▁with ▁the ▁" object ▁[ of ] ▁calling ▁public ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁system ." ▁However ▁literary ▁critic ▁and ▁author ▁C umber land ▁Clark ▁( 1 8 6 2 – 1 9 4 1 ) ▁notes ▁that ▁the ▁den ial ▁was ▁prompt ed ▁by ▁fear ▁of ▁lib el ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁insp iration ▁for ▁the ▁character ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁William ▁Shaw , ▁of ▁William ▁Shaw ' s ▁Academy , ▁Bow es . ▁Clark ▁notes ▁a ▁court ▁case ▁brought ▁against ▁Shaw ▁by ▁the ▁parents ▁of ▁a ▁boy ▁blind ed ▁through ▁neglect ▁while ▁at ▁the ▁school , ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁prem ises ▁matches ▁closely ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁novel . ▁A ▁surv iving ▁example ▁of ▁Shaw ' s ▁business ▁card ▁is ▁compared ▁to ▁that ▁offered ▁by ▁S que ers ▁in ▁the ▁novel ▁and ▁the ▁word ing ▁is ▁shown ▁to ▁match ▁that ▁used ▁by ▁Dick ens . ▁Shaw ' s ▁desc endant ▁Ted ▁Shaw ▁is ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Dick ens ▁Fellow ship ▁and ▁claims ▁that ▁Dick ens ▁had ▁" sens ational ised ▁and ▁ex agger ated ▁the ▁facts ". ▁Mrs ▁S que ers : ▁is ▁even ▁more ▁cruel ▁and ▁less ▁affection ate ▁than ▁her ▁husband ▁to ▁the ▁boys ▁in ▁their ▁care . ▁She ▁dis lik es ▁Nicholas ▁on ▁sight ▁and ▁attempts ▁to ▁make ▁his ▁life ▁at ▁D othe bo ys ▁Hall ▁as ▁difficult ▁as ▁possible . ▁F anny ▁S que ers : ▁The ▁S que ers ' ▁daughter . ▁She ▁is ▁ 2 3 , ▁un att ract ive , ▁ill - temper ed ,