Dodger (50 page)

Answer

The Cricket on the Hearth
.

Question 13

In chapter 22, Agnes Dunn, who lives with Mouse Flynn, claims she has an uncle Josiah who owns a mill up in Coketown. In which novel does Dickens take us to Coketown to meet Josiah Bounderby?

Answer

Hard Times
.

Question 14

A film related question. The false address that Charley Bates leaves with Mouse Flynn is ‘Newley Farm, Eden Lane, Wildreed Wood'. This contains the surnames of four actors who have played the Artful Dodger. It also contains the names of two directors associated with the character (although one of these directors is an anagram). Name all six.

Answer

Anthony Newley played Dodger in the 1948 film directed by David Lean. Harry Eden in the 2005 film. Jack Wild memorably played him in the 1968 film of the musical
Oliver!
directed by Carol Reed. Elijah Wood played him in a 1997 TV movie. Lane is and anagram of Lean.

Question 15

The poster for Rafferty's music hall in chapter 25 makes mentions of some performers from the Dickens canon. Which ones?

Answer

The Crummles family featuring the Infant Phenomenon appear in
Nicholas Nickleby
. Fanny Dorrit is the sister of Amy Dorrit in
Little Dorrit
.

Question 16

When Dawkins visits Eddie Inderwick in chapter 25 Eddie speaks of another opium fiend who was boasting to him earlier about how he is going to murder his nephew. What unsolved murder from the Dickens canon might Eddie be unwittingly solving for us?

Answer

A slippery one this. Eddie seems to have encountered John Jasper, the uncle of Edwin from
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
. Edwin goes missing and is believed murdered but Dickens died while writing the novel and so never explained what happened to him. However, it is largely believed by a great many Dickens lovers that the evil opium fiend Jasper felt murderous intent towards his nephew Edwin and so was probably responsible for his disappearance. So Eddie is confirming to an uninterested Dawkins the solution to one of the great unsolved literary mysteries of all time.