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Who’s the most romantic Dickens character?

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The Telegraph recently published the results of a poll on the most romantic character in literature. That is, the most romantic male character. I'm told they published one on female characters earlier, but I can't locate it. Anyway, at the top of the male list is Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre. (Not the much-loved Mr. Darcy? Really? Color me surprised.)

Alas, no Dickens characters made the top ten. But all is not lost: When Entertainment Weekly published an article about the poll, writer Tina Jordan took her own informal poll of her friends and colleagues, and two Dickens heroes turned up on it. Sydney Carton got a vote from one of Jordan's co-workers (yippee!!). And one woman named Richard Carstone from Bleak House — although, given her description (”a man who’ll marry you when you’ve been altered by illness — lovely”), I believe she actually meant to name Allan Woodcourt.

So, considering which blog we happen to be on, let's focus exclusively on Dickens characters. Which of them do you think is the most romantic, and why? You already know my preference, if only from that little spaz attack I had in the previous paragraph, so now I want to hear yours. We'll be more open than the previous poll: You can choose a man or a woman. If you'd like, you can even choose one of each.

Responses

  1. Rob Velella Avatar
    Rob Velella

    Miss Havisham?

    Reply
  2. Gina Avatar
    Gina

    Interesting choice! I wouldn’t have thought of her, but . . . yeah, I can see it. In a very morbid, twisted way, of course!

    Reply
  3. Michelle Baker Avatar
    Michelle Baker

    Allan Woodcourt is definitely a favorite for me, but I think Mr. Jarndyce is even more romantic. His love for Esther is so completely unselfish.
    ~Michelle
    P.S. My first time to comment, but I’ve loved this blog for a while now! Thank you for your writings.

    Reply
  4. Gina Avatar
    Gina

    Thank you, Michelle, and welcome!

    Reply
  5. Semicolon Avatar
    Semicolon

    Ummm . . . Sydney Carton’s a drunk. Not romantic.
    What do you mean by most romantic? If we’re choosing the guy who’s the most attractive, as the mention of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Rochester would indicate, then I’m going to go with David Copperfield. Such a sweet boy. Pip’s OK, but I like intelligence in a man, and Pip seems a little slow on the uptake.

    Reply
  6. Gina Avatar
    Gina

    Well, that’s not Sydney’s ONLY characteristic, and certainly not the reason I called him romantic. 🙂 That would be like saying that — let’s see, what’s a good comparison . . . it would be like saying that Edmund is one of the bad guys in the Chronicles of Narnia because he’s a traitor. It’s true, but it’s not the case for the whole series, and ultimately it’s not what defines him.

    Reply
  7. Christy Avatar
    Christy

    Hmm. Interesting question. Dickens does some great romantic characters. Sydney I’d give a vote to because his love is definitely among the most unselfish love of any character in literature. I’d give a vote to Eugene Wrayburn for the way Lizzie Hexum loves him, for the way he deals with Bradley Headstone when the schoolmaster’s stalking him (I don’t know why; for some reason I find his cool insolence strangely attractive), and for the way he reforms. I find reformation terribly romantic. Nicholas Nickleby, of course, is the knight-errant kind of romantic, going around saving people. Arthur Clennam I find irresistibly romantic for his terrible childhood and the way he overcomes it and the way Little Dorrit loves him. And along the lines of self-sacrificing love is poor Tom Pinch, the true hero of “Martin Chuzzlewit,” with far more sheer goodness than Sydney (but also far more blindness and, dare I say it, stupidity).
    On the other hand, one of Dickens’ least-romantic romantic heroes is young Martin Chuzzlewit. Complete twit, up until the end.

    Reply
  8. ibmiller Avatar
    ibmiller

    Arthur Clennam and Amy Dorrit. Yup yup yup.

    Reply
  9. Nibs Avatar
    Nibs

    I agree Christy, I was just thinking today how much of a jerk Martin Chuzzlewit was for most of the book. Of course, I admit that was kind of a nice change from some of the other Dickens heroes who are all basically similar. Meanwhile we have Tom Pinch acting more like a Dickensian heroine usually acts. 😉
    Oh, and can’t forget Pecksniff the Pervert.

    Reply
  10. Sabrina Avatar
    Sabrina

    I’d have to agree with Nibs and choose Pip. His heart aches to be with Estella, and to have someone that devoted to you, that has to count for something. 🙂

    Reply
  11. Marian Avatar
    Marian

    I can see why Rochester won; I don’t like him as much as I used to, but he does change his ways in the end, which is a quality not many characters who are considered romantic have. I’m kind of surprised that Mr Thornton from North & South isn’t on the list, but Gabriel Oak did!?
    Sydney Carton, to me, is probably the most romantic of Dickens’s characters; he gave all he could for the happiness of the person he loved, and that is real love. Besides him, I’d also say Nickleby (Christy’s description is perfect!), he’s such a great guy, and Arthur Clennam.

    Reply
  12. Greg Avatar
    Greg

    Sydney Carton had nothing to live for? He had, for the most part, quit drinking, and one imagines his legal skills would have gained more success as he got his life in order. But more importantly, all he had to do was keep quiet, and within a year or so would have been married to the widow Darnay. No – I have to give him the nod here.

    Reply
  13. Gina Avatar
    Gina

    Hey, Greg! Thanks for dropping by.
    I don’t think Lucie would have married Carton. For one thing, she didn’t love him. She was sorry for him, but that was all. And for another, it was hinted that she probably would have pined away and died like her mother before her, from the shock of what happened to her husband. (They can do that in books!)
    On the other hand, Carton has a great line, right after Darnay’s last trial: “Of little worth as life is when we misuse it, it is worth that effort. It would cost nothing to lay down if it were not.” So I think he would have agreed that everyone, even someone as depressed and self-loathing as he was, has something to live for.

    Reply
  14. Daizy Davenport Avatar
    Daizy Davenport

    Smike (for reasons you can certainly guess).

    Reply
  15. Gina Avatar
    Gina

    Smike is a great choice. He’s such a dear.

    Reply
  16. David Paul Avatar
    David Paul

    I’ll put my vote in for Joe Gargery. I don’t think anyone could be as devoted, as kind, as tender-hearted towards his mate as Joe. What a wonderful lover was/is Joe Gargery!!!

    Reply
  17. christopher harris Avatar
    christopher harris

    My picks for most romantic female characters:
    Florence Dombey, Amy Dorrit, Bella Wilfer, and Lizzie Hexam.
    My picks for most romantic male characters:
    Walter Gay, John Harmon, and Eugene Wrayburn.
    Sorry that I’ve been gone so long! I was on an extended photography trip through the southwest, and work has been hectic of late. I am also on a big-time Victorian poetry reading jag too (Christina Rossetti, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robt. Browning, Tennyson, Lewis Carroll, etc.).
    Cheers! Chris

    Reply
  18. Gina Avatar
    Gina

    David, nice to have you aboard; Chris, nice to have you back! 🙂

    Reply
  19. Christy Avatar
    Christy

    Speaking of Walter Gay, I just read in the intro to “Dombey and Son” that Dickens considered turning Walter into a rotter and giving Florence and unhappy love story. I am so glad he didn’t. Walter was too splendid a boy to be a rotter as an adult.

    Reply
  20. Bill Avatar
    Bill

    My female vote is miss havisham because she is so effected from compeyson leaving her that she is in a depression for the majority of her life, she weres her wedding dress every day and tries to kill herself.

    Reply
  21. Nancy Avatar
    Nancy

    I know this is an old thread but I love it. If we’re talking about Dickens movies, my vote, hands down, is for Arthur Clennam! It helps that Matthew Macfadyen, who played him is downright handsome and sweet!

    Reply
  22. Jerry Avatar
    Jerry

    And I’m sorry for chiming in even later than Nancy, but I love the thread too, so I can’t help putting my two cents in.
    For me, the two most romantic characters in Dickens will always be, Mr. Richard Swiveller and the Marchioness, Sophronia Sphynx.

    Reply

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