MovieChat Forums > Oliver Twist (2005) Discussion > Fagin and Nancy

Fagin and Nancy

posted 14 years ago by Avwillfan89
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What was the deal with their relationship? When Sykes was being cruel to Nancy, Fagin sort of looked sorry for her, but then he agrees with Sykes when he spurs venom about her. Then he speaks kindly to Nancy to try and figure out what she's up to. Then he sends the Artful Dodger to spy on her, and when he finds out she's talked to someone about Oliver, he's then forced to tell Sykes about it, which sends him in a rage, but Fagin pleads with him not to be violent with Nancy.

I had a feeling maybe Fagin is scared of Sykes in some ways or another, sometimes he stands up to him, and other times he doesn't.

[–] booksandcoffee 14 years ago

Fagin is scared of Sykes. While Fagin is painted as a lovable villain, Sykes is downright menacing. The clash of the two personalities resulted in Fagin cowering in fear. While his blind acceptance of Sykes' cruel words might have made him seem a bit of a coward, his plead to treat Nancy with a gentle hand showed not only kindness but courage. As the story progressed, so did the character of Fagin, and he gained a certain sense of strength that wasn't there initially.