He is one of Dickens's most vicious characters and a very strong force in the novel when it comes to
having control over somebody or harming others. He is portrayed as a rough and barbaric man. He is a
career criminal associated with Fagin, and an eventual murderer. He is very violent and aggressive, prone
to sudden bursts of extreme behaviour. He owns a bull terrier named Bull's Eye, whom he beats until the
dog needs stitches.
Dickens describes his first appearance:
“ The man who growled out these words, was a stoutly-built fellow of about five-and-thirty, in a black
velveteen coat, very soiled drab breeches, lace-up half boots, and grey cotton stockings which enclosed a
bulky pair of legs, with large swelling calves—the kind of legs, which in such costume, always look in an
unfinished and incomplete state without a set of fetters to garnish them. He had a brown hat on his head,
and a dirty belcher handkerchief round his neck: with the long frayed ends of which he smeared the beer
from his face as he spoke. He disclosed, when he had done so, a broad heavy countenance with a beard of
three weeks' growth, and two scowling eyes; one of which displayed various parti-coloured symptoms of
having been recently damaged by a blow.”
—Pages 198–199 of the second edition[1]
His prostitute girlfriend Nancy tolerates his violent and lawless behaviour, perhaps because she, being a
thief since the age of six, needs stability in her life, and because she believes that she loves him.
When Sikes murders Nancy, thinking she has betrayed him, a mob hounds him through the streets of London
until he accidentally hangs himself while trying to escape. The murder is especially gruesome, and is one
of the most graphic, frightening, scenes Dickens ever wrote.
Sikes has almost no redeeming qualities, although Dickens does give him some shading: at the robbery in
the countryside, Sikes, rather than leave Oliver at the scene of his botched burglary of Rose Maylie's
house, picks him up and runs with him as far as he can. This, however, was as much for his own
self-preservation, as he eventually does abandon the seriously wounded boy and shows absolutely no
remorse about doing so. After he brutally beats Nancy to death, he apparently is capable of feeling
guilt—although this is essentially suspicion that Fagin lied to him about her betrayal, and fear of the
possibility of being caught. Sikes lives in Bethnal Green and later moves to the squalid rookery area of
London then called Jacob's Island, east of present-day Shad Thames.
His prostitute girlfriend Nancy tolerates his violent and lawless behaviour, perhaps because she, being a
thief since the age of six, needs stability in her life, and because she believes that she loves him.
When Sikes murders Nancy, thinking she has betrayed him, a mob hounds him through the streets of London
until he accidentally hangs himself while trying to escape. The murder is especially gruesome, and is one
of the most graphic, frightening, scenes Dickens ever wrote.
Sikes has almost no redeeming qualities, although Dickens does give him some shading: at the robbery in
the countryside, Sikes, rather than leave Oliver at the scene of his botched burglary of Rose Maylie's
house, picks him up and runs with him as far as he can. This, however, was as much for his own
self-preservation, as he eventually does abandon the seriously wounded boy and shows absolutely no
remorse about doing so. After he brutally beats Nancy to death, he apparently is capable of feeling
guilt—although this is essentially suspicion that Fagin lied to him about her betrayal, and fear of the
possibility of being caught. Sikes lives in Bethnal Green and later moves to the squalid rookery area of
London then called Jacob's Island, east of present-day Shad Thames.
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