Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of Eighty

“If, sir, Natur has fixed upon me the gift of argeyment, why should I not own to it, and rather glory in the same?”

This line, delivered by Old John to his cronies, concisely sums up the man’s opinion of himself and his argumentative abilities. Old John often argues with others until he can convince them he is right, typically using somewhat backward logic but having the support of his cronies to convince others. This quote is an example of the way Dickens uses dialect to characterize characters and add individuality to their speech.

“Ha ha! Why, how much better to be silly, than as wise as you! You don’t see shadowy people there, like those that live in sleep—not you. Nor eyes in the knotted panes of glass, nor swift ghosts when it blows hard, nor do you hear voices in the air, nor see men stalking in the sky—not you! I lead a merrier life than you, with all your cleverness. You’re the dull men. We’re the bright ones. Ha! ha! I’ll not change with you, clever as you are,—not I!”

Barnaby says this to Chester and Old John when they inform him that the “people” he sees dancing outside are actually clothes drying on a line. This is an example of how Barnaby often sees things in a more complex and meaningful way than others do, which often helps him see the truth in situations when others can’t. Though by making Barnaby and his intellectual disability symbolic Dickens is playing into contemporary stereotypes (See: Background), it is also a significant leap from convention when he has Barnaby suggest his way of living is better than that of the “clever” men around him. The infantilization of Barnaby also speaks to the theme of Childhood Versus Adulthood in the novel.