New Oliver Twist

There's an interesting article on the character of Fagin in a new PBS production of Oliver Twist. I've linked it below in case anyone is interested. The thing that made me mention it here was the description of Fagin's relationship with the boys he has steal for him. Among other things, they say: >Fagin and his gang of boys live and work together, abiding by the >code of conduct which applies to their group. The leadership comes >from Fagin, and he sets the tone and the mood. > >"Fagin does have a moral sense," says Lindsay. "It is this which makes >him so fascinating. This man has a genuine love of children, he just >loves their innocence, and he is totally fascinated by them. In a way, >Fagin is still a child himself. He is not a violent man and he knows that >in order to procure the children, no violence must be used. He treats the >boys with great fondness, he entertains them, keeps them warm and >protects them, but on the other hand he is using them. That’s the >strangeness of the moral world that Fagin occupies." ChoirBoy Oliver Twist - Fagin Character Page