is one of condescending pity,tempered(in the interpretationof Grace Moore)by a counter-balancing concern with the arrogance of Europeancolonialism.Thisessay was Dickens' rejection of painter George Catlin's positive portrayal of Native Americans.Theterm"Noble Savage"was in circulation since the 17th century,but Dickens regards it as anabsurd oxymoron.He advocated that savages be civilised "offthe face ofthe earth". Dickens is sometimes thought ofas a championofthe oppressed,but his humanitarian impulse often seems to extend only to other Europeans.Questions have been raised as to whether Dickens believed in racial superiority or was instead a cultural chauvinist.Dickens scholar Grace Moore sees Dickens racism as havingabated in his later years,while cultural historian Patrick Brantlinger andjournalist William Oddiesee it as having intensified.Moore acknowledges that while Dickens later in life became far moresensitiveto the unethical character of British colonialism and came to plead mitigation of cruelties to natives,he never lost his disdain for the life style ofthose he regarded as"primitive" The role of Fagin in Oliver Twist continues to be a challengeis one of condescending pity, tempered (in the interpretation of Grace Moore) by a counter-balancing concern with the arrogance of European colonialism. This essay was Dickens' rejection of painter George Catlin's positive portrayal of Native Americans. The term "Noble Savage" was in circulation since the 17th century, but Dickens regards it as an absurd oxymoron. He advocated that savages be civilised "off the face of the earth". Dickens is sometimes thought of as a champion of the oppressed, but his humanitarian impulse often seems to extend only to other Europeans. Questions have been raised as to whether Dickens believed in racial superiority or was instead a cultural chauvinist. Dickens scholar Grace Moore sees Dickens' racism as having abated in his later years, while cultural historian Patrick Brantlinger and journalist William Oddie see it as having intensified. Moore acknowledges that while Dickens later in life became far more sensitive to the unethical character of British colonialism and came to plead mitigation of cruelties to natives, he never lost his disdain for the life style of those he regarded as "primitive". The role of Fagin in Oliver Twist continues to be a challenge