fanlisting ...

a fanlisting just as its implies, is a listing of fans for a given topic. the concept of "fanlistings" was thought up by janine, some time ago. there is only one approved fanlisting per subject and all the approved fanlists make up an immense database at thefanlistings.org, which is manned by some 60 volunteers.
this fanlisting is approved fanlisting for jack dawkins, universally known as "the artful dodger" from charles dickens' novel, "oliver twist."


the artful ...

the artful dodger is one of charles dickens' most memorable minor characters. he makes himself known in dickens' second novel, "oliver twist. christened jack dawkins, the artful is the most successful pickpocket of a small band of thieves oliver twist, the novel's protagonist, encounters during his first visitation to london.

"He was a snub-nosed, flat-browed, commonfaced boy enough; and as dirty a juvenile as one would wish to see; but he had about him all the airs and manners of a man. He was short for his age; with rather bow-legs, and little, sharp, ugly eyes. His hat was stuck on the top of his head so lightly, that it threatened to fall off every moment and would have done so, very often, if the wearer had not had a knack of every now and then, giving his head a sudden twitch, which brought it back to its old place again. He wore a man's coat, which reached nearly to his heels. He had turned the cuffs back, half-way up his arm, to get his hands out of the sleeves, apparently with the ultimate view of thrusting them into the pockets of his corduroy trousers; for there he kept them. He was, altogether, as roystering and swaggering a young gentleman as ever stood four feet six, or something less, in his bluchers."

the artful is around oliver's age, 9-12, but in dress and mannerism plays a grown man. he is the first to find oliver and after buying him a meal makes it know to the young parish orphan, he knows a "kindly" old gentleman, who would be more than glad to put up oliver. the artful then takes oliver to fagin, a cunning and vile old man who employs young boys to rob for him. the artful inhabits a dilapidated thieves den with a dozen or so pickpockets boys, all working for fagin.
this ends up being the artful's greatest contribution to the events of the novel. later on, the artful takes oliver out on a job with a fellow pickpocket, charley bates and loses the young boy to an honest man, whom oliver befriends.
throughout the rest of the book, the artful is, well, artful and amusing. he lights up every scene with a bit of cockney chatter and impeccable conceited poise, until his rather, shall we say, "tragic" end.


why ...

because the artful is artful. a deal too artful. because he is an icon of literature and a character of genius. i love him. you know he'd make fine company and probably holds tea and beggars peter pan's neighbor all the time. he's fun and shows thieves can't be all bad. he could pick my pocket any day (all he'd find in there is dust anyhow).


layout ...

this layout features a screen cap from the 1968 musical, "oliver!" starring the young jack wild as the artful dodger, which was found here. the name "a deal too artful" is a quote from the "oliver twist" text coming from bill sikes, referring to the artful dodger. any other quotations found on this site may also be credited to the novel.


end ...

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