The story in one page
Amy Dorrit, known as the Child of the Marshalsea, has spent her entire life supporting her father, William, who has lived as a prisoner for debt for twenty-five years. Arthur Clennam, returning to England to settle his deceased father's affairs, suspects his cold mother is suppressing a secret that links their families. He hires Amy as a seamstress to investigate her history. When a massive inheritance is discovered, the Dorrits trade their prison rags for European travel and social status, though William remains haunted by his past. Meanwhile, a massive financial bubble burst by the banker Mr. Merdle ruins Arthur, landing him in Amy's old prison room until the truth of a hidden codicil finally emerges.
Who's who
- Amy Dorrit
The self-sacrificing 'Child of the Marshalsea' who cares for her family.
- Arthur Clennam
A middle-aged man seeking to right his family's past wrongs.
- William Dorrit
The long-term prisoner who assumes the title 'Father of the Marshalsea'.
- Mrs. Clennam
Arthur’s wheelchair-bound, sternly religious mother who hides a dark secret.
- Mr. Merdle
A revered financier whose widespread investment schemes are actually fraudulent.
- The Circumlocution Office
A government department dedicated to the science of doing nothing.
What it's really about
- Imprisonment
- Physical and psychological cages define every character's existence.
- Bureaucracy
- The government functions as an endless loop of red tape.
Why it's memorable
- Mr. Pancks celebrating a discovery by leapfrogging over his business associate in the prison yard.
- William Dorrit suffering a public mental collapse at a dinner party in Rome.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
After Amy burns the document that would have made her wealthy, she marries Arthur at St. George’s Church. They leave the prison behind to live a modest life, while the rest of the world continues its noisy, vain scramble for status.
For your book club
- How William Dorrit’s obsession with social 'gentility' persists even while he is living in a cell.
- The way the Circumlocution Office uses paperwork to prevent any actual progress or justice.