By Anamika Satheesh
June 09, 2021
I chose to study English Literature as I was a huge fan of classics. Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist has certainly been one of the reasons why I fell in love with them. As a tribute to one of my favorite classics, I'd like to analyze how it is not just the tragic tale of an orphaned boy, but rather a reflection of the society he was part of.
The Victorian Era, which contained literature written during the reign of Queen Victoria, was a moralistic era that emphasized stringent cultural norms owing to the rapid Industrial Revolution. The literature that evolved in this era was intellectually developed, influenced by international history and culture, juggled between idealism and realism, and interpreted the lifestyle of people. With the emergence of the middle class and the advancement of the printing press, there was greater demand for lucid novels that could connect with the people. The uncanny realism depicted serves as a time machine that shows us the society then.
This period cherished political peace and security, which subsequently led to factories and industries. While this showed society's technological and materialistic advancement, it failed to establish an egalitarian society. The rich continued to grow affluently while the poor were flayed by struggles, labour, and exploitation, leading to social unrest. Consequently, poverty coerced children to give up their childhood and work for their survival - sometimes even indulge in felonies to feed their families. Charles Dickens' novels delineated these details on the need for educational and social reform by narrating sensational tales usually through the eyes of innocent children battling the evils of society. Published serially from 1837 through 1839 in Bentley's Miscellany, Oliver Twist shows Dickens' advocacy of child's rights, exposes the poverty in the great city of London, and echoes his disagreement towards the New Poor Law of 1834 that implicitly punished the poor instead of helping them.
Further, Dickens penned his own experiences as a child who began to work at a young age, and therefore portrayed how industrialization has hampered humanity. With low funds, the
workhouses built under the New Poor Law failed to enrich the lifestyles of the poor. People were forced to work for an unreasonable amount of hours in ruthless conditions. As seen by Mr. Bumble's demeanour towards the kids, the rich deemed the poor too indolent and condemned them as criminals. Cheap labour and atrocious tasks without basic essentials replaced innocence and education in children's lives. Due to the lack of education and increasing economic stress as well as greater demand for labour, these children were treated like slaves, and they were abused even in workhouses. Growth in population also compelled children to work to provide for their families. Prostitution increased and the same was shamed. This pathetic plight of children has also been described vividly in the novel.
Crime is an inevitable consequence of poverty. It often became hard to deal with the harsh treatment at workhouses and considering how less they were paid, sometimes people are forced into criminal activities to survive. Innocent children were exploited and manipulated to engage in felonies right from their birth, and having seen no other path in their lives, they continue along the same. While morality and ethics gained importance in the upper class, the same deteriorated in the lives of the poor. Oliver was also caught by a group of criminals and forced to do their bidding, and while he eventually managed to escape that life, a lot of the people in the Victorian era did not meet the same fortune. Oliver was suspected as a thief and this highlights how the affluent viewed those of a class lower than them. Throughout the novel, it was subtly hinted that most people seemed to care for their own individual selfishness, criticizing individualism for dehumanizing others.
The plight of women were also portrayed in the novel. Women were not given education or considered to be worthy of the same status as men. Agnes Fleming, Oliver's mother, died at childbirth and even though she was dead, Noah insults her to mock Oliver at Mr. Sowberry. The submissiveness of women is seen in Nancy's demeanor around Bill Sikes and the others. Nancy, who was hinted at a prostitute, was frowned upon by the general public and deprived of her freedom by Sikes. She was ultimately murdered by the same for trying to do the right thing, which shows how men controlled their lives.
In addition to this, morality has also been emphasized. Excluding Nancy, all characters are either black or white. The whole story revolves around good versus evil. Oliver, for instance, is the epitome of goodness, while Fagin is the physical embodiment of evil. This reflects the Victorians' desired attributes in one's personality. Ethics and moral values played a major role in their lives, and they wished to present themselves as infallible beings. Since good triumphs over evil in the story, it shows how the Victorians laid focus on positive strengths and how they are to empower and suppress their weaknesses.
In the novel, Dickens explored human relationships and prevalent social issues that plagued Victorian society through the eyes of Oliver. He offered his own social commentary through various characters and allowed how characters to paint reality with impunity. Thus, Oliver Twist reflects the Victorian spirit.
Anamika Satheesh
Anamika is an idiosyncratic, melancholic soul from Bangalore working towards her Bachelor’s in Journalism, English Literature, and Psychology. During her spare time, she reads, writes, listens to music, obsesses over crime, feeds her addiction for tea, fantasizes about walking down the streets of London, binge watches series, and overthinks like it’s her day job. She wishes to acquire more random knowledge in various domains and ultimately aspires to become an investigative journalist.