Harry Maylie
Harry Maylie is the son of Mrs. Maylie and the devoted suitor of Rose Maylie. His role in the novel is defined by his passionate, persistent love for Rose and his willingness to sacrifice social ambition and family pride to marry her, a commitment that ultimately overcomes the barriers of her mysterious parentage and secures their happy union.
Identity and Background
Harry Maylie is the son of Mrs. Maylie, a kind and wealthy widow. He is described as being about five-and-twenty years of age, of middle height, with a frank and handsome countenance and an easy, prepossessing demeanor. He bears so strong a likeness to his mother that Oliver Twist, upon first seeing him, would have had no difficulty guessing their relationship. Harry is a young gentleman of ambition and connections; his mother speaks of his "probable advancement to riches and honour" and the "brilliant" prospect before him, with "great talents and powerful connections" that can help him in public life. He is destined for a career in Parliament, with his stately uncle able to advance his interests.
Love for Rose Maylie and the Obstacle of Her Birth
Harry's central conflict is his love for Rose Maylie, a young woman of unknown parentage who was taken in and raised by his mother. When Rose falls dangerously ill with a fever, Harry rushes to her bedside, having suffered "the most dreadful and agonising of all apprehensions" at the prospect of losing her. He confesses to his mother that his heart is set on Rose "as firmly as ever heart of man was set on woman," and that he has "no thought, no view, no hope in life, beyond her." Mrs. Maylie, however, warns him that Rose's "doubtful birth" may affect her decision, and that a wife "on whose name there is a stain" could bring social disgrace upon him and his children, causing him to one day "repent of the connection he formed in early life." Despite this, Harry insists his feelings are unchanging and declares he will propose.
The Proposal and Rose's Refusal
When Harry proposes to Rose, she refuses him, citing the "stain upon my name, which the world visits on innocent heads." She tells him she is a "friendless, portionless, girl, with a blight upon my name" and that she will not "bring disgrace or failure on the son of her who has so well supplied that mother's place." She urges him to forget her as the object of his love, though she admits that if his lot had been "differently cast" and she could have been "a help and comfort to you in any humble scene of peace and retirement, and not a blot and drawback in ambitious and distinguished crowds," she would have accepted him. Harry, heartbroken but undeterred, asks for one promise: that she will allow him to speak to her again on the subject within a year, to hear her repeat her decision finally.
Renunciation and Resolution
Harry does not wait a year. Upon learning the full truth of Rose's parentage—that she is the sister of Agnes Fleming, making her Oliver Twist's aunt—he returns immediately. He tells Rose that he knows all and that his own circumstances have changed: "My hopes, my wishes, prospects, feeling: every thought in life except my love for you: have undergone a change." He has renounced his ambitious path, turning away from "such power and patronage: such relatives of influence and rank" that once smiled upon him. Instead, he offers her a "home—a heart and home" in a rustic dwelling by a village church, declaring, "This is my rank and station now, and here I lay it down!" Rose, now free from the fear of blighting his prospects, accepts him.
Marriage and Later Life
Harry Maylie and Rose Fleming are married in the village church that becomes the scene of his labors as a young clergyman. They enter into possession of their new and happy home, and Mrs. Maylie takes up her abode with them. Harry's friend Mr. Losberne takes a bachelor's cottage outside the village where Harry is pastor, and Mr. Grimwig becomes a frequent visitor. On Sundays, Mr. Grimwig never fails to criticize Harry's sermon to his face, though he privately tells Mr. Losberne he considers it excellent. Harry's marriage to Rose represents the triumph of personal love over social prejudice and the fulfillment of a quiet, virtuous life over worldly ambition.
