Bill Sykes

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Oliver Twist
created by author
Charles Dickens (1838)

Bill Sykes is a man to be reconed with, especially when it comes to controling somebody or harming others. He is a rough and barbaric man, who is a career criminal who does business with Fagin, and eventualy becomes a murderer. He is extremly violent and aggressive, prone to explosive outbursts of extreme behaviour. He owns a bull terrier named Bull's Eye, whom he beats until the dog needs stitches.

Dickens describes his appearance thus:

"The man who growled out these words, was a stoutly-built fellow of about five-and-thirty, in a black velveteen coat, very soiled drab breeches, lace-up half boots, and grey cotton stockings which inclosed a bulky pair of legs, with large swelling calves;--the kind of legs, which in such costume, always look in an unfinished and incomplete state without a set of fetters to garnish them. He had a brown hat on his head, and a dirty belcher handkerchief round his neck: with the long frayed ends of which he smeared the beer from his face as he spoke. He disclosed, when he had done so, a broad heavy countenance with a beard of three days' growth, and two scowling eyes; one of which displayed various parti-coloured symptoms of having been recently damaged by a blow."

His girlfriend is a prostitute named Nancy, who tolerates his violent and lawless behaviour, because she herself had been a thief since the age of six, anmd needs stability in her life, and also because she believes that she loves him. Sykes murders Nancy, thinking she has betrayed him and a mob hounds him through the streets of London until he accidentally hangs himself while trying to escape. The murder is especially gruesome.

Sykes does whowever have some positive features: like, at the robbery in the countryside, Sykes could have left Oliver, but he picks him up and runs with him as far as he can. However, he eventually does abandon the seriously wounded boy with no remorse. Also, after Sikes kills Nancy, he apparss guilty, although it could be argued that this is merely fear of the possibility of being caught. Sykes lives in Bethnal Green and later moves to the squalid rookery area of London then called Jacob's Island, east of present-day Shad Thames.

SUMMARY

ARCH RIVAL :	Anyone he could steal off of!
STRENGTHS :	Ruthless, he will stop at nothing to theive. He is also very intimidating with his scarred up face and rough voice!
WEAKNESSES :	He owns a dog who betrays him, the dog alerts the police to his presence when he tries to run with Oliver.
WEAPONS :	Crowbar, walking Cane.
QUOTE :	"Hand it over, you avaricious old skeleton. "