Characters characteristic of the work antiquities shop. Charles Dickens Antiquities Shop

Charles Dickens

ANTIQUES SHOP

Foreword

In April, 1840, I published the first issue of a new threepence weekly called Mr. Humphrey's Hours. It was supposed that this weekly would publish not only stories, essays, essays, but also a long novel with a sequel, which should follow not from issue to issue, but in the way that would be possible and necessary for the publication I had planned.

The first chapter of this novel appeared in the fourth issue of Mr. Humphrey's Hours, when I had already become convinced of the inappropriateness of such disorder in time-based printing, and when readers seemed to me to fully share my opinion. I began to work on a great novel with great pleasure, and I believe that it was accepted by readers with no less pleasure. Being bound by the obligations I had previously taken upon myself, tearing me away from this work, I tried to get rid of all kinds of obstacles as soon as possible and, having achieved this, from then until the end of The Antiquities Store, I placed it chapter by chapter in each successive issue.

When the novel was finished, I decided to free it from associations and intermediate material that had nothing to do with it, and removed those pages of Mr. Humphrey's Clock that were printed interspersed with it. And so, like the unfinished story of a rainy night and a notary in Sentimental Journey, they became the property of a suitcase maker and buttermaker. I confess that I was very reluctant to supply the representatives of these venerable crafts with the opening pages of the idea I abandoned, where Mr. Humphrey describes himself and his way of life. Now I pretend to remember this with philosophical calmness, as if it were events long past, but nevertheless my pen trembles slightly as I write these words on paper. However, the job is done, and done right, and "Mr. Humphrey's Clock" in its original form, having disappeared from white light, has become one of those books that have no price, because you can’t read them for any money, which, as you know, Can't say about other books.

As for the novel itself, I'm not going to expand on it here. The many friends he gave me, the many hearts he drew to me when they were filled with deeply personal grief, give him a value in my eyes that is far from general meaning and rooted "into other limits."

I will only say here that, while working on The Antiquities Shop, I always tried to surround the lonely girl with strange, grotesque, but still believable figures and gathered around the innocent face, around the pure thoughts of little Nell, a gallery of characters just as bizarre and just as incompatible with her, like those gloomy objects that crowd around her bed when her future is only outlined.

Mr. Humphrey (before he devoted himself to the trade of a suitcase and buttermaker) was to be the narrator of this story. But since I had conceived the novel from the beginning in such a way as to subsequently publish it as a separate book, the death of Mr. Humphrey did not require any changes.

In connection with "little Nell" I have a sad but proud memory. Her wanderings had not yet come to an end when an essay appeared in a literary magazine, the main theme of which was her, and in it she spoke so thoughtfully, so eloquently, with such tenderness about herself and her ghostly companions, which of me would have been complete insensitivity, if while reading it I did not experience joy and some special good spirits. Long years later, when I met Thomas Goode, and saw how his disease slowly reduced him, full of courage, to the grave, I learned that he was the author of that Essay.

Although I am an old man, it is most pleasant for me to walk in the late evening. In the summer in the country, I often go out early and wander for hours through the fields and country roads, or disappear from the house at once for several days, or even weeks; but in the city I almost never happen to be on the street before dark, although, thank God, like every living creature, I love the sun and cannot help but feel how much joy it sheds on the earth.

I have become addicted to these late walks somehow imperceptibly to myself - partly because of my bodily handicap, and partly because the darkness is more conducive to reflection on the manners and deeds of those you meet on the streets. The dazzling brilliance and bustle of half a day do not contribute to such an aimless activity. A quick look at the face that flashed in the light street lamp or in front of the shop window, sometimes reveals more to me than a meeting during the day, and besides, to tell the truth, the night in this sense kinder day, which tends to rudely and without any regret destroy our barely arisen illusions.

Eternal walking back and forth, restless noise, the shuffling of soles that does not subside for a minute, capable of smoothing and polishing the most uneven cobblestone, how do the inhabitants of narrow streets endure all this? Imagine a patient lying at home somewhere in the parish of St. Martina, exhausted by suffering, yet involuntarily (as if fulfilling a given lesson) tries to distinguish by sound the steps of a child from the steps of an adult, the pitiful props of a beggar woman from the boots of a dandy, the aimless staggering from corner to corner from a businesslike gait, the sluggish hobble of a tramp from the brisk tread of a seeker adventure. Imagine the rumble and rumble that cut into his ears, the unceasing stream of life, rolling wave after wave through his disturbing dreams, as if he was condemned from century to century to lie in a noisy cemetery - to lie dead, but to hear all this without any hope of peace.

And how many pedestrians stretch in both directions over bridges - at any rate, on those where no tolls are levied! Stopping on a fine evening at the parapet, some of them absent-mindedly look at the water with a vague idea that far, far from here this river flows between the green banks, little by little overflowing in breadth, and, finally, flows into the immense, boundless sea; others, having removed a heavy burden from their shoulders, look down and think: what a happiness to spend all my life on a lazy, clumsy barge, sucking on a pipe and dozing on a tarpaulin calcined by the hot rays of the sun; and still others - those who are in many ways different from both the first and the second, those who carry on their shoulders a burden that is incomparably heavier - remember how long ago they had to either hear or read that of all the methods of suicide the simplest and easiest is to throw yourself into the water.

And the Covent Garden market at dawn, in spring or summer, when the sweet fragrance of flowers drowns out the stench of the night's revelry that has not yet dissipated and drives the sickly thrush, which has spent the whole night in a cage hung out of the attic window, crazy! Poor fellow! He is alone here, akin to those little prisoners who either lie on the ground, faded from the hot hands of drunken customers, or, languishing in tight bouquets, wait for the hour when splashes of water will refresh them to please those who are more sober, or to the delight of old clerks who Hurrying to work, they will start to catch themselves with surprise at the memories of forests and fields that have come from nowhere.

But I will not expand more on my travels. I have another goal in front of me. I would like to tell about an incident that marked one of my walks, the description of which I preface this story instead of a preface.

One evening I wandered into the City and, as usual, was walking slowly, meditating on 6 volumes about this, when suddenly I was stopped by someone's quiet, pleasant voice. It took me some time to grasp the meaning of the question, clearly addressed to me, and, quickly looking around, I saw a pretty girl next to me, who asked how she could get to such and such a street, which, by the way, was in a completely different part of the city.

It is very far from here, my child, I replied.

Yes, sir, she said timidly. - I know it's far, I came from there.

One? - I was surprised.

It doesn't matter that one. But I've lost my way and I'm afraid that I won't get lost at all.

Why did you ask me? What if I send you to the wrong place? - No! It can't be! the girl exclaimed. - You're old and you walk slowly.

I don’t dare to tell you how struck I was by these words, spoken with such force of conviction that the girl even had tears in her eyes and her whole fragile body trembled.

Come on, I'll walk you out, I said. The girl held out her hand to me boldly, as if she knew me from the cradle, and we slowly moved on. She diligently adapted herself to my steps, as if considering that it was she who needed to lead and protect me, and not vice versa. Every now and then I caught the glances of my companion on me, apparently trying to guess whether she was being deceived, and I noticed how these glances from time to time become more trusting and trusting.

It was hard for me not to be interested in this child - just a child! - although her so young appearance was explained rather by her small stature and fragility of the figure.

In this article, you will get acquainted with the work called "Antiquities Shop". Dickens wrote it in the genre of sentimentalism.

A little about the author

Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in England (Portsmouth). Glory came to the English writer during his lifetime, which is a rarity. The author wrote mainly in the genre of realism, but in his novels there is a place for a fairy tale and sentimentalism.

So why is Charles Dickens famous? The Antiquities Store is not his only famous work. Books that brought the author fame:

• "Oliver Twist";
• "Nicholas Nickleby";
• "Pickwick Club";
• "Our mutual friend";
• "Cold House";
• "A Tale of Two Cities";
• "Big hopes";
• "The Mystery of Edwin Drood".

The strangeness of the famous Englishman

Dickens knew how to enter into a state of trance, often fell into it involuntarily. He was haunted by visions, and he often felt a state of deja vu. When the latter happened, he crumpled and twisted his hat. Because of this, he spoiled a lot of hats and eventually completely stopped wearing them.

His friend and editor-in-chief of the Fortnightly Review, George Henry Lewis, said that the author constantly communicated with the heroes of his works. While working on the novel The Antiquities Shop, Dickens also saw the main character of the work, Nellie. The author himself said that she got under his feet, did not let him eat and sleep.

The novel "The Antiquities Shop" (Dickens): a summary

The main character of the novel is a twelve-year-old girl named Nelly. She is an orphan and lives with her grandfather, who simply adores her. A girl from infancy lives among outlandish things: sculptures of Indian gods, antique furniture.

The cute little girl has great willpower. Readers are impressed by the unchildish courage of a twelve-year-old baby. The relative decided to secure the girl's future in a very strange way - by playing cards. He wanted to win a large sum and send the girl to the best college. To do this, he leaves the girl alone at night and goes to meet friends.

Unfortunately, Grandpa has bad luck in the game and loses their house and antique shop. The family has to go where their eyes look. There is also a guy in the novel who is in love with a girl. His name is Keith. The teenager and his family are always trying to help the girl and her grandfather.

The owner of their shop becomes an evil dwarf named Quill. He can do creepy and scary things:

• swallow eggs along with the shell;
• drink boiling water.

For some reason, when he becomes the owner of the shop, he moves to sleep in Nelly's crib. Quill is a creepy creature, an imp and a businessman. He never earned money in an honest way, although he has his own office. The author writes that the clock has been in it for eighteen years, and the paint has long dried up in the inkwell. The table in the study serves as a bed for the dwarf.

So, in the way of the old Trent and Nellie, a huge number of adventures await. On the way, they meet comedians, a kind but poor teacher in a rural school.

They will also be sheltered by the kind mistress Mrs. Jarley. The woman provided Nelly with work and shelter for her and her grandfather. Finally, the girl lives in peace, but it wasn’t there - the grandfather starts playing again. Having lost all the money earned by the girl, the grandfather decides to rob the mistress of the house. Nelly finds out about this and prevents her relative from taking a rash step. They leave the house on a quiet night.

Travelers enter an industrial city. They cannot find a job. At night they are given shelter by a local stoker. It doesn’t work out for him to stay long, and they need to go on their way again. On the way, the girl gets caught in heavy rain and gets wet to the skin. The consequence of this is Nelly's illness. At last the travelers find shelter. They took pity on them and allocated a gatehouse at the old church. Unfortunately, it's too late - the girl dies. The old man goes mad and also leaves this world.

The Antiquities Shop (Dickens) is a fairy tale, the plot of which is built on a game of contrasts. The famous Englishman had a passion for everything fantastic, unearthly and bizarre. Baby Nelly appears to readers as a little fairy: fragile, tender, surprisingly kind. She forgives everything to her eccentric grandfather and tries, despite her young years, to solve problems for both.

When the novelist gets tired of Nelly's "fabulousness", he introduces ordinary people into the plot: a teenager Kit in love with her, his mother, brothers. Readers tend to have a special liking for the lazybones Dick Swiveller.

Little Marquise - the heroine of the novel "Antiquities Store" (Dickens)

There is also a girl named Marquise in the novel. She is the exact opposite of Nelly. Marquise is a servant in the house of the rich: Samson Brass and his sister Sally. They completely tortured the girl with menial work. She lives in a damp, cold kitchen. Sally beats her up and keeps her starving.

The little girl is feisty and innocent. She often eavesdrops and peeps at the keyhole. This is an ordinary, cheerful and lively girl. A bit cunning: can easily steal something tasty. Despite the ill-treatment, the Marquise does not harden with people, but remains kind and bright.

Charles Dickens in his works raises the issue of defenselessness of children in the cruel world of adults. The sad fate of Nelly, mockery of the Marquise make the reader remember other heroes of his novels. Dickens lovers will also remember Oliver Twist, who was tortured to death in a workhouse.

Dickens' novel became popular during the author's lifetime. Not only the inhabitants of Foggy Albion, but also the Americans wept over Nellie's untimely death. The author himself, as he wrote to a friend, was very worried about this turn of events in the novel. He could not do otherwise, the death of the main character was supposed to indicate cruelty towards children. The author wanted to turn readers away from evil and sow goodness and compassion in their hearts.

Rated the book

6,5/10
That's why I love Dickens, so much for his grotesque exaggerations and contrasts. I don't even know how to present his prose. Perhaps it is a piece of fetid shit wrapped in beautiful foil. You admire the wrapper, unfold it, inhale this vile smell like a gourmet and bite off a piece, and under the layer of shit there is a gentle praline. And under a layer of praline - stale moldy bread. And it's so funny that you just laugh. After all, what is life without humor? Yes, there is life! What is death without humor? When I finally decide to commit suicide, I will definitely inhale laughing gas before jumping off the roof. Carnival culture, if you understand me, sweethearts.
Wildly mixed Camus with Wodehouse, Balzac with Apuleius - that's happiness! Ah, if my dream came true (that's just what - I don’t understand in any way), then everything would definitely bloom and smell. And the song "Some of these days" would definitely be spinning, as a kind of existential bonus. Yes exactly.
So what am I on about? Oh yes! When the good ones get the reward, the bad guys get the bucks, and the sisters get the earrings, it's such a bore. And when everything is exactly the opposite, it somehow depresses. I love the golden mean, if it’s impossible to grab tops or roots.
That's why I love Dickens.
And I simply cannot forbid myself to take advantage of such a convenient opportunity and not advise you all, my friends and foes, the wonderful series The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff.
Now, perhaps, everything. And then he signed here, like Dickens, what an insatiable one.

Rated the book

I recently began to download a lot of audiobooks - they go very well under Minecraft =) Where else can you find the best place for thoughtful listening to world classics, if not in a deep mine?
My acquaintance with Dickens was limited only to the "Pickwick Club", which blew my mind with its immense size and flickering plot, which was not facilitated by the tight deadlines of the third year of the philological faculty, which probably assumed that students could go into a time loop at any moment, once in each Talmud set aside a maximum of a couple of days. And now, having heard about the work with the intriguing title "Antiquities Shop", I decided to continue with it.
What can I tell you? This is the rare case when for me the form was prevailing over the content. The author's beautiful language, soothing recitation - it was, as they say, "pleasant" to listen to. I sometimes popped up from this meditation, yelled: "Damn it, what are these crazy people doing?!" and immediately sank again, blowing bubbles and smiling blissfully.
The plot for the modern reader, probably, will seem either frivolous, or far-fetched. Girls - they are all so tender, beautiful, angelic, with consumptive pallor on their faces. The boys are brave, rushing into battle for the girls, ready to hurt themselves into a cake. Family relationships are filled with love and self-sacrifice. Love relationship- complete dere-dere. Villains - nasty, ugly, infernal. Volunteers - running to the ends of the world to help. All their actions are a mix of tears, ardent confessions, cries, fainting, timid looks, naivety, assurances of friendship and love, aching hearts and nervous fever. Is this crazy? Oh no, that's sentimental, baby!!! I'm even in tender school years was too poor and cynical to be imbued with his spirit. But he adored the landscape passages of this style.
It's sad that the book ended so sadly. I thought that everyone would be happy there, they would move to live in the village and be friends with their families. And they did not move X_x Or fled to the fleet. Or gone crazy. Or even tragic deaths. Hamster's heart was filled with hopeless longing, honestly.
Good book, albeit dull. Read it - such a refined example of the genre that you simply admire.

Rated the book

What an amazing book! I haven't read too many books by Dickens yet. And until now, the book "Great Expectations" has remained my favorite, which introduced and completely fell in love with the work of this writer. But now, next to it, there will certainly and always be the "Shop of Antiquities". With what pleasure I read it! And, the strangest thing, now I don’t know at all what to write about her. That is, there are thoughts and feelings, of course. But for some reason I don’t find those that would be worthy to clothe in words and put on public display. For some reason, this book evoked in me a feeling of some kind of boundless, aching tenderness. For some reason, I feel warm from her, despite the fact that the events described in it are far from being joyful. Maybe this is because the author himself describes his characters with great love and tenderness? Reading Dickens, I have already got used to the fact that the character traits of many of his heroes are too hypertrophied. If the hero is positive, then literally in everything. If it's a villain, it's a monster, like the dwarf Quilp. I somehow cannot imagine such a horror as he is in human life. I read this sad story of an old man and his granddaughter literally without stopping. The author's style, conducive to unhurried reading somewhere in an armchair by the fireplace, wrapped in a warm blanket, with a mug of hot tea or mulled wine in his hands, literally fascinates and lulls. Perhaps that is why the book seems so cozy.
I highly recommend reading it to both fans of the author and those who are just planning to get to know him. For a first look, this book is amazing!

The main character of the work is a twelve-year-old girl Nelly. She lives with her grandfather in an antique shop. Growing up among unusual things, the girl seemed to have absorbed their spirit.

Nelly's grandfather is an avid gambler. Every night he goes to the gambling house, guided by noble purpose- to earn money for the education of the granddaughter. However, he only loses money. As a result, due to debts, the evil dwarf Quilp takes over his shop. The dwarf appears as an evil troll who eats eggs completely with their shells, drinks boiling water and sits on the back of a chair. After taking over the shop from the old man, Quilp sleeps in Nelly's crib.

The girl leaves home in search of a better life. This fact greatly upsets the boy who works in the shop and is secretly in love with Nellie. However, he can't help her. Nelly, together with her grandfather, goes on a journey with circus puppeteers. Suspecting that the companions want to separate them from their grandfather, they leave them. In a small village, Nelly finds shelter in the house of a poor teacher. He even allows Nellie to go to school with him and attend classes.

Continuing their journey, the wanderers find themselves at the good-natured hostess of the wax exhibition. The woman offers not only shelter, but also work for little Nellie. For a while, life improved, but grandfather began to play again. Having lost big, he steals his granddaughter's money, plans to rob the hostess in order to recoup the next time. Nelly persuades her grandfather to leave, so as not to protect him from committing a crime.

Further travel does not bring anything good. Travelers cannot find a home or food. They have to spend the night outside, get wet in the rain. For some time, the family was allowed to spend the night by a worker of a local factory. However, the wanderers were forced to continue on their way.

After getting wet in the rain, Nellie becomes very ill. In a moment of despair, the family meets again with the village teacher. He finds shelter for them in the church gatehouse. However, a fatal disease takes Nellie's life. Having lost his mind from grief, the old man also dies.

Dickens' novel, despite its sad ending, is a fairy tale. In it, the writer contrasts some characters with others. Little Nelly appears as a kind fairy fairy. She is smart and kind beyond her years. Grandpa, who loses all the money in cards, is her opposite. Although he is not devoid of positive traits, because he loves his granddaughter very much, and he plays with the good intention of gaining money for her education. Using the example of people he meets along the way, Dickens shows that there can be both good and bad people in the world.

The scenes of cruel trials to which children are subjected in the works of Dickens leave no doubt that the writer is very worried about their fate. By showing readers the complexities of children's lives, he tries to protect them.

Picture or drawing Antiquities shop

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March 11 2010

Twelve year old Nelly lives in a fantastic environment of outlandish things: these are rusty weapons, knightly armor, antique furniture and tapestries, statues of oriental gods. Left alone every night. Her grandfather is an incorrigible gambler. True, he plays to ensure the future of his granddaughter, but he is haunted by failure. The modest savings and money received on the security of his antiquities shop have already been lost. The evil dwarf Quilp becomes its owner, and Nellie and grandfather, to the great grief of a teenager Kit, in love with a girl, leave the house aimlessly. Very different people they meet on the way: cunning comedians-puppeteers; a poor country man who, unlike Squeers, is kindness itself; Mrs. Jarley, the owner of the wax museum, is a kind and caring woman. She gives Nelly a job, and the girl lives quietly until her grandfather starts playing again. He steals the money earned by his granddaughter and wants to rob the kind mistress of the museum. However, Nelly did not let the crime happen. At night, she takes her grandfather away from the hospitable shelter of Mrs. Jarley.

.Road leads travelers to a large industrial city. For one night they were sheltered by a factory stoker. And again they are on the road - in the cold and rain. Nelly wants to quickly get out into the expanse of fields and meadows, but the travelers are tired, they are barely wandering and see depressing pictures of grief in the Black Krat of factories and mines. It is not known how this difficult path would have ended if it were not for a happy accident: a meeting with a kind teacher who again came to their aid. In a small gatehouse at the old church, Nelly and her grandfather find refuge, but not for long: the girl is already mortally ill and soon dies. Dies of grief and lost his mind old Trent.

Novel"Antiquities Shop" (1840) is conceived as fantastic, like. Here he gave free rein to his special passion for everything bizarre and strange, for the game of contrasts. From the very beginning, the girl, surrounded by curiosities, sets the tone for the entire book. Dickens surrounds her not only with strange things, but also with strange people. Sometimes they are scary, grotesque, like an ugly Quilp, who all the time grimaces and does inconsistent acts: he swallows whole eggs in their shells, drinks boiling water, sits on the back of a chair or on a table, and having taken possession of an antique shop, goes to sleep in a small bed Nellie. But Quilp is also terribly cunning, there is something supernatural about him. This is a fabulous evil troll who only thinks how to harm good people. He is rich, but even in this case we do not know how he got rich: there is no trace of business in his office. Everything here is abomination and desolation, in this dirty plank hut, where the clock has been standing for eighteen years, there is no ink in the inkwell, and the desktop serves as a bed for the owner. But Dickens does not need signs of the case. He draws us not a real businessman, but a demon who embodies evil and cruelty in the same way that Nelly personifies goodness and humanity.

But is not a "curiosity" Nelly herself? She is so good, kind and reasonable that she seems like a little fairy or a fairy-tale princess who cannot be imagined as a plump and cheerful mother of the family, like, for example, the pretty maid Barbara, who is in love with Kit. But Dickens - such an impression is created - after all, ordinary people who eat a lot, drink a lot, have fun (and work a lot, of course) are more to their liking. And when the fabulousness tires him, he enjoys the company of Keith, his mother and little brothers, the pretty lazybones Swiveller, the servant girl whom Dick gallantly calls Marquise and who is so unlike Nellie.

Marquise lives with the villainous lawyer Samson Brass and his monstrous sister Sally. They completely tortured the little maid with hard work, hunger and cruel treatment. lives in a dark, damp kitchen, where there is even a lock hanging on the salt shaker and where every day the painful procedure of “feeding” a hungry maid is performed. Miss Sally cuts off a tiny piece of lamb, and the girl instantly "handles" it. Then everything plays out like clockwork. The “dragon in a skirt” asks if the maid wants more, and when she barely audibly answers “no”, she repeats: “They gave you meat - you ate plenty, they offered you more, but you answered “I don’t want to.” So don't you dare talk like you're being starved here. Do you hear? »:

Wherein, as if by chance, she hits the hands, head, back of the girl with the handle of the knife, and then begins to beat her. And so every day. Dickens largely attributes Miss Sally's sadistic inclinations to the unfemininity of her nature and even the well-known "emancipation", because Sally is engaged in jurisprudence, and not domestic "women's" affairs. But the reader perceived the picture of mockery of the little maid at the same time with the same scenes: he recalled Oliver Twist in the working pillbox, poor Smike, hunted down by the Squeers, and even more admired Dickens, the protector and friend of children.

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