Dickens, Charles - Oliver Twist (8)

Oliver twist is a novel written by Charles Dickens, it appeared in installments in 1832 and the next years as a book. The name twist represents the reversals of fortune he will experience. Oliver is a poor boy without parents, at the beginning he lives in a work house, later is sold to an undertaker but the cruelty and unhappiness he experiences make him escape in London where he falls into the hand of a gang, led by Arful Dodger and trained by Fagin, who try to makes him a thief.

After Oliver is helped by a gentleman but the gang kidnapped and forced him to commit burglary, unfortunately he’s shot. At the end a middle class family adopts him, his noble origin are discovered , the gang and Oliver’s brother (who paid the thieves to ruin Oliver to have their father property) are arrested. Oliver Twist reflects the economic insecurity and humiliation Dickens experienced as a child. He deals with childhood , a cruel experience! Lots of children were often obliged to work in factories and mines, others became criminals. Literature played an important role in the representation of children. The writer’s nostalgia for the innocence of childhood is a critique of oppression associated with the world of adults. Dickens attacked the evils of his times: unjust courts, underworld and work houses.
Work houses were terrible place to live, families were separated, rations of foods and clothing were small and poor, instead of improve poor condition, they caused further misery. Dickens also describes London life characterized by different social classes: The lower middle class strata of sociery, insensitive to the feeling of poor, the criminal word, where people live in dirty, in a permanent state of fear and finally the middle class, with respectable people. There is an important passage to understand Oliver Twist: ‘’Oliver want some more’’. It’s taken from the 2 chapter of the novel: It reveals Dickens’ awareness of the social problem of his time. It can be divided into 3 parts: the first part describes the room of the workhouse and the condition of Oliver and his friends , that are suffering starvation from 3 months. The second part describes the moment of dinner, each character and his role, but in particular describes Oliver’s feeling and his action. A council was held; lots were cast who should walk up to the master and ask for more supper. Oliver was chosen. The third part describes the consequences of his request, directors infact want to send him away