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Bleak House · Character

Captain Hawdon

A shabby, nameless lodger above Krook's rag-and-bottle shop, scraping a living as a law-writer—once a captain, now a man the world has finished with.

supporting

Also known as Nemo

First appearance: ix signs and tokens

As a supporting figure in Bleak House, Captain Hawdon is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Mentioned as the former officer under whom George served; his handwriting is sought by Tulkinghorn.
In the storyMore Old Soldiers Than OneOpen this moment free

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Known to his neighbors only as Nemo—Latin for nobody—Hawdon writes legal documents by candlelight in a squalid room and drinks himself toward an early grave. His death is the first crack in the novel's surface, drawing…

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The fuller portrait of Captain Hawdon sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Captain Hawdon in ix signs and tokens

Character Web

21 connections

A slice of how Captain Hawdon sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

MBMr. Bayham Bad…MGMr. GeorgeMTMr. TulkinghornMGMr. GuppyMSMr. SmallweedCHCaptain Hawdon

Relationship types

  • Other

Character groups

  • Chancery and Mystery Core
  • Mrs. Bayham Badger's Marriages

+16 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

This passage marks the dramatic climax because it depicts Esther’s psychological reversal from illness and los…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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In the story

Captain Hawdon appears across 2 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Captain Hawdon unlock in the free preview.

See Captain Hawdon in ix signs and tokens
Who is Captain Hawdon in Bleak House?