Nell Trent

Nell Trent, also known as Little Nell, is the central character of Charles Dickens’s 1841 novel The Old Curiosity Shop. Portrayed as an infallibly good and virginal orphan, she leads her grandfather on a journey intended to save them both from misery.

As their travels progress, Nell gradually grows weaker. Although she eventually finds a home with the assistance of a schoolmaster, she falls ill and dies before her friends from London can reach her. Her passing is widely regarded as the apotheosis of Victorian sentimentality.