Monks Character Analysis in Oliver Twist

The second of the novel's antagonists, Monks (whose real name is Edward Leeford) is Oliver's half-brother, and is hellbent on keeping his own fraudulent inheritance by eliminating all traces of Oliver's inheritance, and on making Oliver into a thief so that his name might be ruined. Monks fails in this attempt, after being caught by Brownlow, and admits to his misdeeds and acknowledges Oliver's true parentage.

Monks Quotes in Oliver Twist

The Oliver Twist quotes below are all either spoken by Monks or refer to Monks. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Dover Publications edition of Oliver Twist published in 2002.

I tell you again, it was badly planned. Why not have kept him here among the rest, and made a sneaking, sniveling pickpocket of him at once?

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 161

Explanation and Analysis:

Death! Who would have thought it! Grind him to ashes! He's start up from a marble coffin, to come in my way!

Related Characters: (speaker),

Related Symbols:

Page Number and Citation: 204

Explanation and Analysis:

It was but an instant, a glance, a flash, before his eyes; and they were gone. But they had recognized him, and he them; and their look was as firmly impressed upon his memory, as if it had been deeply carved in stone . . . .

Related Characters: , ,

Page Number and Citation: 214-5

Explanation and Analysis:

You must do more than that . . . make restitution to an innocent and unoffending child, for such he is, although the offspring of a guilty and most miserable love . . . .

Related Characters: (speaker), ,

Page Number and Citation: 319

Explanation and Analysis:

Monks Character Timeline in Oliver Twist

The timeline below shows where the character Monks appears in Oliver Twist. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Individualism and Social Bonds Theme Icon

...also asks the chairman, who is the landlord of the establishment, whether a man named Monks will be at the pub that evening. The chairmen replies that none of the men... (full context)

Poverty, Institutions, and Class Theme Icon

Social Forces, Fate, and Free Will Theme Icon

The man is Monks, whom Fagin had been seeking out. Fagin takes him into a spare room on a... (full context)

It appears that Monks has a mysterious vested interest in Oliver, and, especially, in Oliver being sent away, but... (full context)

Monks, paranoid that someone has heard them speak, tells Fagin they must search the dark abandoned... (full context)

...all this Bumble, confused, agrees. The man, as he is leaving, gives his name to Bumble—Monks, the same man who was seen with Fagin outside Oliver's window, by the Maylies' house. (full context)

Bumble and his wife go to meet Monks, in a shabby old building down by the river Thames. They find him outside and,... (full context)

Monks produces twenty-five gold coins and gives them to Mrs. Bumble, who begins her story of... (full context)

...wedding-ring, and two locks of hair. At this, Mrs. Bumble completes her story, and asks Monks whether this is what he wanted, and whether he can use this package or this... (full context)

Monks then tells Mr. Bumble and Mrs. Bumble that this is all, and tells them, too,... (full context)

...gets Nancy the money and seems about to speak to her about something important, when Monks enters the apartment, brusquely. Monks and Fagin go off to the second floor to have... (full context)

...a genteel neighborhood. Acting on information she has gleaned from the conversation between Fagin and Monks the previous night, she asks after Miss Maylie, to a footman in the hotel, hoping... (full context)

Nancy reveals to Rose information she has heard from conversations between Fagin and Monks (whom Rose does not know). Nancy says that Monks has his own reasons for wanting... (full context)

Nancy reveals the content of tonight's conversation between Monks and Fagin to Rose: Monks said that the only proof of Oliver's family ties lies... (full context)

This last piece of information is most shocking to Rose. Monks also told Fagin that the Maylies would die to know their relationship to Oliver, but... (full context)

...speak again with Nancy on London Bridge, with the aim of getting more information about Monks. Brownlow says that all these developments should be kept from Oliver (who has overheard nothing,... (full context)

Brownlow says that, if they cannot secure Monks, then Nancy will have to hand over Fagin to them. Nancy becomes upset at this,... (full context)

Nancy describes Monks to Rose and Brownlow, and tells how he might be found at the pub the... (full context)

Between chapters, Brownlow has found Monks at the Cripples and has brought him, with help from servants, in a carriage back... (full context)

It is revealed by Monks, when the servants have gone, that Monks is Brownlow's "father's oldest friend." This is, naturally,... (full context)

Brownlow tells Monks that he has a brother—Monks does not at first admit that this is true. But... (full context)

Meanwhile, in England, Monks' father became friends with a naval officer with two daughters—one nineteen, and the other only... (full context)

Brownlow knows this because Monks' father stopped to see Brownlow on his way to Europe to collect his inheritance. At... (full context)

Brownlow tells Monks that it was he, Brownlow, who took Oliver in off the street, and Fagin purposely... (full context)

Monks hears all this but still refuses to admit to his plans for Oliver. Monks tells... (full context)

Brownlow also declares, to Monks, that murder has been done on account of this secret—as Sikes, after all, killed Nancy... (full context)

Brownlow tells Monks he will protect him if he swears to this version of events. Losborne then enters... (full context)

After dinner, Brownlow brings Monks before Oliver, and declares that Monks and Oliver are half brothers, that their father is... (full context)

Monks also says that the father of Agnes Fleming, and the rest of the family (including... (full context)

...as well. Oliver's inheritance is meted out, by Brownlow, half to Oliver and half to Monks, since Brownlow believes this money might allow Monks to start a new life as a... (full context)