Little Dorrit · Character
Ferdinand Barnacle
A suave, cynical member of the Circumlocution Office.
minor
Also known as Ferdinand, the engaging young Barnacle
First appearance: xxxiv a shoal of barnacles
Ferdinand Barnacle shows up with force in Preface to the 1857 Edition. The page is where that presence becomes real.
Part of the Barnacle family and the Circumlocution Office, which Dickens defends as exaggerated fiction.
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In Preface to the 1857 Edition: Part of the Barnacle family and the Circumlocution Office, which Dickens defends as exaggerated fiction. Later, in Containing the Whole Science of Government: The engaging young Barnacle…
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Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Financial and Medical Figures
- Circumlocution Office and Society
- Protagonist
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Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt represents the story's dramatic climax because it depicts Arthur Clennam’s psychological nadir an…
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Ferdinand Barnacle appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
- Preface to the 1857 Edition
- Containing the Whole Science of Government
- In Which a Great Patriotic Conference Is Holden
- XXV: The Chief Butler Resigns the Seals of Office
- An Appearance in the Marshalsea
Chapter companion notes
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See Ferdinand Barnacle in xxxiv a shoal of barnacles