# XLIII explained — The Old Curiosity Shop

> Chapter companion for The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens.

## What happens

Nell and her grandfather continue their flight, traveling by canal boat with rough men. Nell takes on the full burden of their survival, singing to keep the men amused through the night. They approach a manufacturing town as the rain pours down.

## Themes in this chapter

### Innocence vs. Corruption

Nell's innocence is contrasted with the brutish, drunken behavior of the boatmen, yet she uses her purity to survive.

### Sacrifice and Devotion

Nell sacrifices her own comfort and safety, singing all night to protect her grandfather and ensure their passage.

### Poverty and Suffering

Nell and her grandfather endure cold, hunger, and exhaustion, with only a few pence for bread and cheese.

## Character check-ins

### Nell Trent

Assumes full responsibility for their survival, sings to appease the drunken boatmen, and remains vigilant despite exhaustion.

### Mr. Trent

Subdued and dependent on Nell, sleeps through much of the journey.

## Key lines

> Her momentary weakness past, the child again summoned the resolution which had until now sustained her, and, endeavouring to keep steadily in her view the one idea that they were flying from disgrace and crime, and that her grandfather's preservation must depend solely upon her firmness, unaided by one word of advice or any helping hand, urged him onward and looked back no more.

After a brief lapse, Nell regains her determination, focusing on their escape from shame and wrongdoing, and pushes her grandfather forward without looking back, knowing his safety rests entirely on her resolve.

_Highlights Nell's assumption of full responsibility for their flight._

> The child herself was sensible of a new feeling within her, which elevated her nature, and inspired her with an energy and confidence she had never known.

Nell experiences a newfound sense of purpose and strength that lifts her spirit and gives her unprecedented confidence.

_Shows Nell's emotional and psychological transformation under pressure._

> A small loaf and a morsel of cheese, therefore, were all she could afford, and with these she took her place in the boat again.

With only a few pence left, Nell buys a small loaf and a piece of cheese, their only food for the journey.

_Illustrates their extreme poverty and limited resources._

> The same spirit which had supported her on the previous night, upheld and sustained her now. Her grandfather lay sleeping safely at her side, and the crime to which his madness urged him, was not committed. That was her comfort.

The same inner strength that helped her the night before continues to sustain Nell; she finds solace in knowing her grandfather is safe and hasn't committed the crime his madness drove him toward.

_Emphasizes Nell's motivation and the ongoing threat of her grandfather's gambling obsession._

> Not knowing what might be the consequences of irritating her friend, and trembling with the fear of doing so, poor Nell sang him some little ditty which she had learned in happier times.

Afraid of angering the drunken boatman, Nell nervously sings a song from her happier past to appease him.

_Demonstrates Nell's vulnerability and her use of song as a survival tactic._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_curiosity_shop_se/chapters/xliii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_curiosity_shop_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_curiosity_shop_se/chapters