The story of "The Old Curiosity Shop" revolves around Nell Trent and her
grandfather, the proprietor of the old curiosity
shop. The theme is all about the clash between having a heart (humane) and being heartless (evil.)
Little Nell (Nell Trent) lives in the shop of her
grandfather's. A gambler and a prey to grasping relatives, her grandfather falls into the clutches of the evil dwarf moneylender Daniel Quilp. Other shady characters introduced in the story are Samson Brass, Quilp's lawyer, and Sally, Sampson's sister. These people made like intolerable for Nell and her grandfather.
The continuous harassment of Quilp and his gang forces Nell and her grandfather to run away and roam the
countryside, practically reduced to beggary, while Quilp seizes tge shop as if it is his own. They eventually found a quiet countryside shelter, set in an ancient stone church. Nell and her grandfather roamed the streets of England. Along the way they met all sorts of people, good and bad characters, from the "Marchioness" girl to the circus giants and dwarves. They were always conscious that the evil Quilp could be somewhere following them.
The errand boy at the shop, Kit Nubbles, does his best to find and help Nell and her grandfather but to no avail as Kit becomes a victim of Quilp's hatred, too. Kit is a childhood friend and admirer of Nell. Another amiable and comic character is Richard Swiveler.
When Nell's great-uncle returned from abroad, he succeeds in tracing Nell and her grandfather but it was too late. Exhausted by all their troubles, Nell dies a lingering death, and soon afterwards, her grandfather followed. As Quilp tries to avoid being arrested, he meets his fateful in by drowns in the Thames.
Dickens's "The Old Curiosity Shop" is not popular like his other famous books like Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, among others, but during those times in the mid 19th century, it is claimed to be a success especially Little Nell's deathbed scenes that warmly touches the heart.