Prepared by : Gohil Jyotiba M.
Roll No : 15
Assignment Topic - Social Criticism in Oliver Twist Novel
M.A (English) : Sem -2
Enrollment No: 2069108420180016
Batch : 2017-19
Email ID: jyotibagohil96@gmail.com
Submitted to : Smt .S. B Gardi , Department of English, MK Bhavnagar University.
●》 Social Criticism in Oliver Twist Novel :
● Introduction :
'Oliver Twist' is a novel written by Charles Dickens in 1849 in order to expose the ugliness of Victorian Age. He was a famous Social Critic of Victorain age. He created some of the world 's best known fictional character. He was regarded as greatest novelist of victorian Era. His works popular during his lifetime and by 20th century critic and scholars recognised him as a Litrary Genius. This novel considered as the best satirical novel during victorian Age. It criticise the social , political and economical and industrialization of victorian Age.
● About Charles Dickens :
Dickens was born in 1812 and died in 1870. He lived in time in England where rich were getting wealthier and poor being exploited more and more. In at the age of 12 year he started working 10 hours a day. After his father was imprison. So these facts must have deep impression on young boy. This probably the reason about the idea of social reformation run through out his works. Also it challenges the culture in which he grown up. Oliver Twist is filled with satirical irony. Dickens delights in satirizing the institutions so prevalent in England at the time; workhouses, unfair laws, orphanages, and also the justice system. Dickens believed that each of these institutions were corrupt, unjust, and inhumane. He trys to depicted this things into his Novel.
' Oliver Twist' is very clearly criticise the way that English Society worked in Dickens 's time. In the whole Novel shows how English society treated its poor. Dickens shows an injustice happening in England 's workhouse. The works to make the society 's view of the abuses the children change because of the Poor Low 1834. The young children suffering more. Through bitting satire ,stock characters, humour and pathos Dickens explore the relation between the paupers and master of workhouse in 'Oliver Twist '. Satire is used to portray the suffering, injustice and cruelty in the society and specially in workhouse. Through the characters like Mr Bumble , Oliver and other children of workhouse. They play a significant role into give message of child labour in workhouses.
● Child Labour in society :
' Oliver Twist ' can be read as the text book of victorian child abused and a social document about early Victorain Slum life. The book focused on the Poor little orphan Oliver and all the terrible things that happen to him as he is shuffled off from Cold arms of his dead mother to horrible Branch - workhouse. Through the characters of workhouse and their actions Dickens able to reveal how ordinary workhouse master treat their workers.
In this Novel Dickens presented a portrait of Macabre of Childhood of considerable number of victorian orphans. The orphans are underfed and for meal they are given single scoop of portion of food. The workhouse world is full of a bitter and pitiful. The workhouse for helping poor but in fact Oliver and others boys had to suffer from starvation. The diet given such a small quality that the bowls never " wanted to washing ". The boys polished them with their spoons till they shine again.Oliver one of the Oppressed child dare to ask for more food.
" Please Sir , I want some more "
So Oliver demand for more food . it was considered as crime and as a punishment he was bitten by his master Bumble. So this scene which has become the most familiar incident in any English Novel. It strongly appealed to the victorian conscience. A very memorable scene and extremely powerful because it is intended as “a radical questioning of the status and its institutional structures”. Dickens shows the workhouse was failed to attempt to solve the problem of poverty and unwanted children. It shows the current class system prevailing in 17 century England. The novel is an attack on the inhuman condition of subsistence in work house the idiocy of law and unsatisfactory medical facilities. The indifference of the Government and popular towards the welfare children especially orphans is optimised in Oliver 's suffering. Oliver is condemned by the ugliness of life from the moment he is born; social order is imprinted upon him and it his destiny is outlined.
The Novel also presents the cruelty and meanness of rich people authorities. This can be seen in the character of Miss Mann, Mr. Corney, Mr.Bumble and Mr and Mrs sowerberry. These characters treated Oliver very cruelly. Mr and Mrs Sowerberry ill treated Oliver so much that Oliver runs away from their house.
● Crime in society:
In this Novel also shows the crime in society. Dickens saw the pull of crime as a literary genre.Crime was the big problem in London in the 1830 century when Dickens was writing. So Novels and plays about crime were hugely popular Fagin, Bill Sikes, the Artful Dodger have become legends of crime society . But for Dickens it is not for enjoyment even it shows the dark humour in society. Fagin is one of the Dickens most memorable character and also he is controversial. Fagin Continue describe like vampire. It continually refres to Fagin as " The Jew" . It combined with Fagin 's greed and miserly behaviour. The unprotected, neglected, starved and beaten children were led to enter the world of crime. Fagin is the leader of a gang of young pickpockets who also deals in stolen goods. The young victims are The Dodger, Charle Bades, Tom Chitling and later Noah Claypole worked for him. All these boys are engaged in pick pocketing. Young boys of streets were trained by giving them tobacco and wine, and was making them think that the life of a criminal was something romantic. In the novel crime is shown to be ugly as well as miserable. Dickens has lighted up the dark places that his well-to-do readers did no exists or had not troubled to know. Social parasite like Fagin is the breader of the criminals he makes young thieves work for him and if they are caught, they suffer imprisonment and even death while he gets off scot-free. The description of the criminal activities of Fagin and his band is a realistic picture of the underworld of London of those days. crime’s seriousness and saw that thrilling, enticing. Literature was part of the same world as the misery of real.So it shows the crime in the society in that time.
● Situations of Women :
Society views Oliver with its money ethics as liability. He really doesn't portray as a soul of spirit. Social order is shown through the rough unimportance of Oliver 's concealed humanity. This novel represents a sophisticated treatment of the moral and social issues that dominate in the story. Nancy, a prostitute and embodies for Dickens all the degradation into which poverty can force otherwise good people. Rose, on the other hand, represents all the purity that comes from good breeding. Both women embody the feminine compassion that compels them to help Oliver. That feminine compassion, maternal and sisterly when directed toward Oliver, is also what binds Nancy to her vice-ridden lover Sikes.
Dickens depicts Nancy as a forced into prostitution by her poverty and her corrupt environment. She works against Bill and Fagin to reveal Oliver's parentage to Mr.Brownlow and save Oliver from a life of crime. She also directly intervenes on Oliver's behalf and to save him from a beating and to attempt to prevent his kidnapping. Nancy risks her life because she realizes that Oliver is better than the life he is leading, and she rescues him and returns to him his birthright life as a gentleman. Dickens knew of Victimisation of Victorian women and wanted to show Nancy 's sweet character was corrupted by this and that she didn't deserve her fate. Her love for Sikes and her compassion for Oliver together compel her to sacrifice her own life.
Even at the cost of her life Nancy feels change in her heart. She is loyal to her friends. She goes to save Oliver. The truth of life being represented successfully takes the harsh realities of victorian Age and employ it into Oliver Twist. Through his Satire and characterisation he treats negative image of cruel thing that happened to people in workhouse, orphans and children. It remembered as one of the best social satire in history.
● Poverty in society :
Dickens' view of poverty and the abuse of the poor can be seen in Oliver Twist The novel is about an orphan, brought up in a workhouse and poverty to demonstrate the hypocrisy of the upper class people. Oliver Twist shows Dickens' perspective of society in a realistic, original manner.Which hopes to change society's views by combining a combination of the actual social scene with the fiction. It designed to reveal the nature of such a society when exposed to a moral overview. Oliver is virtuous person and good Humanbeing but he can't deserve love and care from the people because he was poor boy. He was poor and orphan boy. Because of this poverty he suffers a lot during this novel.
● Conclusion :
So Oliver Twist is very clearly Criticise the way that English Society worked in Dickens time. In the whole Novel based on poor condition of children specially orphans children who get not much respect and care from society like Oliver. He suffered a lot throughout this Novel and the one reason was he his virtually. He never become bad person his virtually remains at the end of Novel. Because he is orphan boy English society abused him at every turn of his life.In Dickens’s time, England was rapidly becoming an industrial, urban society. Dickens’s works are overwhelmingly concerned with the social and psychological conditions that city life . Also in this novel shows crime , child labour, orphans condition , injustice and cruelty in the workhouse and society, conditions of women. Dickens criticise the English society and it's treatment of poor.
Work sited :
https://phdessay.com/charles-dickens-satire-of-victorian-culture-in-oliver-twist/
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