Oliver Twist · Character

Toby Crackit

A flashy housebreaker in snuff-coloured coat and cork-screw curls, all swagger and cheap rings, who toasts 'the crack' and calls Oliver 'innocence.'

supporting

Also known as Crackit, Mr. Crackit, flash Toby Crackit

First appearance: XIX: In Which a Notable Plan Is Discussed and Determined On

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

Mentioned as the accomplice with whom Sikes planned the burglary; his testimony is to be required to confirm Sikes's report.

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Toby Crackit lounges in Fagin's den with his legs higher than his head, admiring his own top-boots and sizing up Oliver as 'a fortin' for the old ladies' pockets in chapels.' He is vain, lazy, and casually cruel, forcing spirits down a terrified child's throat and laughing at the coughing fit that follows. As Sikes's partner in the Chertsey burglary, he embodies the gaudy, seedy glamour of the criminal world that Dickens sets against Brownlow's drawing-room — a man whose taste for display is matched only by his indifference to the boy he is about to risk.

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See Toby Crackit in XIX: In Which a Notable Plan Is Discussed and Determined On

Character Web

13 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Fagin's criminal gang
Protagonist
Supporting characters from Oliver's past and resolution

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Narrative arc

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

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

Toby Crackit appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

XIX: In Which a Notable Plan Is Discussed and Determined On
Mentioned as the accomplice with whom Sikes planned the burglary; his testimony is to be required to confirm Sikes's report.
The Burglary
Accompanies Sikes, helps hoist Oliver over the wall and through the window, later forces Oliver to drink.
Wherein This History Reverts to Mr. Fagin and Company
Arrives in disguise, eats and drinks, then reports the failed burglary and Oliver's abandonment.
Chapter XXVI: In Which a Mysterious Character Appears Upon the Scene; and Many Things, Inseparable from This History, Are Done and Performed
Toby Crackit is mentioned as having brought news to Fagin earlier, and is referenced as being in the house.
XXVIII: Looks After Oliver, and Proceeds with His Adventures
Flees with Sikes but abandons Oliver when pursued.
The Pursuit and Escape
One of the men hiding with Sikes in Jacob's Island, he is present during the confrontation and the mob's attack.

Chapter companion notes

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See Toby Crackit in XIX: In Which a Notable Plan Is Discussed and Determined On