Looking past all of the similarities, we see that there are many differences that set the two novels apart from each other. The different styles of language in both novels are one example of this. Dickens’ Oliver Twist displays a style of language throughout the novel using the Cockney slang prominently. Many words are said differently than current times, as well as many different uses of words and pronunciations. (Miyata) Perhaps the best example of the Cockney slang is how the character Gamfield speaks:

 “ ‘That’s acause they damped the straw afor they lit it in the chimbley to make ‘em come down again,’ said Garfield ‘that’s all smoke and no blaze; vereas smoke ain’t o’ no use at all in makin’ a boy come down it only sinds him to sleep and that’s wot he likes. Boys is wery obstinate, and wery lazy, gen’lm’n, and there’s nothink like a good hot blaze toa make’em come down vith a run; it’s humane too, gen’lm’n, acause even if they’ve stuck in the chimbley, roastin’ their feet makes ‘em struggle to hextricate theirselves.’” (Dickens 21)

 Dickens uses this style of language to emphasize the poor and uneducated backgrounds of the majority of the characters. Waters uses the language in Fingersmith in an entirely different way, it is a more educated type of language, full of profanities. This can be seen through Sue:

“ ‘I’ve watched you,’ I answered, more strongly. ‘I’ve watched you, you spider! Taking everything of mine. You would rather do that- God damn you!- than sleep with your own husband!’” (Waters 526)

 Dickens and Waters’ use of language are the same in the way that they portray the backgrounds of their characters,  However, the language in Fingersmith is also used to represent the moral corruptness of the characters. This is shown through the unfiltered speaking of Maud and the profanities that Sue uses when angered.

Gender also comes into play in the differences between Oliver Twist and Fingersmith. This theme can be connected back to the similarity of identity between the two novels because the gender that each are brought up by helps to determine their identity. In Oliver Twist the leading characters are all men, giving only the perspective of the novel only through a man’s point of view. This also only shows the lifestyle that a man would live. Fingersmith, however, has two women, Sue and Maud as the main characters. This gives us a women’s point of view and the lifestyle a woman would live. Oliver Twist shows men as the dominant and “in charge” gender through the pit-pocketing and fearlessness of the gang of thieves while Fingersmith shows the inner strength of women through Sue eventually standing up to the Gentlemen. The novels also show us the different upbringings of the two genders. Oliver Twist is brought up by men such as Fagin and Mr. Brownlow and Sue is brought up by Mrs. Sucksby. Ironically, both are brought up by deceitful individuals, regardless of gender.

Sexuality is another theme that separates the two novels. There is an obvious lack of sexuality in Oliver Twist, leaving out any romantic interests for the main character, Oliver Twist, who has never even kissed a girl. The only real relationship is between Bill Sikes and Nancy. Even with their romantic interest in each other, there is nothing sexual stated about it, it is merely a relationship. The only other brief and subtle sexuality in Oliver Twist is the fact that Nancy is a prostitute. Even this is glazed over, with the only indirect mention being that she was “remarkably free and agreeable in manners.” (Dickens 71) Fingersmith, on the other hand, uses sexuality as a central theme. An obvious area this takes place is in the relationship between Sue and Maud. Waters writes about a lesbian relationship, which, for the era the book takes place in, is a very new and provocative topic, unlike anything else that has been written. Even the basis of the character Maud is sexual, spending the beginning of her life working for her Uncle to assemble a bibliography of literary pornography then writing pornography when she is an adult as her profession. Using the theme of sexuality Waters presents to her audience a entirely different Victorian world than Dickens does in Oliver Twist. Sexuality can also be connected back to the similar theme of identity between the two novels. In Oliver Twist the lack of sexuality gives Oliver one identity of innocence, while the sexuality in Fingersmith gives Maud the only identity she knows, a corrupt one.