Overview of Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist
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Charles Dickens classic novel, Oliver Twist, takes place in 18th century England during the early Victorian times. Oliver Twist, Dickens shows the system of Poor Law that was established in 1834. In England at the time the book was written, it was very hard to get by as a poor person. The government focused on ways to get the poor off the street, and rather you were young or old, they made you work. The working conditions were terrible and so were the living conditions. Oliver Twist tells of a boy who was brought up in this time that was made to work in the factories and make a living the best way he could. Charles Dickens did a very good job of displaying the time period through Oliver Twist.
Oliver Twist was first published in 1837. It was birthed as the result of the life of Charles Dickens, his time period, and his boyhood experiences. Dickens was born in February of 1812 in England. His parents were middle-class, but suffered financially. Dickens was forced to quick school and work in a blacking factory when he was only 12 because of his father, brother, and mother going to jail because of debt. A few weeks after he started working, his father, mother, and siblings were put into debtor’s prison. Dickens lived alone and worked in the factory for a few more months. He experienced orphan hood, and the terrible conditions of being an orphan and working in the factories haunted him. After inheriting some money, Dickens returned to school and his father was released from prison. Dickens became a journalist and grew disillusioned with law makers attempts to alleviate the social conditions of the Industrial Revolution. Dickens then started to publish not only articles, but he wrote his first books, including Oliver Twist. He used ...
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... Oliver Twist exposed the evil system of Poor Law that fostered the abuse and demise of many poor and innocent children. The novel vividly demonstrates the evils of the social conditions of the time period from which it was birthed. It is amazing how an author and his eye opening novel influenced change in a society for the betterment of others. Oliver Twist served its purpose accordingly.
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Dickens, Charles. Oliver Twist. Bentley's Miscellany, 1838. Print. http://web.a.ebscohost.com/hrc/ . January 18th 2014