The Old Curiosity Shop short summary & analysis

The Old Curiosity Shop - Charles Dickens

The Old Curiosity Shop Analysis

Dickens, a realistic novelist worldwide, is a great master of detailed description.

The Old Curiosity Shop is about the life struggle of orphan Nelly and his grandfather, and the events that took place around this struggle.

Although the fiction of the work remains technically weak, it reaches about seven hundred pages with Dickens' fluent expression and strong descriptions.

Dickens' fancy and comfortable writing style saves you from being boring.

The Old Curiosity Shop Short Summary

While the old man was walking at night, he came across a girl asking for an address. The address the child asked was remote. So the old man took the girl to her destination.

An old man opened the door of the house they went to. This man was the grandfather of the girl. The grandfather, who was delighted to find his granddaughter Nelly, took home to thank the old man.

Nelly was doing all the work in this house, which had antiques everywhere. The old man who brought Nelly to her house said goodbye to the grandfather of the girl and left. After coming to his home, he could not help but thinking about her.

Nelly was an orphan. So she was living with her grandfather. Kit was the assistant working in the shop.

The grandfather was gambling to donate a fortune to his little granddaughter, so he was indebted to his neighbor Daniel Quilp.

Daniel Quilp was a bad, self-interested man. He was also bad to his wife.

Fred was the brother of Nelly. He was after his sister's money. So he planned to marry his friend Dick Swiveller to his sister. In this way, Fred would be the sole owner of the wealth.

Daniel Quilp accused the apprentice Kit of something he didn't do. That's why the old man fired his assistant.

Kit never lost love for Nelly even though he was fired. At midnight, he was watching her house so that nothing could happen to her.

The wicked Quilp had hired a lawyer named Brass and began to get the old man's belongings.

Then one night, the old man ran away from home with his little granddaughter, Nelly. Now the only dream of the two was to go far. They walked until they reached town.

Quilp interrogated Kit to find out where they were going. But Kit didn't know anything.

Grandfather and granddaughter stayed in an inn at first.

Meanwhile, Kit began working as an assistant in Mr and Mrs Garland's home. Here he would earn more than the old place. So he was happy.

Fred, Quilp and Dick continued to plan as the old man and granddaughter struggled for their own happiness.

Nelly gets a job offer by Mrs. Jarley in town. Nelly's work is related to wax sculptures. They cling to work with Mrs. Jarley.

Later, Nelly settles into town with her grandfather. This duo is loved by everyone here. Even if the life conditions seem to improve a little, the old grandfather suddenly dies.

This makes Nell very sad. She begins to look for love from the people around her.

She finds this love in the old man, the gardener of the church. She loves him just like her grandfather.

Before too much time, Nelly also gets sick. He cannot survive the disease and dies. They bury Nelly next to her grandfather.

It is not only Nelly who died. Daniel Quilp dies at the end of the book. All the wealth of the villain remains to his wife.

Kit marries Barbara, the maid of the house where he works. She immortalizes Nelly by constantly telling his children Nelly's story.

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