The Old Curiosity Shop · Chapter
LVI explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Swiveller mourns a lost love with theatrical melancholy, then interacts with Mr. Chuckster and later with Sampson Brass, who displays unusual cheerfulness and cunning. Brass sends Swiveller on an errand, then intercepts Kit as he tries to leave, offering him money and feigning benevolence while hinting at secret dealings with the lodger.
Themes in this chapter
Greed and Exploitation
Brass's manipulative generosity toward Kit, offering half-crowns while hinting at secret dealings, exemplifies the exploitation of the poor by those in power.
Class and Social Hierarchy
Kit's humble station is emphasized by Brass's condescending sympathy and the power imbalance between the attorney and the poor messenger.
Innocence vs. Corruption
Kit's honest nature contrasts with Brass's cunning and deceitful behavior, as Brass feigns virtue while manipulating Kit for his own ends.
Characters to notice
- Richard Swiveller
Enters Brass's office in a theatrical mood, wearing a black crape hatband and lamenting lost love; engages in banter with Chuckster and later receives an errand from Brass.
- Sampson Brass
Displays uncharacteristic cheerfulness and cunning; sends Swiveller on an errand, then intercepts Kit, offering him half-crowns and feigning benevolence while hinting at secret dealings.
- Sally Brass
Appears briefly, peeping into the office and exchanging a knowing look with her brother after Swiveller leaves.
- Mr. Chuckster
Visits the office early, exchanges fraternal greetings and a theatrical quotation with Swiveller, and mentions the lodger's oddness.
- Christopher Nubbles
Arrives at Brass's office to leave, but is called back and given half-crowns by Brass, who manipulates him with false sympathy and hints at future payments.
Key passages
“I never nursed a dear Gazelle, to glad me with its soft black eye, but when it came to know me well, and love me, it was sure to marry a market-gardener.”
Swiveller laments that his romantic interests always end in disappointment, comparing his lost love to a gazelle that marries a gardener.
Swiveller's theatrical grief over a lost love, using a poetic metaphor to express his cynicism about relationships.
“Our only consolation, Kit, is, that although we cannot turn away the wind, we can soften it; we can temper it, if I may say so, to the shorn lambs.”
Brass claims that lawyers can only mitigate the harshness of fate for their clients, using a biblical allusion to appear compassionate.
Brass's hypocritical sympathy toward Kit, masking his true manipulative intentions.