Oliver Twist Essay

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
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Essay On Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist Charles Dickens Honors English 10 Ms. Salsbury Ethan Wigal October 6, 2017
Charles Dickens is a famous British author known for writing many classics. He was born on
February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England. Born to John Dickens and Elizabeth Barrow, Charles
was the second child of eight. He grew up poor, eventually dropping out of school to bring in
more money for his family. Dickens worked as an office boy, which helped to start his writing
career. In 1836, he finally published his first book, Sketches by Boz. Throughout the rest of his
life, Dickens would end up publishing about 25 books. Some of his work includes Oliver Twist, A
Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, and A Tale of Two Cities. Charles
...show more content...
As Oliver comes around, he changes her heart. Nancy realizes that young, innocent children like
Oliver should not be subjected to commit Fagin's horrible crimes. She is very protective of
Oliver, eventually losing her life to keep him safe. Nancy's conflicts include her fight against
Fagin and Sikes for Oliver's safety. While Fagin and Sikes use Oliver to commit crimes, Nancy
believes that he should not be tainted in their criminal ways like she was. This leads to Nancy
being badly mistreated and repeatedly abused. Throughout the novel, Nancy also faces an internal
struggle with morality and her love for Sikes. She understands how horribly he treats her, but she
never leaves. Nancy loves him so much that she goes through a living nightmare to still be with him.
Even after going to Brownlow to explain the situation, she begs that Sikes will not get into trouble.
One of the main antagonists in this story is Fagin, a villainous–looking old Jew that leads a gang of
young pickpockets. He manipulates the children, forcing them to do his dirty work in exchange for
a place to stay. Fagin has no interest in the children though, all he cares about is getting paid at the
end of the day. From the way she speaks of him, Nancy has figured out Fagin's twisted plan, and
wants no part in it. She tries to save Oliver from the manipulation she went through for twelve years,
so Fagin inadvertently convinces Sikes to murder her. Another one of the

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 ВЈ5 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

Examples Of Social Issues In Oliver Twist
The novel "Oliver Twist"– a reflection of social problems. "Oliver Twist" is one of Charles Dickens
most popular novels. Dickens is best known for his cruel, comic and inconsistent characters. Oliver
Twist, a quiet, gentle young boy, is born in the workhouse. He represents the underprivileged
children in this novel. Dickens shows us society's attitude towards Oliver and other children, who
suffer from poverty. They are abused and beaten up. "Oliver Twist" criticizes the workhouses, abuse
towards children, the judicial system and the criminal world of London in 19th century. The novel
shows effects of poverty on society. Many of these issues are still topical nowadays. To my mind, the
world community should pay more attention to such serious...show more content...
"Oliver Twist" shows just how miserable the lower classes really were in 19th–century London. The
environment that Oliver finds when he gets to London is not aristocratic or wealthy. He is taken by
Fagin and the other children who are actually poor and have to steal to survive. There are several
rich families, but the majority in the city is poor. I realised that there is more to the novel than
just the story of Oliver and his friends. There are hidden truths that still apply to everyday action
today. Poverty has become a large issue around the world. It has been said that 80% of the world
population live on less than ten dollars a day. Whether you live in the wealthiest country or in the
poorest one, poverty still exists. Poor people have less access to health care and education. I believe
that the best way out of poverty is a well–paying job. To start job growth now, governments should
invest in their infrastructure by rebuilding bridges, railways, roads, schools, libraries, and make
other investments that create jobs and boost national economy. To my mind, once we understand
how serious are the effects of poverty, we can take the necessary steps to solve the issue

Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist Essay
Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist The novel Oliver Twist is a criticism of the cruelty that children
and poor people suffered at the hands of 19th century society. It was Dickens first novel written
under his own name when he was 24 years old and in it he already reveals his sharp, but comic
comments and criticism. From the start Dickens makes it clear to the reader that poor people and
the children of poor people; most especially a baby born illegitimately; were of no consequence in
the 1900s. The first person narrator feels he need not "trouble" himself "as it can be of no possible
consequence" to tell us the place or date of Oliver's birth. This concept is further revealed when he
refers to Oliver as an "item of mortality"...show more content...
What he does do he does is gives the reader a very exaggerated picture often presented as a list, so
that the ideas move from sarcasm to the ridicules, then the reader finds themselves laughing
whilst taking the point in. Oliver's survival is described as a "new burden upon the parish". This
is when Dickens picks up his attack, begun in a series of leading articles on the Times and the
Poor Law Amendment Act in 1834. This seemed to centralise care for the poor and infirm by
taking responsibility away from individual parishes and appointing paid officers to oversee the
relief of the poor. Rather than improve conditions Dickens felt poor people suffered more at the
hands of these mostly greedy men. Oliver's mother dies as soon as she "imprinted her cold white
lips passionately" on Oliver's forehead for the first time. This is a very dramatic way to die and it
creates pathos for the new orphan Oliver Twist. We feel sorry as we have just been told about
how much of a chance Oliver has in life as being born in a workhouse is described as "the most
fortunate and enviable circumstance that can possibly fall on a human being", but we feel even
more sorry for the orphan now his mother has died" When the boys in the workhouse sit down to
eat Dickens describes it as a "festive composition". This suggests there is an excess of fine food, as
the word feast comes from festive. Dickens is obviously being sarcastic and we also

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

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 youngwoman 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

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

Poverty, By Oliver Twist
The tattered–greasy haired girl rummages through the rancid garbage looking for anything to fill the
empty void in her growling stomach. While rummaging she finds a piece of moldy bread and
devours it without a second thought. Her undoing correlates to Oliver's poverty–stricken life
throughout the novel. There are many themes throughout this novel, but one of the more outstanding
ones is poverty. It is understood that no matter how hard an individual can work their background
and how they come about always comes back and bites them. Within Oliver Twist Oliver's
background of poverty plays a major role on how he is introduced to the world and it is also a basis
of his value to society and how he is treated. In the novel Oliver Twist,...show more content...
Furthermore, it depicts the many faults to society on how the poor are looked at. Many people
look at homeless or panhandlers and hate them, because of their "laziness" without realizing what
got them there, such as Oliver he was put into the coffin makers home and valued at lesser than the
dog just because of where he came from and how he was conceived.
It is evidently obvious of the social class gap, and how poverty and high class individuals continue
to keep the gap from closing. One of the many examples demonstrated would be Fagin and how he
not only treated the boys, but what he had taught many of them. When Oliver is being chased down
with people repeatedly yelling "Stop thief! Stop thief!" for a crime that he did not commit, further
shows just how the society is (Dickens 83). Due to a member of the higher class Oliver is chased
and hit just because the old thinks that it is him who pickpocketed him. It is evident when no one
asks about details of the crime or is the old man was sure that it was Oliver that this normally
happens and kids can be thrown into jail for a crime that they did not commit just because it is their
word against an individual with moneys word. The continuous play on poverty and class is used in
many different ways within the novel in order aid in conveying the message of unfairness of the
living conditions of

Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist, one of Charles Dickens greatest novel written in 1838, portrays the despotic social
scenario of England at that time. The novel's substitle is The Parish Boy's Progress, which is a
satirical depiction of an orphan boy, Oliver, who suffers from the miserable behavior of the
authorities charged to care for orphan children. Oliver eventually becomes involved with a gang of
criminals (Frank 19). It shows how a young mind gets manipulated by evil just because he suffers
from the cruelty of the government. The novel is part of the emerging social satire of its time. The
rise of the industrial Revolution in the English Victorian society caused the English economy to
flourish but at the same time had some drastic consequences on the social lives of people which
Dickens highlighted in his novel. Most of the story's narrative is based on what Dickens experienced
while roaming in the streets of London (Marlow, 1). Moreover, the novel covers various social
setbacks which were the reason for the injustice found in English society. The story shows various
aspects of social themes such as class struggles, poverty, criminality, religion, identity, charity,
corruption, mob mentality, plight of orphans, plight of women and injustice. Oliver is not a
believable character, because although he is raised in corrupt surroundings, his purity and virtue are
absolute. Throughout the novel, Dickens uses Oliver's character to challenge the Victorian idea that
paupers and criminals

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 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 thesecondary
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
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 naГЇve young

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

Charles Dickens wrote 'Oliver Twist' between 1873 and 1839. Oliver Twist is Charles Dickens
second novel. Oliver Twist began as a sketch; later on chapter by chapter it came on magazine and
became a serial and eventually the whole novel was published. Charles Dickens childhood was
terrible; he had to work in a factory for some months. The novel exposes a lot of Victorian
attitudes which Dickens experienced as he was in poverty himself. Oliver Twist suffered for nine
years in the baby farm treated like an animal. Eventually Oliver is taken by Mr Bumble to work in
the workhouse where he asks for more food which makes the master angry and Mr Sowerberry's
offers to take Oliver, but Oliver is unhappy and runs away to London walking for seven...show more
content...
He is selfish, obsessive and sneaky. Also in olden days calling someone a Jew was not rude.Fagin
has a gang of little children where Fagin gives them food and shelter and in return the children
pick pockets for Fagin and gets him something that's valuable. The reader knows this because
Artful Dodger pulls "out a portion of the crumb, and stuffing it therein. Taking the bread under his
arm". When Oliver first meets Fagin, Dickens describes Fagin in a powerful language using
adjectives. This is clear when Fagin is "very old shrivelled Jew, whose villainous–looking and
repulsive face was obscured..." From this the reader gets an image of how Fagin looks like and what
type of per he is. Fagin was the person that told Bill Sikes that Nancy had betrayed him. Fagin is
sneaky, he knows that Bill has an awful anger, so when he tells Bill. Fagin says "You won't
be–too–violent Bill". Dickens has used 'too' twice in the chapter 47 (Fatal consequences) in the
next page. This is clear when Fagin says "not too violent for safety. Be crafty, Bill, and not too
bold." This quote is showing how Fagin is trying to incite Bill. Fagin was saying that you will be
vicious but not too much. Dickens has used the same adjective twice which is violent to make the
sentence more interesting and to make the reader understand what Fagin wants Bill to get angry and
hurt Nancy. This way it makes the reader nervous and creates suspense in their mind and makes

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

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

Analysis Of Charles Dickens 's ' Oliver Twist '
Realism is frequently thought that it is a specific tendency of the Victorian fiction, it is quite certain
that the earliest use of the word realism referred to the faith full representation of the real world in
the literature beginning from the 1850 's. Charles dickens is one among the greatest well–known
representatives of the 19th century English critical realism. In Victorian England realism is greeted
by the work of Dickens. In his work, Oliver Twist (1838), he uses realism to represent the harsh
realities of life during his lifetime. It is his first novel in which he reflect on the shortcomings of the
society and the governance of public administration. He treats them with spirits of moving
participation and with...show more content...
' ' (Dickens, Charles p.16) describes it all the miserable plight of the lower class sections. Dickens
was increasingly critical of the society; the corruption of material and emotion that arouse under the
impact of Industrialism. He uses young Oliver as his character to represent the overall working class
sections. They were subject to punishment with no regard to their age or sex. Oliver 's request for
another bowl of disgusting gruel eventually led to severe punishment and his consequence of fate
that follows thereafter. Dickens is highly successful in portraying the corrupted city of London
through the Parish authorities, the workhouse authorities, individual characters who worked for their
advantages such as the elderly female Mrs. Mann, and the old Fagin. London is seen as a place
where human beings had known not anymore the values of their own souls, it was governed by the
principles of earning money illegally. They were self– satisfied enough of their own excessive
achievements. Dickens novel usually has a single strong character and the whole novel is
centered round his life and the society around him. He is a great satirical humorist who often
makes fun of the immoral characters. The liberality of Mrs. Sower berry to Oliver, has consisted of
a profuse bestowal upon him of all the dirty odds and ends which nobody else would eat; so there
was a great deal of meekness and

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

Oliver Twist Essay

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Oliver Twist Essay