Charles Dickens was fond of animals and cared for several pets throughout his life. One of them found literary fame in his novel Barnaby Rudge. Grip was a raven who shared the Dickens family home in London from 1839 to 1841. She was not always a well-behaved bird, for she had a nasty habit of nipping ankles, burying shiny coins in the garden and terrorising visitors. She was permitted to roam freely and grew very large with a wingspan of at least 25 inches. After she bit one of her children, Catherine Dickens had had enough, and Grip was banished to a shed.
Grip died in 1841 after eating too much lead paint (she had a habit of tearing paint off the family carriage, and the walls of the house). In 1840, the stable block was being repainted, and curious Grip, after the painters had left, drank some of the white paint. She did recover from this, but in March 1841, she grew ill, and a vet was called. Castor oil was administered, and Grip uttered her favourite phrase of ‘Halloa old girl!”, then died, with what her master described as “fortitude, equanimity, and self-possession”.
Dickens had her stuffed, mounted on a branch from his garden, and placed on his desk. Soon, she was replaced with a second raven, also named Grip, who was not as intelligent as the first bird.
After Dickens died, the stuffed bird was sold at auction, where there was great rivalry to purchase her. She sold for 120 guineas. In 1993, she underwent fumigation and restoration. Stuffed Grip can be seen today in a library in Philadelphia. In 1999, Grip was named a Literary Landmark by the American Library Association.
Possibly Dickens acquired a raven because he was thinking of adding one to his novel Barnaby Rudge. According to his letters, he studied the bird carefully, so he could make foolish Barnaby’s beloved pet as realistic as possible.
In America, Edgar Allan Poe wrote a review of Barnaby Rudge and praised the depiction of the raven. He and Dickens met each other in Philadelphia in 1842 and Poe was delighted to know that the fictional bird had been based on a real one. A few years later, Poe wrote what became his most famous poem, The Raven, so Grip can be indirectly held responsible for that literary creation. The poem has several echoes from the portrayal of Grip in the novel.
What do you think of this literary pet? Tell me your thoughts in a comment.
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Susannah Fullerton: Charles Dickens is born
Susannah Fullerton: Charles Dickens
Susannah Fullerton: Returning to Dickens
Susannah Fullerton: The Sons and Daughters of Charles Dickens
Susannah Fullerton: Literary Pets – Grip the Raven
Susannah Fullerton: A Christmas Carol is published
Susannah Fullerton: Household Words is published
Susannah Fullerton: A Tale of Two Cities is published
Susannah Fullerton: Great Expectations is published
Susannah Fullerton: Charles Dickens dies
Susannah Fullerton: Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, A video talk
Susannah Fullerton: Visit Charles Dickens locations on my Literary Landscapes of England tour
Susannah Fullerton: Legacy of The Raven
Master Humphrey’s Clock, Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens
Susannah Fullerton: Literary Pets