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Victorian Societies' Terrible Treatment of Poor Children in Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist

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Victorian Societies' Terrible Treatment of Poor Children in Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist

Charles Dickens wrote the novel "Oliver Twist" as a way of expressing his views on how the rich treated the poor, and how he felt about the laws regarding the poor.

Charles Dickens lived in the 19th century when there was a social divide of the upper and lower class citizens. The poor lived in: cramped, dirty and smelly conditions with no chance of money or improved living conditions with a half decent life; whereas the upper class had total luxury with everything done for them. This was mainly due to the industrialisation of London where parts of Londonwas transformed into business areas, which made the …show more content…

Oliver was born in a small room moment before him mum passed away with a little baby with no name in her arms. The careless attitude of those in authority is shown by the character of Mrs Mann. She uses dire punishments such as locking the boys in the dark "coal-cellar". Oliver is even locked up on his "ninth birthday" with a "select party of two other young gentlemen". Here Dickens uses sarcasm to emphasise the carelessness of those who worked with the children. The children mainly die of natural causes, but Mrs Mann makes no effort at all to keep them alive.

The Board doesn't care about the boys in the workhouse, all they care about is themselves and Dickens shows this by them always being seen round a big table full of food when there is a little half starved boy right in front of it. Oliver was sent to pick open after a Board member said "I know that boy will be hung". In the workhouse the conditions are very poor, they work long hours and are starved, all to save money and to put people off the idea of going there. The terrible conditions of the workhouse are shown when Oliver asks for more gruel. "Please, sir, I want some more." Dickens uses exaggeration, and even a little bit of humour to for this part of the book. What seems to be a reasonable, polite question from a growing boy is shown as a major insult and offence to authority. But being a small innocent boy,

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