Mr. Bumble
Quote 1
"What have paupers to do with soul or spirit either? It’s quite enough that we let ’em have bodies." (7.32)
…says Mr. Bumble, as he explains why it’s better to keep paupers half-starved. Mr. Bumble sure does think a lot of his own power over the poor people in his parish – he controls their bodies, souls, and spirits? Dickens is establishing really early on his theme of universal, institutional control – those with power use it to control the lives (and souls and spirits, apparently) of those without it.
Mr. Bumble