Little Dorrit · Character
Henry Gowan
A charming, sardonic artist who marries Pet Meagles, then coolly decides that knowing her family is no longer agreeable to him.
supporting
Also known as Gowan, Mr. Henry Gowan
First appearance: Fellow Travellers
As a supporting figure in Little Dorrit, Henry Gowan is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
An artist with a cynical charm, courting Pet; his manner is easy but his character is questionable.
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Gowan is a well-connected but idle painter whose wit and good looks win Pet Meagles despite his family's contempt for trade. Once married, he treats the Meagleses with polite dismissal, arranging to be 'best fellows but…
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The fuller portrait of Henry Gowan sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.
See Henry Gowan in Fellow TravellersCharacter Web
21 connectionsA slice of how Henry Gowan sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Inventors, Artists, and Shadows
- Protagonist
- Circumlocution Office and Society
+16 more in the full Character Web
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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Follow the arc while readingIn the story
Henry Gowan appears across 14 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
- Nobody's Rival
- Nobody's State of Mind
- A Shoal of Barnacles
- Fellow Travellers
- On the Road
- A Letter from Little Dorrit
- Something Right Somewhere
- Mostly, Prunes and Prism
- +6 more
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Henry Gowan unlock in the free preview.
See Henry Gowan in Fellow Travellers