One of Dickens's most socially conscious novels, BARNABY RUDGE dramatizes the conflict between apprentice and master that resulted in violence in both public and private. Set in 1780 during the Gordon "No Popery" riots, the plot involves a murder that occurred 20 years earlier, as well as the results of the anti-Catholic mob violence. One of Dickens's two historical novels, BARNABY RUDGE includes an vividly drawn cast of characters: Dolly Varden, one of his most appealing heroines; Geoffrey Haredale, staunch Catholic and brother of the murdered man; the unctuous servant Miss Miggs; Joe Willet the bumptious pub owner; and Dennis, the loathsome and cowardly hangman.