Old Curiosity Shop
This is a symbol of the hopes and desires of Nell and her grandfather. He invested his life into it, and the eventual loss of it perhaps foreshadows loss of the only thing he loves more: Nell.
Industrialised town
The town where Nell resides in is only described by its furnaces, and it is suggested this is a nod to Birmingham in the time of the industrial revolution.
Daniel Quilp
Quilp is a symbol of all that is corrupt and wrong with the world. He takes on the form of evil purely because he causes destruction with no gain from it other than pleasure.
