Nell Trent
Better known as Little Nell. While this may not be one of the most well-known stories written by Charles Dickens, Nell is certainly regarded as one of his most famous characters. She is a sweet, pathetic little soul who supports her grandfather with an angelic tenderness and care.
Daniel Quilp
Nell and her grandfather are the locus of all that is good in this tale. Standing on the opposite end of the spectrum is the dwarfish money-lender, Daniel Quilp. In addition to avarice, Quilp dives into the deep end of the seven sins by lusting after sweet Nell, tormenting his wife and framing Kit Nubbles.
Kit Nubbles
Devoted to Little Nell, Kit is the shop-boy at the store of curios for the curious. His problems intensify when he is wrong accused of theft, though his innocence is proven as a result of the intervention of the Marchioness.
The Marchioness
Not really - it is simply a nickname foisted upon her by Dick Swiveller. In reality, the Marchioness is a servant girl in the service of the Brasses. Thanks to her shrewd ability to be in the right place and eavesdrop on the right thing, she is able to save Kit Nubbles from the false accusation as well as commence the mechanism which will ultimately bring down Daniel Quilp’s small kingdom of evil and malevolence.
Sally and Sampson Brass
Sister and brother assistants to the devilish plans of Daniel Quilp, it is actually Sally who is closer to the portrait of patriarchal wickedness. Sally is technically merely a clerk serving Sampson in his role as crooked lawyer, she ultimately proves herself far more sinister and lacking in any qualities of benevolence whatever. Not that Sampson is really much better; he is really just the face of the law. Sally is far more cunning, but also a woman. So there’s that.
Dick Swiveller
Good friend of Fred Trent, Nell’s less than equally angelic brother. Fred draws Dick into a misguided conspiracy to marry Nell with the intent of stealing what is perceived to be a massive inheritance their grandfather has been secreting away in some massive hoard of cold hard cash somewhere on the premises. Dick proves himself more trustworthy than Nell’s own brother when he openly rebels against the scheme. Ultimately winds up marrying the Marchioness after renaming her Sophronia Sphynx.
