Eliza Davis, a Jewish Englishwoman, is renowned for her courageous correspondence with Charles Dickens regarding his derogatory portrayal of Jewish characters, particularly Fagin in Oliver Twist. Her letters, spanning from 1863 to 1867, reflect the blossoming confidence of English Jews and their advocacy for fair representation in literature. 

In June 1863, Davis wrote to Dickens, expressing concern over Fagin's depiction as “the Jew,” a portrayal she believed supported harmful stereotypes. Dickens initially defended his characterization by stating that Fagin's Jewish identity was reflective of the novel’s time, arguing that Jews were often criminals and deserved a brutish description. However, her persistent and articulate critiques led Dickens to reconsider his stance. By 1867, he had revised Oliver Twist in later editions, reducing references to Fagin's ethnicity and introducing more positive Jewish characters in his newer works, such as Riah in Our Mutual Friend. 

Outside her correspondence with Dickens, Davis was a prominent figure in Victorian society. Her advocacy extended beyond literature; she was involved in charitable ventures, including successful efforts to establish a home for the Jewish poor. In 1835, she married James Phineas Davis, a banker, and in 1860, they purchased the Tavistock House in London from Dickens. Although Dickens’s relationship with Davis eventually became a cordial friendship, with him referring to her as kind and agreeable in their letters, he initially expressed hesitation about the transaction, referring to her as a “Jew Money Lender” in a letter to a friend.

After Dickens's death in 1870, “Letters from a Jewess” was published in several newspapers, including The Observer, the Daily News, and The Jewish Chronicle. Davis maintained her connection with Dickens’s family, continuing her correspondence with his daughter Mamie. 

Source:

Baumgarten, Murray. “‘The Other Woman’ – Eliza Davis and Charles Dickens.” Dickens Quarterly. Vol. 32, No. 1 (March 2015). Accessed May 13, 2025. https://dickens.ucsc.edu/resources/pickwick-club/pdfs/the-other-woman--eliza-davis.pdf.