So as we all know Nancy in S3 makes a small quip towards Jonathan by calling out his "Oliver Twist routine." Both Nancy and Jonathan seem to be very familiar with this book and it's characters which make me think that they must have both read it and know it's content.
This fact gets very interesting when you take into consideration that the novel Oliver Twist who's titular character seems to be associated with Jonathan - since it is his routine which gets called out here - also has a character called Nancy.
After I found out about this last summer I decided to read the full novel and not only does it throw quite an interesting shadow on Jonathan's and Nancy's relationship, it also alludes to something else entirely if you read the book from a more modern perspective.
So yeah. Spoilers for the Oliver Twist novel from here on out. I won't go into fully detail of all the plot points but if you have any intention of reading it for yourself and don't want to get spoiled, consider yourself warned.
You can also read the full novel in part 1, 2 and 3 on gutenberg or listen to one of the many audiobooks provided by volunteers at librivox. (Huzzah for it being old and in the public domain for a long time)
So let's dive in.
Considering that Nancy and Jonathan in the middle of S3 are still (and will be for quite a while) a couple it's quite an odd choice to let both of them reference Oliver Twist. In hindsight with the knowledge of what happens in S5, it gets more clear as why it's not such a bad fit after all.
For the time being though, it should have raised more eyebrows than it probably did for not only is there also an important character called Nancy inside the story, there is also no romantic tension between Oliver and Nancy whatsoever. This is among other reasons due to Oliver still being a child of approximately 9 or 10 years and Nancy being at least 5 to 10 years older than he is. Note that I am making a guess here as I don't know how old Nancy actually is.
Yet the relationship between Oliver and Nancy is quite an interesting one and Nancy has a huge impact on the life of Oliver and what becomes him throughout the novel.
First she is the reason for Olivers doom as she is the one who pulls him of the street and therefore also away from a family who gave him a home and cared for him a great deal. She takes him when he is vulnerable and alone and leads him right into the arms of the villains of the story who are dead set on corrupting him in order to make him do criminal deeds.
Later in the novel however Nancy also has a change of heart and it is through her brave and courageous actions that Oliver can be saved and find his happy ending even if Nancy cannot.
She is the reason for his salvation and of this I believe we also get a glimpse of in S5 when our Nancy is the one to start their break up conversation by telling Jonathan how she really feels about him. Honesty sometimes also requires lots of courage and thanks to Nancy displaying it at the right time she did not only save him but also herself from a relationship neither of them wanted.
Oliver Twist's Nancy saves Oliver by spying on a conversation between the villains of the story and then later relaying the information she could gather to the one person among Oliver's allies she seems to trust the most.
This person is called Rose Maylie.
Rose is "not past seventeen" and much like Oliver and presumably Nancy an orphan but unlike the the latter two she had a better upbring due to first being taken in as a young child and then raised by a kind and wealthy woman who's adopted niece she would become whereas the other two only ever knew poverty.
Nancy in contrast to Rose describes her upbring as follows:
“Thank Heaven upon your knees, dear lady,” cried the girl, “that you had friends to care for and keep you in your childhood, and that you were never in the midst of cold and hunger, and riot and drunkenness, and—and something worse than all—as I have been from my cradle; I may use the word, for the alley and the gutter were mine, as they will be my deathbed.”
Chapter XXXIX
Nancy in Oliver Twist is a thief and also part of the thieves' gang who's leaders are so intent to corrupt Oliver throughout the entire story as there is much to gain for them if they succeed. One of these leaders and also the main villain of the story is a guy called Bill Sikes who is also Nancy's lover.
It is however also this Bill she is betraying by first sedating him and then relaying his plans to Rose.
As for why Nancy only trusts Rose I have no idea but I would guess it is because they are both close in age and she might seem the most likely one to believe Nancy what she has to tell her.
Rose then is also the first person to ever show Nancy kindness.
“Your having interfered in this dear boy’s behalf before,” said Rose; “your coming here at so great a risk to tell me what you have heard; your manner, which convinces me of the truth of what you say; your evident contrition, and sense of shame, all lead me to believe that you might be yet reclaimed. Oh!” said the earnest girl, folding her hands as the tears coursed down her face, “do not turn a deaf ear to the entreaties of one of your own sex; the first—the first, I do believe, who ever appealed to you in the voice of pity and compassion. Do hear my words, and let me save you yet for better things.”
“Lady,” cried the girl, sinking on her knees, “dear, sweet, angel lady, you are the first that ever blessed me with such words as these, and if I had heard them years ago, they might have turned me from a life of sin and sorrow; but it is too late—it is too late!”
Chapter XXXIX
After Nancy tells Rose her story she is intent on trying to help her as best as she can to get out of the situation she lives in. She tries to offer an alternative of living, tries to offer her money but Nancy doesn't take any of it. Instead she wants to go back to Bill where she knows she will likely face his wrath if he were to ever find out what she did in order to betray him and save Oliver.
His wrath she will face but first she will also meet Rose for a second time where Rose again tries to convince Nancy to get away from the guy she is with but again she won't be successful.
“This purse,” cried the young lady. “Take it for my sake, that you may have some resource in an hour of need and trouble.”
“No, no,” replied the girl. “I have not done this for money. Let me have that to think of. And yet—give me something that you have worn: I should like to have something—no, no, not a ring—your gloves or handkerchief—anything that I can keep as having belonged to you, sweet lady. There. Bless you—God bless you. Good night, good night.”
Chapter XLIV
Nancy doesn't want any help or money. She only asks Rose for a single personal item of hers.
She staggered and fell, nearly blinded with the blood that rained down from a deep gash in her forehead, but raising herself with difficulty on her knees drew from her bosom a white handkerchief—Rose Maylie’s own—and holding it up in her folded hands as high towards Heaven as her feeble strength would let her, breathed one prayer for mercy to her Maker.
Chapter XLV
It is the same item she holds in her hand and raises it to high heaven as she gets murdered by Bill near the end of the story.
Look, I know this book was written and released in the first half of the 19th century. I know Nancy and Rose are supposed to be foils for one another. Both are orphans who could have easily lived the life of the other if only fate would have wanted it. This is what this is supposed to show us I believe. That in the end matters or circumstances which we cannot control can lead us to do things we might not do otherwise.
There is also the glaring discrepancy between Rose and Nancy in what the 19th century would call a virtuous woman. Rose is one whereas Nancy isn't. While it is actually unclear if Nancy ever did actual sex work for Bill or the thieves' gang she is still Bills lover and not married to him and therefore also not considered virtuous on top of all the other things she has done like stealing.
I am also very much aware that Rose throughout all of this is incredibly charitable, sees only the good in Nancy and that these things are also part of what one would consider a good christian woman in 19th century. So in order to be a good woman and role model Rose would need to display all of those things.
And yet I am also a modern reader living in the 21th century and can see things slightly different and in a way that was most certainly not intended by the author because let's be real here there is something incredibly intimate about holding on to someone else's personal belonging like it is a lifeline shortly before you die.
Nancy holds onto Rose and her handkerchief like it could save her in the end, like it means so much to her that she must pray for mercy with Rose's memory in her hand. It's very sweet and very tragic indeed. You might even be inclined to read even more between these lines.
It's imho also very evident in the way Rose treats Nancy throughout. She constantly tries to help her and get her out of this clearly abusive relationship she in but it's all to no avail as Nancy would not listen to her even though it is clear that she also holds Rose in high reguard.
If only she would have chosen her instead. If only Nancy would have chosen Rose.
It's also mind boggling that the creators of ST choose this book to reference in a jncy fight all while Oliver and Nancy inside the story have no romantic tension whatsoever while the character of Nancy has much more almost romantic tension with a character called Rose.
Then the next season they decide to give Robin a fake alias called Rose.
This is insane and also another one for the "jncy was always bones" pile while ronance was foreshadowed before they even properly met.
Image credit for the Oliver Twist illustrations goes to Harry Furniss who's drawings you can find here.
