The Impact of Setting on Dodger’s Actions

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In the book Dodger, the setting influences the actions of the main character, Dodger. The effect of the setting on Dodger’s character can be seen in two different scenes in the book. When Dodger finds Grandad in the sewer after the storm, the storm provides a pivotal role in his behaviors. Then, when he is in the crowded pub with Charlie, the setting of the pub itself influences the manner in which Dodger expresses his feelings about his childhood. In these examples the setting plays an important role in Dodger’s experiences and actions.

When Dodger goes toshing after the storm, he finds Grandad on the brink of death. “Dodger edged his way round the rat and into the smaller sewer, which was half choked with debris – much of it pieces of wood, some of them sharp as knives – and all the other detritus that had last night been dislodged.” Because of the storm, the atmosphere of the sewers change from a familiar place for Dodger to a place that is unknown. Since Dodger grew up in the sewers he was very accustomed to navigating them with ease and he was quite familiar with the sewers . The setting of the storm and its resulting chaos changes his behavior toward the sewers. Instead of being a natural navigator, he becomes hesitant and “edges” his way through them.
Furthermore, in addition to the physical challenges that the storm creates, the storm setting also creates emotional turmoil for Dodger.
“But to Dodger’s astonished gaze appeared that most of the debris was a man, and that man did not look well; there was nothing very much where one eye should have been, but the other one was opening now and it looked Dodger in the face . It stank, the face Dodger looked into, and he shuddered, because he knew it. He said, ‘That’...

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...lso makes it so that he is alone when he finds Grandad on the brink of death. Dodger is then responsible for helping Grandad die in a respectful tosher way. The second example in which setting influences his actions is when he is with Charlie in the pub. Even though Dodger is quite uncomfortable in this situation, he does what is outside the scope of his character and confides in Charlie about his personal life. Thus, these two examples bring me to my final point. Because of setting, Dodger changes as a character and does very surprising things; he tells Charlie about his personal life, something that was not necessary for Charlie to know thus violating his rule of thumb to not tell people what they do not need to know. Each new situation creates challenges for Dodger to overcome, but the setting in each of those scenes causes him to evolve as a character.

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