Jack Maggs - Jack Maggs & Tobia Oates comparison

He has a strange “…obsession with the criminal mind,” (2001, p47) in which he aims to obtain every fragment of thought and history of the criminals he bases his novels on. As a result of these initial interactions between Jack Maggs and Tobias Oates the novel progresses with intersecting and interwoven interactions between these two central characters. He finds this in Mercy Larkin, she like Jack and Sophina, is from an unloving family; her mother even goes so far as to prostitute her, “…she and her companion went to the back of a casino…she did not have time to turn before the strangers arms were around her waist… he then lifted the back of dress (2001, p76). Through the course of three weeks both characters undergo a terrific shift in their lifestyles, with Tobias Oates losing everything that he valued in life, he does manage to become totally comfortable financially twenty years on when he releases his novel, The Death of Jack Maggs.

At the beginning of Jack Maggs Tobias Oates appears to be the happy and joyful character who is leading a successful life. He does manage to achieve this in a sense when he reaches adulthood.

To obtain the raw material he requires for his next novel, Tobias makes rather amateurish attempts to mesmerise (hypnotism) Jack Maggs. Henry even goes so far as to be willing to murder Jack Maggs, so that he could obtain the deeds to his property on 25 Great Queen Street.

Tobias Oates also lived a childhood in much the same way, in that he had very little love placed upon him by family members. As a result of his loveless childhood, Tobias craves that he will become rich and be surrounded by a family which adores him. Tobias Oates hides his secret affair with Lizzie from everyone, due to his great need to be loved by his wife. Jack finds out about Tobias’ secret after he tells of an oath, were if you find out about another mans secret, you must tell them a secret of yours, “If you had a very bad secret of your own, it would take you out of danger” (2001, p255). Tobias manages to persuade him to undertake the procedure by promising that in exchange for his cooperation, he will help in the removal of mysterious ‘phantoms’ inside of him and also in the location of Henry Phipps (2001, p51). After her desolate beginnings she becomes very attached to Jack Maggs and they later travel to New South Wales to live out the rest of their respectable life together. As a result Tobias’ wife never loves him the same again, thus causing Tobias to lose the one thing he craved most in his life, love.