Oliver Twist · Character

Monks

A brooding, violent stranger who pays Fagin to keep Oliver in crime and boasts that he will snare his young brother at every turn in life.

major

Also known as Mr. Monks

First appearance: Chapter XXVI: In Which a Mysterious Character Appears Upon the Scene; and Many Things, Inseparable from This History, Are Done and Performed

As a major figure in Oliver Twist, Monks is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Monks meets Fagin secretly at the Cripples, expressing fear of being watched, but is eventually convinced it was his imagination.

In the storyChapter XXVI: In Which a Mysterious Character Appears Upon the Scene; and Many Things, Inseparable from This History, Are Done and PerformedOpen this moment free

See Monks in Chapter XXVI: In Which a Mysterious Character Appears Upon the Scene; and Many Things, Inseparable from This History, Are Done and Performed Book page

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Monks is the hidden hand behind Oliver's recapture: he strikes bargains with Fagin, laughs about drowning the proofs of the boy's identity, and speaks of hatred so earnest that Nancy would rather face anyone else. He is not a thief but something worse — a man with a grievance and a birthright, watching Oliver from the shadows. His conspiracy gives the early and middle chapters their menace, turning a story about a lost boy into a story about who wants him lost, and why.

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See Monks in Chapter XXVI: In Which a Mysterious Character Appears Upon the Scene; and Many Things, Inseparable from This History, Are Done and Performed

Character Web

17 connections

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

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Fagin's criminal gang
Workhouse and parish officials
Protagonist

+12 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this passage, the dramatic climax occurs when Rose Maylie, previously depicted as cheerful and in high spir…

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In the story

Monks appears across 9 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter XXVI: In Which a Mysterious Character Appears Upon the Scene; and Many Things, Inseparable from This History, Are Done and Performed
Monks meets Fagin secretly at the Cripples, expressing fear of being watched, but is eventually convinced it was his imagination.
XXXVII: In Which the Reader May Perceive a Contrast, Not Uncommon in Matrimonial Cases
A mysterious stranger who meets with Bumble to inquire about the nurse who attended Oliver's mother, showing agitation and secrecy.
XXXVIII: Containing an Account of What Passed Between Mr. and Mrs. Bumble, and Mr. Monks, at Their Nocturnal Interview
Arranges the nocturnal meeting, threatens the Bumbles, and disposes of incriminating evidence in the river.
Chapter XXXIX: Introduces Some Respectable Characters with Whom the Reader Is Already Acquainted, and Shows How Monks and the Jew Laid Their Worthy Heads Together
Arrives unexpectedly at Fagin's room, drawing back upon seeing Nancy.
A Strange Interview, Which Is a Sequel to the Last Chapter
Revealed through Nancy's account as Oliver's brother who conspires with Fagin to ruin Oliver.
XLVI: The Appointment Kept
Described by Nancy in detail: tall, dark, with a lurking walk, sunken eyes, and a broad red mark on his throat.
Monks and Mr. Brownlow at Length Meet. Their Conversation, and the Intelligence That Interrupts It
Brought to Mr. Brownlow's house under guard; initially defiant but gradually overwhelmed by accusations.
Affording an Explanation of More Mysteries Than One, and Comprehending a Proposal of Marriage with No Word of Settlement or Pin-Money
Forced to confess his plot; reveals himself as Oliver's half-brother and recounts the destruction of the will.
LIII: And Last
Takes his inheritance to America, squanders it, and dies in prison.

Chapter companion notes

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See Monks in Chapter XXVI: In Which a Mysterious Character Appears Upon the Scene; and Many Things, Inseparable from This History, Are Done and Performed