Mr. Brownlow

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mr. Brownlow is a character from the novel, Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens. He is later revealed to be none other than a very close friend of Oliver's father.

Dickens describes Brownlow's first appearance:

“

The old gentleman was a very respectable-looking personage, with a powdered head and gold spectacles. He was dressed in a bottle-green coat with a black velvet collar; wore white trousers; and carried a smart bamboo cane under his arm. He had taken up a book from the stall, and there he stood, reading away, as hard as if he were in his elbow-chair, in his own study. It is very possible that he fancied himself there, indeed; for it was plain, from his abstraction, that he saw not the book-stall, nor the street, nor the boys, nor, in short, anything but the book itself: which he was reading straight through: turning over the leaf when he got to the bottom of a page, beginning at the top line of the next one, and going regularly on, with the greatest interest and eagerness.

”

Mr Brownlow is introduced during the robbery, when the Artful Dodger and his companion Charley Bates pick his pocket and Oliver Twist is arrested simply for "looking guilty". Later, in court, Brownlow discovers Oliver is completely innocent and, after dealing with the extremely agitated magistrate, Mr. Fang, he takes him home fearing the boy to be very ill, which he is. He calls on a doctor, who after making frequent incorrect guesses to Oliver's condition, simply concludes the boy is recovering from a fever.

Brownlow's maid, Mrs. Bedwin, is a kind old lady who immediately takes to Oliver upon his arrival. Later when Grimwig, an old friend of Brownlow's, evaluates the boy and his condition, a boy arrives from the bookstore, but fails to take some other books that needed to be returned. Oliver volunteers to return them and takes off, much to the chagrin and doubt of Mr. Grimwig, who is reveaked to be cynical in nature, expecting the boy to return to his old life among the lower class and promises to "eat his head" should the boy return in 20 minutes. A watch is set down and the waiting begins. Later, after Oliver is captured by Nancy and Bill Sikes, it is revealed that much later, close to mid-nite the two men are still waiting in the dark. Although, in the film from 1997, Mr Brownlow asks Oliver to take a couple of books and some money and asks him to be back in half an hour, although Oliver says he will be back in 20.

The next mention of Brownlow was when Oliver was taken in by the Maylies, and asks the kind Dr. Losberne to take him to Brownlow's home in London, only to find the house is "FOR LEASE". The only clue to his whereabouts are from his neighbours mentioning the West Indies, saying he was looking for someone.

When Mr. Brownlow returns to London, the Maylies manage to locate him and clear Oliver's name. He's very happy about that and takes Oliver in once again, taking part in Rose's plot to save Oliver from Fagin. Later, his true role in the story is revealed: he was the best friend of Oliver's true father, the deceased Edwin Leeford, and has vital information regarding Oliver's origins as well as those of his evil half-brother, Mr Monks. In the end of the book, Brownlow officially adopts Oliver as his son.

In the muscial Oliver! Mr. Brownlow is found to be Oliver's grandfather, and after retreaving him from London Bridge, where Nancy is murdered, it is assumed that Oliver goes to live with him.