'. Richard notices that he is trifling before his death, and Quilp's death gives the impression of his pettiness. Nell's death presents a contrast to Quilp's death. The little bird, `the poor slight thing the pressure of a finger would have crushed', symbolizes Nell. It reminds us of the words of Quilp, `Wring its neck'. We can say that Dickens represented the condition of Nell who has been released from the sadistic Quilp by the little bird as a symbol.