Oliver Twist Essay
English Coursework
Oliver Twist
How does Charles Dickens represent the crimes and criminals in the novel 'Oliver Twist'?
Introduction
In the novel Oliver Twist, Dickens was trying to show that the Victorian viewpoint of crime was wrong. His novel shows that many criminals were forced to be one(criminal) rather than being born as one. Dickens includes the condition of the workhouses which were very basic and the work was hard and unforgiving, he described this to set the scene of how young children coped when they were alone in the world. He presents some criminals as innocent victims that have been pulled into a life of crime through desperation and despair such as Oliver and Nancy, however...show more content...
He is trying to show that although most criminals shouldn't fit into the stereotype some do and people should be wary of them. Bill Sikes is portrayed as the real villain in Oliver Twist, he is a thuggish criminal who is violent and often takes advantage of others, and he chooses his life of crime and enjoys it. Like Fagin, Sikes is shows as an animal or something that is evil and corrupted. Sikes is often described with a 'heaving chest' and 'savage resolution'. This shows characteristics of an animal with a savage nature, the language indicates that Dickens is trying to show the fact that Bill is not only a criminal he is a mean criminal who has no compassion or thoughts for anyone. In comparison he thinks about himself a lot, and concentrates on not getting caught rather than what he is actually doing. When Sikes is murdering Nancy, Dickens uses vocabulary such as dragged, hurled, and struggled; these words imply anger and brutality. Sikes uses his violence to take control of people and this amplifies the Victorian view of a criminal. In Sikes character Dickens is trying to suggest that there are some vicious and dangerous criminal in London that people should be wary of. Sikes is a leader of the criminal underworld and is helping to trap innocent and naïve young
Oliver Twist: A Look at Social and Economic Classes
Ricas Jones
English IV
Ms. McQuirk
22 March 2017
Oliver Twist: A Look at Social and Economic Classes Charles Dickens' uses Oliver Twist as a means of informing the masses of his views on the differences in the treatment of social and economic classes, while focusing primarily on the unfavorable treatment of the poor. From the unfavorable orphanages to the workhouses to the elements of crime, Oliver Twist shows that the struggle of the poor starts early and is long lasting. There are few elements in place to improve their lives. From birth to death, they are forced to endure neglect, mistreatment, and a never–ending list of bad choices. The classes are not set up in...show more content...
One article detailed the neglect that took place among those confined to a children's hospital. It detailed how the children of privilege should be proud of the care that was shown to them. "Look at this picture well, you little, bright happy children who are well and strong, or even any afflicted like these, and be grateful for the cheerful homes, the loving friends, the comforts which surround you!" (Pediatrics, 1981). This article in particular goes on to speak about the poor treatment during infancy and how it has a tendency to extend into childhood and adulthood. Another example of disregard for the poor can be found in the ritual of disguising the unfair treatment that was received. When officials were preparing to visit orphanages and check on the conditions of the children, advance notice was made. "Besides, the board made periodical pilgrimages to the farm, and always sent the beadle the day before, to say they were going" (Dickens, 2004). This allowed Mrs. Mann, and similar caretakers, to prepare the children for inspection. Daily needs that were usually overlooked, such as baths, were a luxury that the orphans could look forward to at these times. Workhouses were brought into existence to help the poor and elderly deal with the daily difficulties of life. According to London Lives, workhouses were created to empower the power the poor to join the workforce and change their current situations. They also were
Essay on Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist
Charles Dickens:
Charles Dickens was a famous novelist who was born on February 7th,
1812, Portsmouth England. His novel Oliver Twist was greatly successful and was seen as a protest against the poor law of 1834. The novel revolves around a boy called Oliver Twist; the plot is about how
Oliver goes from the work house to being an aristocrat. The novel exposes a lot of Victorian attitudes which Dickens experienced as he was in poverty himself.
In Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens shows us many of the social injustices of those historic times. He was outraged by the way the poor and the young people in particular were treated.
He thought that this description would move the government to bring about a change in...show more content...
As there is no doubt they were.'' This tells that even though she may be part of the underworld she still was a nice person so it makes Nancy seem a little more complex compared to the other characters.
Oliver Twist was born in a workhouse. His mother died shortly after he was born. Oliver lived in an orphanage until the age of 9. At the age of 9 he is moved to a workhouse for adults. At the workhouse he is bullied. Because of this, Mr Bumble said that he would give £5 to the one who will take Oliver away. Noah Claypole makes some nasty remark about Oliver's mother; Oliver hits him badly and runs away to London.
Oliver there meets Jack Dawkins (Artful Dodger) who is the same age as
Oliver. Jack takes him to Fagin. Oliver discovers that Fagin trains little orphan boys to pick pockets for him. After some training,
Oliver is sent on a mission to go and pick pocket. He sees Mr
Brownlow's handkerchief being stolen and gets scared and runs away.
Oliver is nearly court and is saved by Mr Brownlow who takes him home.
Mr Brownlow notices that Oliver's features resemble a portrait he has.
However Nancy and Bill Sikes recapture Oliver and take him back to
Fagin.
Fagin sends Oliver on another mission. He and Bill Sikes have to do a burglary. During the burglary Oliver gets shot in the arm but Sikes escapes. Mrs Maylies and her adopted niece Rose to whom the house belongs take in
Theme Of Oliver Twist
The word ' money ' sums up a theme that Dickens has been preoccupied with in many of his novels . Dickens has studied the nineteenth century commercially–oriented England and observed the corrupting influence of money on members and deplorably , suggesting how material possessions have become the criterion of evaluating a human being . Dickens's critics are well aware of this devastating influence . Humphry House confidently tells us that Dickens's plots and characters are , " constructed round an attitude to money . Social status without it is subordinate . "1 This however , is a general comment on the Dickensian text . But in Oliver Twist , the theme gathers momentum and unfolds itself in a manner that attracts our attention , hence its...show more content...
He is neither a revolutionist who believes in ' collective action' against the oppressive institution of capitalism , nor a deserter who betrays the cause of the working class . He shows an individualistic action in facing extremes and incarnates his belief in " individual responsibility and freedom of choice . " 6
With the Victorian novelists , the scope of imagination takes a further step by being regarded as a shared experience between the artist and the reader . We may do well here by recalling one of Dickens's approaches to involve the reader in the narrative action through his use of humour which becomes a connective agent . In The Life of Charles Dickens , Forster defends Dickens's humour in terms of its effect on us :
" To perceive relation in things which are not apparent generally , is one of those exquisite properties of humour – which brings us all upon the level of
Literary Criticism of Oliver Twist Essay
Literary Criticism of Oliver Twist
Charles Dickens shows notable amounts of originality and morality in his novels, making him one of the most renowned novelists of the Victorian Era and immortalizing him through his great novels and short stories. One of the reasons his work has been so popular is because his novels reflect the issues of the Victorian era, such as the great indifference of many Victorians to the plight of the poor. The reformation of the Poor Law 1834 brings even more unavoidable problems to the poor. The Poor Law of 1834 allows the poor to receive public assistance only through established workhouses, causing those in debt to be sent to prison. Unable to pay debts, new levels of poverty are created. Because...show more content...
Dickens witnesses an injustice happening in England's workhouses and works to make society's views of the abuse of children change, but "by this time, the horrors of the workhouse were so established in the English scene that they were destined to become part of the British social legend...total degradation" (Gold 25). Because of the Poor Law of 1834, the young children suffered more than the able bodied benefited so through Dickens' career, he becomes preoccupied with the use and abuse of the Poor Laws. Through biting satire, stock characters, humor and pathos, Dickens explores the relationships between the paupers and the masters of the workhouse in Oliver Twist. Satire is used to portray the cruelty, sufferings, and injustice in the workhouses especially through Mr. Bumble, Mrs. Corney, and Oliver, stock characters that play a significant role in the message of child abuse in the workhouses. Through these characters and their actions, Dickens is able to reveal how ordinary workhouse masters treat their paupers. Mr. Bumble and Mrs. Corney are stereotypes of the heartless employers who overuse their power on the workhouse children. Mr. Bumble is the corrupt representative of an evil, unjust system but in the novel, Dickens also shows humor through this character. Mr. Bumble brings humor through many petty actions such as the courtship between Mrs. Corney and him. That scene is a humorous interval, which contrasts with life in the workhouse, but
Essay on Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist
A Criticism of Society or a Biography
With all of the symbolism and moral issues represented in Oliver Twist, all seem to come from real events from the life of its author, Charles Dickens. The novel's protagonist, Oliver, is a good person at heart surrounded by the filth of the London streets, filth that Dickens himself was forced to deal with in his everyday life. It's probable that the reason Oliver Twist contains so much fear and agony is because it's a reflection of occurrences in Charles Dickens' past. Oliver Twist also brought to light the evils of social injustice and the victims of it.
During his childhood, Charles Dickens suffered much abuse from his parents. This abuse is often expressed in his novel....show more content...
Phillip Collins believed that throughout Dickens' lifetime, he appeared to have acquired a fondness for "the bleak, the sordid, and the austere," due to Dickens' colorful description of London. Most of Oliver Twist, for example, takes place in London's lowest slums. The city is described as a maze, which, as Richard Ford put it "involved a mystery of darkness, anonymity, and peril." Many of the settings, such as the pickpocket's hideout, the surrounding streets, and the bars, are also described as dark, gloomy, and bland. But in creating this environment, Dickens makes Oliver a symbol for good or an archetypal figure like Christ or the Phoenix. For example, even while his life was in danger while in the hands of Fagin and Bill Sikes, two conniving pickpockets, Oliver refused to participate in the stealing which he so greatly opposed.
Obviously, escape is an important topic in Oliver Twist. All Oliver really longed for was to escape from harsh living conditions and evil surroundings which he had grown up in. Oliver is seeking various forms of escape from conditions that make him unhappy like his loneliness and starvation. Since dealing with escapism, it is not surprising that death is also a major symbol in this story. In the novel, death and coffins symbolize a happy and peaceful manner of escape, expounding more on the somewhat morbid tone of this novel.
Philip Collins said
Literary Analysis Of Oliver Twist
Just like anyone else who reads a book, opinions are going to form, and not all of them are going to be on the same page. Readers form different opinions and views based on how they interpret the meaning of the novel. Many critics have analyzed Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. Albert Borowitz and Kelly Winters are two well known writers who wrote long critiques that analyzed the work of Charles Dickens.
Crime writer Albert Borowitz believes that Charles Dickens uses the narrative of Oliver's fall to "serve his reformist purposes of attacking England's harsh, poor laws and illustrating [in] the thesis that city slums could breed crime even in the most innocent" people (Borowitz). I absolutely agree with Borowitz. In the beginning, the reader just assumes the Oliver just has terrible luck and that all of these terrible events are happening to him out of misfortune. Oliver is portrayed as a poor and innocent boy who is just being used by other people who have selfish intentions. Later on, the bystanders realize that "he was really the hardened little wretch he was described to be" by people (Dickens). Comparing the beginning of the novel to the end of the novel, Oliver has transformed from an innocent and young boy into a criminal in which he only speaks lies. Dickens has managed to attack England's laws and changed Oliver's character from an innocent orphan into a criminal. Jhaveri 4
Later on in the article, Borowitz also states that Dickens has contributed much to the language of writing. He believes that Dickens major contributions are his "imaginative understanding of criminal psychology and of the destructive and self–destructive impulses that outwardly normal people share with the outlaw" (Borowitz). I think that Borowitz has hit the mark exactly with this comment. Dicken's works are loved by many because a majority of the readers can relate to the downfalls of the main character. It is the main character themselves that create their own downfall and take part in destructive actions. In Oliver Twist, Dickens writes that there is a "human passion for hunting something deeply implanted in the human breast" (Dickens). Readers can apply this to the world of reality; all of us look for something in another
Theme Of Poverty In Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist, with the Theme of Poverty
Oliver Twist is the second novel after Pickwick. Written by Charles Dickens, this novel has given so much to society. There are so much things that we can learn from all the themes. Well, there are a lot of themes in this novel, but poverty is a very important theme in this book. Inspired by his own life, he had nailed to illustrate the lives of the poor in Victorian England and attack the New Poor Law of 1834.
Charles Dickens did not have a happy childhood. He had been through a lot of problems and experienced the lowest point when he was just twelve years old. He got to see his father arrested and put to jail for failure to pay debt. But, it did not end there. What was the worst of all? Poor Charles had to do labors in blackening factory where he met Fagin the man that has inspired Charles to name a villain character after his name, though in reality Fagin was a nice guy who had showed him kindness and the darker side of life. These reasons support his ability to feel the novel and express every obstacle – especially related to poverty – in a dynamic way.
Poverty is shown or expressed in several aspects of the novel. First, we can find poverty in the environment that Oliver finds when he gets to London. He does not find the rich environment. Instead of being with people from the aristocratic or wealthy environment, he was found and taken by Fagin, the poor man who steals for survival. Poverty also is pictured when the innocent
Oliver Twist Essay example
Oliver Twist
Have you ever thought about how it would be to live in a time of poverty? How would life be if you were poor and did not know from where you would be getting your next meal? What would it be like to be forced to live in a workhouse? These are some of the questions you might ask yourself if you were living in early nineteenth century
England. Dickens addresses these issues in his timeless masterpiece Oliver Twist. In the story of Oliver Twist, Dickens uses past experiences from his childhood and targets the Poor Law of 1834 which renewed the importance of the workhouse as a means of relief for the poor.
Dickens' age was a period of industrial development marked by the rise of the middle class (Wagenknecht...show more content...
The 1840s were years of crises. The character on English life was being transformed by industrial expansion and by great movements of population towards urban life.
Charles Dickens was born in Landport, Portsea, on February 7, 1812. He was the second son of John Dickens. John Dickens was a clerk in the Navy pay office. His improvidence would eventually lead to imprisonment in the Marshalsea, a debtor's prison for debt (Hardy 41). As a child Charles Dickens explored London and the fascination that he felt for this booming city remained with him throughout his life (Rooke 15). Dickens received his first instruction from his mother and later attended regular schools in
Chatham. When John Dickens, his wife, and their four children went to the debtor's prison, Charles Dickens didn't go. He soon became intimate with his father's small collection of literary classics. He also revealed early signs of genius. Dickens' recollections of early life were centered in Kent and he often regarded himself as a member of that region (Kaste 9). Dickens was sent to work at the age of twelve in Worren's Blacking Warehouse. After his father's release he went back to school.. When school was complete he went to work in an attorney's office. He spent much of his time exploring the busy and varied life of London and decided to become a journalist. He mastered a difficult system of shorthand and by March 1832, at the age of twenty, he was a general and
Analysis Of Charles Dickens 's ' Oliver Twist '
Charles Dickens illustrates how people facing poverty are treated as criminals by the Victorian society and may cause them to be forced down the path of crime. He demonstrates this theory throughout his novel Oliver Twist. Oliver Twist is a novel about a ten year old orphan in the nineteenth century who is forced into labour at a workhouse. Dickens highlights the conditions of the workhouse to display the struggle one bares in order to survive. He uses the characters Oliver and Nancy to demonstrate people who are innocent and forced into crime by desperation and despair. Through the story Oliver Twist, Dicken's attempts to highlight the fundamental issues of the Victorian society. The Victorian era's society views prostitutes, such as Nancy, as dirty and corrupted people. However, Dicken's portrays Nancy as a victim of society. He emphasizes that poverty can lead to crime due to one's despair. Although this lifestyle of crime is not always a choice, societies negative view of the poor creates an environment where it is difficult for people who live in poverty to escape those stereotypes. In contrast to the Victorian societal views; Oliver is considered innocent, Nancy the prostitute turns out to have some moral values, and Fagin is depicted as a true criminal. However, Dickens portrays that the Victorian society would have found it very difficult to differentiate between the true intentions of characters such as Oliver Twist and Fagin. Oliver is described as a young, weak
Essay On Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens is about a young orphan boy who leaves his orphanage to go to London after years of mistreatment. Being an orphan since birth due to his mother's death and father's absence, for the first nine years of his life, Oliver lives on what is referred to as a "baby farm." However, at the age of nine he was moved from this "baby farm" to a workhouse by a man named Mr. Bumble. This is shown on page seven when a woman name Mrs. Mann, who Oliver was under the care of for the first nine years of his life, introduces Mr. Bumble to Oliver. This triggers the event that will begin Oliver's journey. While working at the workhouse, the living conditions are poor and the boys who work there eat small portions of what is referred to as gruel. One day, some of the boys decide to draw lots, whoever losing having to ask for more gruel. Young Oliver Twist loses and the task to ask for more falls to him. One line that this book is known for is then said by Oliver here on page 11 "Please, sir, I want some more." This leads to an uproar that leads to the workhouse attempting to get Oliver adopted to get him out of the way, beginning his journey. Five pounds is offered to anyone who will take Oliver. After a close call where Oliver is nearly taken by a cruel man named Mr. Gamfield, he is then adopted by a Mr. Sowerberry, an older gentleman. He treats Oliver well and uses Oliver as a mourner at children's funerals. However, due to his unhappy marriage, Mrs. Sowerberry
The Genre Of Oliver Twist
Cameron Young
3rd
English
Oliver Twist
Charles Dickens, Published in 1838
Genre
The genre of Oliver Twist is coming–of–age
Characteristics of the genre met
Coming–of–age is simply the aging of the protagonist, usually going from childhood to adulthood, so the book meets the characteristic of this genre.
Characteristics of the genre not met
The only characteristic is showing the increase in age of the protagonist, so this book meets all the characteristics.
Setting
The setting is in the England, Europe, near London. The tone of the story is very ironic because of the remarks made by the characters.
Major Characters
Oliver Twist– Oliver is a little blonde kid. He is a kind, and he is shown growing up and maturing. He is...show more content...
Their caretaker, Fagin, turns out to be an evil man who trains kids to go around and pick–pocket strangers. Oliver doesn't realize this until he is out with the Dodger and he steals a handkerchief from an older looking man. The man then turns around and believes that the thief is Oliver, and confronts him by taking him down in the street. He realizes that Oliver didn't do it, and that he looks unhealthy. He then takes Oliver home to care for him until he recovers. The man who took care of Oliver, Mr. Brownlow, entrusts Oliver with some money to run some errands. Oliver is unfortunately confronted by Fagin and his crew, and they jump him and steal his money. Fagin then takes Oliver to an old house and holds him captive. Not long after this, Fagin forces Oliver to help some thieves rob a house. Once there, Oliver is caught inside, and he is shot. The family then intakes Oliver, and they become his caretakers. While with his new caretakers, he learns how to read and write, and finds out that he lives very close to Mr. Brownlow. While Oliver is safe with his caretakers, Fagin and his gang are still searching for Oliver. Monk and Fagin devise a plan to find Oliver and kill him, before he tells the police that they are criminals. Mr. Brownlow eventually finds Monks, and remembers that he and Monks' father were pals, and that he knew Monks. It is learned that Monk is Oliver's older brother, and is trying to kill him to gain the family
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist is born in a workhouse (a place where the poor and homeless are provided with work and shelter) in a small town in England. Oliver's mother dies moments after his birth, and since no one knew her name or the identity of Oliver's father, the baby is considered an orphan and sent to a baby farm. At the baby farm, Ms. Mann gives minimal care to the boys – underfeeding and mistreating them. When Oliver turns 9 years old, Mr. Bumble, the parish beadle (a lay official of the church who carries out various administrative duties), takes him from the baby farm to live in the workhouse and work picking oakum. The boys in the workhouse have difficult lives, and after suffering slow starvation for months, they become desperate and draw lots...show more content...
Oliver is caught and taken to the magistrate, but Mr. Brownlow begins to have second thoughts about Oliver's guilt. Just as Oliver is about to be sentenced to hard labor, a bookstall owner arrives and clears his name by telling the magistrate that he saw the other boys pick Mr. Brownlow's pocket. By this time, Oliver is sick and passes out in the courtroom. Mr. Brownlow takes Oliver home, and with the help of his housekeeper, Mrs. Bedwin, nurses Oliver back to health. Mr. Brownlow and Mrs. Bedwin show Oliver more kindness than he has ever experienced. In Mr. Brownlow's house, Oliver sees a portrait of a woman, and it has a strange effect on him. Even Mr. Brownlow remarks on the resemblance between Oliver and the woman in the portrait. Fagin is furious when Dodger and Charley return without Oliver. He throws a pot of beer at them, but it misses and hits a visitor, Bill Sikes. Sikes is a brutal thief and an associate of Fagin's. Both men agree that they must find Oliver before he reveals their criminal operation to the authorities. They send a girl named Nancy, a member of Fagin's gang, to the police station. She pretends to be Oliver's distraught sister to get information on his
Oliver Twist: The Battle for Morality
The Battle for Morality in Oliver Twist In Oliver Twist, author Charles Dickens attacks the decomposing morals of Victorian society and law in the form of writing. He addresses major social conflicts and struggles between the rich, who hold positions of power, and the poor and working class who fight for economic justice. In addition, the book is representative of the need for moral values based on the author's believe that people should not be oppressed, that every person deserves a chance. The story offers a contradiction central to bourgeois consciousness, which embraces conventional bourgeois ethics and demoralizes and suppresses the awareness of the harsh social realities. Dickens creates, rather illuminates, a society in which conflicting morals between the society and social reality in relation to poverty, childhood innocence, as well as, the transcendental moral values which that innocence embodies are rampant, slowly destroying the foundations of Victorian England. Dickens uses Oliver, as the book's central character, as a perfect vehicle to explore important moral issue and values in Victorian society. It is evident that the society uses various stereotypes for the by claiming that the poor are "bad" from birth and that they have a connection to their hereditary traits, usually deemed negative. For example, some characters such as Mr. Sowerberry and Mr. Grimwig despise the poor children in that society and claim that they are born robbers and murders – they are
Romanticism In Oliver Twist
Introduction:
In mid–19th century England, realistic literature came as a response to the preceding romantic period. The romantic period was known to emphasize the experiences of the individual and was regarded as a highly aesthetic period. It was related with the movement of sensibility or sentimentalism, which stressed the importance of emotions and feelings of sympathy (Kitson 328–329). Contrarily, realism during the Victorian age aimed to address economic and social issues in society by depicting the struggles in the developing society as accurately as possible (Redd). Consequently, in the 1830s, when Charles Dickens was writing Oliver Twist, it is justifiable that elements of both realism and sentimentalism can be found in the novel. This...show more content...
Most notably, Dickens' depiction of London (in particular the workhouses and other social institutions) and his criminal characters have a very prominent realistic effect. However before going into detail about the realistic setting and characters, it would be beneficial to take a look at Dickens' preface for Oliver Twist. In his preface for Oliver Twist, Dickens justifies his reasons for writing about the criminals of London; he had the impression that real thieves and pickpockets were not portrayed correctly in literature during that time. For that reason, he felt that it was necessary to show these crooks as they really were, "for ever skulking uneasily through the dirtiest paths of life" (7). He also believed that doing this would be "a service to society", and that he "did it as best as [he] could". He explains that he won't be writing about appealing and pleasant situations; "...no merry–makings in the snuggest of all possibly caverns, none of the attractions of dress, no embroidery, no lace..." (8). In essence, this preface foreshadows the realistic elements in the novel by telling the readers where to look. Clearly the characters and setting will be portrayed as honestly and truthfully as possible, without overlooking even "one hole in the Dodger's coat, or one scrap of curl–paper in Nancy's dishevelled hair" (9) and describing the "cold wet shelterless midnight streets of London; the foul and frowsy dens, where vice is closely packed and lacks the room to turn [...]"
Oliver Twist Essay
Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist, in 1883, to show the reader things as they really are. He felt that the novel should be a message of social reform. One of its purposes was to promote reform of the abuses in workhouses. In no way does Dickens create a dream world. His imagination puts together a bad place during a bad time; an English workhouse just after the Poor Law Act of 1834 (Scott–Kilvert, 48).
In the first chapter of Oliver Twist, Dickens moves from comedy to pathos and from pathos to satire. He takes us from the drunken old woman to the dying mother to the hardened doctor. Such rapid switches help in all the later novels to hold together disparate effects, to provide variety and unity, and to give that double opportunity for...show more content...
(Dickens, 131).
Oliver escapes the situation but there is still the presence of a real threat.
We are apt to forget how early–Victorian society, the society of the laissez–faire, took for granted individual conditions of privacy and isolation...It was a society where each unit, each family and household, led their secret lives with an almost neurotic antipathy to external interference (Price, 90–91). It was the age of the private gentleman who wanted nothing but to be left alone...He could ignore politics, the Press, the beggar who happened to be dying of hunger in the coach–house; he need feel no pressure of social or national existence...There has probably never been a time when England was–in the sociological phrase–less integrated." (Price, 90–91). Dickens wrote in contrast to the society in which he witnessed around him. He brought together a unity of the two worlds and attempted to bring them together. This goes along with the purpose of reform in the workhouses. All these people have the same outlook and the same philosophy of life, a philosophy which that private gentleman, Fagin, sums up as looking out for number 1 (Price, 91).
Dickens is unique in the way he often talks to the reader in "one to one" conversations. He does this quite frequently throughout Oliver Twist as a way of amplifying what he feels the reader should be attentive to. He also uses this technique to invoke stage
Oliver Twist Rhetorical Analysis
With his unorthodox beliefs during the Victorian–era, Charles Dickens uses a variety of literary devices, such as irony, sarcasm, and hyperboles to contrast the reality of a society which needs social political change. This is achieved by utilizing a sardonic or sarcastic tone throughout the majority of his book, Oliver Twist, in order to convey his ideas to the audience.
A primary example of Dickens using irony is on page 95 of chapter 10, when Oliver believes that Fagin has invited him to join an honest business. "At that length, he began to languish of fresh air, and took many occasions of earnestly entreating..." Not only is this ironic in the sense that Oliver desires to please his senior by asking to work with the young companions, and therefore trained for...show more content...
This business that he perceived as honest was in fact pickpocketing, and unbeknownst to Oliver, he inadvertently went through the preparation to become a skilled pickpocket, a title which he did not wish to pursue. Dickens understands the criminal roles of Fagin and his delinquents, however, he uses this phrasing to reveal Oliver's innocent desire to please Fagin. In addition, this phrase concerns the disgusting conditions of Victorian era England. In the article, "Endangered lives: Public Health in Victorian England", author Anthony S. Wohl points out that the sewage treatment was incredibly poor. "As a consequence of the poor drainage system, the father contracted what the Victorians call 'Filth Diseases'." This may seem ordinary when concerning the technology of the time, however, the family depicted, which the father is a member of, is in
Oliver Twist Analysis Essay
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist, a poor, innocent orphan boy, stands out in this story as the main character, but it is the supporting characters that allow this novel to develop a much more satisfying and believable theme. With "Good V.S. Evil" as one of the major conflicts, in such categories are the secondary characters found as well. Three supporting characters of Oliver Twist aid the elaboration of the story; these significant characters are Mr. Brownlow representing purity, integrity and goodness, Nancy as partially righteous, partially villain and lastly on the other extreme of the scale: Fagin, the symbol of evil, corruption and manipulation. Throughout the story we are introduced to each of these characters through an...show more content...
Nancy sees in Oliver the innocence of her own childhood being robbed by Fagin's deceiving malpractice. Nancy provides the story with a second chance for Oliver. It costs her life, but she prospers in helping Oliver as well as doing a lot of justice for society. Able to save Oliver from evil and putting evil itself in prison, Nancy triumphs above all her devilish acquaintances and is the pivoting point of Oliver's return to safety. Not only as a way to introduce new plots in the tale, but as well as the theme's greatest support, she is a genial character that could have only been created after much planning and thought.
Fagin was a Jew described by the author in such a manner that one may think Dickens were racist to some extent. His beliefs of Jew's were that a Jew seldom thieves, but is worse than a thief when he encourages others to thieve. In his opinion, "In every town there is a Jew, resident or tramping;... if a robbery is effected, the property is hid till a Jew is found, and a bargain is then made." Fagin is described in such a style in this tale that one is almost forced to dislike his character. Not only does he seek to capture Oliver forever by making him an accomplice in crime, but it also seems that he has supernatural powers to seek him out of wherever his
Oliver Twist Essay
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist provides insight into the experience of the poor in 1830s England. Beneath the novel's humor and dramatic plot runs an undertone of bitter criticism of the Victorian middle class's attitudes toward the poor. Dickens's Oliver Twist very vividly critisizes the legal system, workhouses, and middle class moral values and marriage practices of 1830s England. Basic Situation: Oliver Twist is born a sickly infant in a workhouse. His birth is attended by the parish surgeon and a drunken nurse. His mother kisses his forehead and dies, and the nurse announces that Oliver's mother was found lying in the streets the night before. The surgeon notices that she is not wearing a wedding ring. Oliver is then placed into a...show more content...
Brownlow takes Oliver into his home and nurses him back to health because Oliver had fallen ill during the trail. While living with Mr. Brownlow, Oliver sees a picture of a young woman who has a very dramatic affect on him. "A portrait of a young woman catches Oliver's eye. It seems to affect him so much; that Mrs. Bedwin fears the emotion will wear him out". (Dickens; chp.10) Shortly after this incident Oliver is kidnapped by Nancy, a girl who works for Fagin, and forced to rob a house where he is shot by the owners of the house and left to die in a ditch by the men forcing him to rob the house. The day after he is shot he is taken in by the people who shot him and lives there safely until Fagin finds him again. As it turns out Fagin wasn't the only person looking for Oliver, a man by the name of Monks is also looking for him. Monks is also Oliver's brother but does not want his identity to be revealed in order to receive his father's inheritance. Nancy then tells Ms. Maylie a caretaker of the family where Oliver was staying his true identity. That very same night Nancy was beaten to death by Sites, the man she stayed with. Resolution: Meanwhile, Mr. Brownlow has captured Monks, whose real name is Edward Leeford. Brownlow was a good friend of his father, Mr. Leeford, who was a young man when his family forced him to marry a woman ten years older than he. The couple eventually separated, and Monks
Summary Of Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist is the narrative of a youthful vagrant, Oliver, and his endeavors to remain great in a general public that declines to help. Oliver is conceived in a workhouse, to a mother not known to anybody in the town. She passes on directly in the wake of bringing forth him, and he is sent to the parochial halfway house, where he and alternate vagrants are dealt with unpleasantly and sustained practically nothing. When he turns nine, he is sent to the workhouse, where again he and the others are dealt with severely and for all intents and purposes starved. Alternate young men, unfit to stand their appetite any more, choose to attract straws to pick who should go up and request more nourishment. Oliver loses. On the designated day, subsequent to completing his initially serving of gruel, he goes up and requests more. Mr. Blunder, the beadle, and the board are offended, and choose they should dispose of Oliver, apprenticing him to the parochial funeral director, Mr. Sowerberry. It isn't extraordinary there either, and after an assault on his mom's memory, Oliver flees.
Oliver strolls towards London. When he is close, he is so powerless he can scarcely proceed, and he meets another kid named Jack Dawkins, or the cunning Dodger. The Dodger reveals to Oliver he can accompany him to a place where a man of his word will give him a place to rest and sustenance, for no lease. Oliver takes after, and the Dodger takes him to a flat in London where he meets Fagin, the previously