English Coursework
Novel: Oliver Twist
Name:Harish Aravinda
Research Question:
How does Charles Dickens expose the awful treatment of children?
Charles Dickens discusses about the ‘Barbarism’ which Oliver had to face. As a small child Oliver was not given proper food since Mrs. Mann uses up most of the money of the care for her own needs to make her life comfortable.Oliver Twist is blackmailed by Mrs.Mann to cry and say that he will be missing her before leaving to the workhouse where he was born. But nothing could have prepared him for the cruelty and difficulties in the workhouse. In this workhouse the awful treatment of children is being exposed.Charles Dickens illustrates the horrible conditions in the workhouse ,especially the huge
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He was brought up by hand. “
This quote from the book shows how miserable his life was,especially in the workhouse.
“Crimson with fury, Oliver started up; overthrew the chair and table; seized Noah by the throat; shook him, in the violence of his rage, till his teeth chattered in his head; and collecting his whole force into one heavy blow, felled him to the ground.”
This quote describes how Oliver acted with rage when Noah abused his mother.
The remarks in the beginning of chapter 6 are highly ironic as he describes how mourners present at the funeral of a wealthy elderly relative are able to prevail over their misery, when actually get to inherit a lot of wealth. It is quite a contradiction, how there is a lot of sorrow for the loss of a beloved relative of a poor family to a loved one of a wealthy family. Charles uses this to give members of a richer family a better understanding of the fast growing gap between the poor and rich.When Twist departs from the undertaker's place heading towards London, he goes up to the workhouse,to meet his friend Dick, even though he was unwell. This scene has great poignancy in it because Dick, who is himself dying, blesses
The book is beginning to close. This chapter talks about the details of Oliver’s inheritance.
Chapter 1 • Oliver was born in a workhouse • He was very sick when he was born • A surgeon and a drunken nurse were there during his birth • Oliver’s mom died almost immediately after his birth • Surgeon notices that Oliver’s mom didn’t have a wedding ring on her finger Chapter 2 • Oliver is sent into another workhouse to live • When he turns 9, Bumble asks him to go to a different workhouse since his parents still weren’t found • Oliver asks for more food one day, which is something that is immensely punishable • The authorities decide to give 5 pounds to anyone who will take Oliver as an apprentice Chapter 3 • Mr. Gamfield offers to take Oliver as a chimney sweep apprentice • Instead of 5 pounds he gets 3 pounds since many boys have died
From the story, I learned that it doesn’t matter what terrible things happen in life you can always learn something from it. Oliver could barely do anything, but his influence on other people was tremendous. His influence helped his brother find a loving and caring wife for him. Oliver
Violence throughout our time has been evident ever since the beginning of our human species. From verbal to physical, one will not go through his/her lifetime without understanding the violent nature of other people. Richard Wilkinson brought up a point that “More unequal societies tend to be more violent” (Wilkinson 2). Wilkinson shows that there is a prominent correlation between income and homicide. Lower incomes shows higher rates of homicide. In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens shows how violence can flourish due to the inequality seen in the lower classes. Dickens uses violence to portray that a society filled with inequalities can lead to violence.
In the sociopolitical novel, A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens analyzes the events of one of the bloodiest revolutions in history, the French Revolution, characterized by its violence after no less than 40,000 people were sentenced to death. The violence of the revolution put irreversible change into motion, helping to bring greater equality between French citizens as a result of the upheaval, and causing political changes that affected millions. Through his changing tone, Dickens conveys that rebellion is necessary to amend the ever-growing divide between the social classes, but the mindless nature of the violence, as a result of mob mentality, is excessive, and blood is unnecessarily spilled.
The strong will only oppress the weak. As an escaped convict encounters an orphan named Pip at the cemetary,he holds Pip hostage and torments him until the motive of convict appears. Dickens characterizes Pip and the convict through the usage of dialogue, imagery, style and point of view distinctly showcasing the struggle mighty of oppressing the weak. Dickens is able to reveal characterization of the two characters; Pip the protagonist and the convict the antagonist by using narrative pace, imagery and point of view.
Although bloodlines seemed to dictate who raised whom in the 1830s, children could find guidance through those closest to them regardless of their non familial relationship. In Oliver Twist, Dickens provides numerous figures to guide poor Oliver, none of which are related to him by blood, excepting Rose. After falling ill and denounced as a thief, Mr. Brownlow and the housekeeper bestow great kindness and tender care upon Oliver and nurture him as though he was their child:“‘I have never forgotten them or his quiet smile, but have seen them every day, side by side with those of my own children’” (388). The housekeeper especially gives motherly attention to Oliver although she has no prior relation to him. She compares Oliver to her memories of her own progeny and therefore blatantly stands in as a mother figure in Oliver’s life. By
think she has any other life to turn to. She has a hard time with good
This novel is indeed quite a political statement : children characters are shown unfit for a harsh environment and the only outcome for them is to die at a young age, like Dick or Nancy. Dickens is thus arguing that the Original Sin is a belief that belongs to the past, and that children should be protected from misery, labour and mistreatment. However, Oliver doesn’t die and his inherent goodness and innocence seem to remain uncorrupted by the people he encounters and the course of events. Dickens may have made a symbol out of Oliver, the ideal of the Romantic child if kept from corruption. Oliver is what the other misfortunate children of the novel could have been.
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
In the book, Dickens portrays the people as having the hatred necessary for mob violence. Immediately, the book shows us an example how such hatred was created. When a youth’s hands were chopped off, “tongue torn out with pincers” and “his body burned alive” it shows the violence and torture that led to the French revolution. The youth represents the weak in French society
In the passage, Oliver twist the author reveals the character aspects of Oliver twist by using dialogue and the characters thoughts. Charles Dickens uses dialogue of Oliver Twist asking for more and his thoughts and previous events to show how the character Oliver twist was forced and obliged to rebelling their lunch system and asking for more
The story of ‘Oliver Twist’ was originally written by Charles Dickens. It follows a young boy called Oliver on his adventures around England from one place to the next. On his journey, he becomes a workhouse boy, a runaway, a thief and a respectable gentleman. He is taught these traits by some people who have good morals and some people who are amoral.
In a biography journal about Dickens, a passage states that “His early life is a current element in most of his novels. The bitter experiences of his childhood helped him to empathize his topics. The main problems Dickens mentioned in Oliver Twist were the deplorable conditions of children in the Victorian
"Please, sir," replied Oliver, "I want some more." No one will ever forget the simple plea made by the poor hungry little orphan named Oliver Twist. Nobody will be able to omit from his mind the painful blows that Oliver suffered. Nor will anyone cease to recall what it felt like to be young and helpless in a much bigger and stronger world. In an effort to bring the ostracized poverty situation of so many children to the public's attention, Charles Dickens wrote an unforgettable book to touch the hearts of millions. Whether he knew it then or not, he was also bringing a new connotation and worldwide innuendo to the term "child labor".