Fagin
Fagin is a character from Dickens's *Oliver Twist*—an elderly criminal who trains children to pick pockets and steal.
The name has become a byword for anyone who recruits or exploits children for criminal purposes: a modern-day Fagin running a ring of young thieves.
The character's portrayal draws on antisemitic stereotypes of his era.
- Artful DodgerCrafty child criminal
- NancyWoman's name, French city
- DickensSurname of Victorian novelist
- VictorianOf a prim era
London · workhouse · orphan · pickpocket · urchin · Newgate · novel · literature
Boundary structure between properties
- stolen goodsProperty acquired through theft
- underworldRealm of the departed
- denPrivate room or lair
- lairAnimal's hidden dwelling
accomplice · racket · conspiracy · network · operation · hideout · loot · contraband
Self-care for appearance
- exploitationSelfish use of others
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
- enticementSomething that attracts
- coercionPressured compliance through threats
indoctrination · predator · influence · seduction · brainwashing · child exploitation · vulnerability · dependence
Wicked story antagonist
- stereotypeFixed oversimplified notion
- caricatureExaggerated comic depiction
- antisemitismBigotry toward Jewish people
- hook-nosedHaving curved nasal bridge
miserly · Shylock · antagonist · stock character · controversial · portrayal · theatrical · musical
Oliver Twist
- Artful DodgerCrafty child criminal
- NancyWoman's name, French city
- DickensSurname of Victorian novelist
Victorian · London · workhouse · orphan · pickpocket · urchin · Newgate · novel · literature · social reform
fence
Boundary structure between properties
- stolen goodsProperty acquired through theft
- underworldRealm of the departed
- denPrivate room or lair
lair · accomplice · racket · conspiracy · network · operation · hideout · loot · contraband · crime boss
grooming
Self-care for appearance
- exploitationSelfish use of others
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
- enticementSomething that attracts
coercion · indoctrination · predator · influence · seduction · brainwashing · child exploitation · vulnerability · dependence · control
villain
Wicked story antagonist
- stereotypeFixed oversimplified notion
- caricatureExaggerated comic depiction
- antisemitismBigotry toward Jewish people
hook-nosed · miserly · Shylock · antagonist · stock character · controversial · portrayal · theatrical · musical · Oliver!
- literary charactersSherlock Holmes, Scout Finch, Elizabeth Bennet, Macbeth, Huck Finn
- literary villainsIago, Lady Macbeth, Moriarty, Voldemort, Dracula
- roguesrogue, rogues, scoundrel, scoundrels, rascal
- Victorian LondonLondon, Thames, Big Ben, Westminster, East End
- villainsvillain, antagonists, Darth Vader, evil characters, Joker
- DickensCharles Dickens, Dickens, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol
FaginJean Valjean
Atticus Finch · saint · guardian angel · benefactor · philanthropist
Faginfoster parent
Temporary guardian of another's child
child advocate · youth mentor · social worker · adoptive father