Oliver Twist.doc

Oliver TwistBy Charles Dickens Many people simply regard Oliver Twist as an orphans story, but in my opinion, this book is an illustration of the society at that time. To truly grasp the impact of the novel, you must first consider the background. Dickens perfectly reflected the miserable life of London slums the very time and made a protest directed at the 19th English Poor Laws. Meantime Dickens gave the people in the work vivid characters. He had thrown his whole heart and soul into Oliver. That is why I think Oliver Twist succeeds in conquering millions of readers by its specialty. Oliver Twist is one of Charles Dickens masterpieces, which has taken up an important role in literature. Oliver Twist also marks the very beginning of Dickens literary life. It brings Dickens success with a wider public. Mans inhumanity to man was not a new theme in literature. Nevertheless, the reason Oliver Twist gets a hard sell is that Dickens focused compassion and narrative interest on a child. Its unprecedented in 1837 that make a child the center of a novel, as distinct from a tale of child. Charles Dickens (1812-1870), one of the greatest authors in Britain, whose father was a navy staff. His father was addicted to drink and squandered money unlimited. As a result, he was put into prison because of in debt. Thus, Dickens had to drop out to work in a factory when he was 12years old. From then on, Dickens knew well about the life and difficulties of the working class especially became sympathetic towards the unfortunate children. As he was 16, he had a position as a copyist in a law office, working in the streets and alleyways of London and learning the society widely. Afterwards, he started to write novels in order to expose all kinds of social evils. His main works are: Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Hard Times, a Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations and so on. They, proceeding from the humanitarianism, attacked the ugly reality of the capitalist society sharply and argued in favor of transforming the society through a reform. His works are the important representative of English critical realism literature and have a far-reaching fluency to the world literature. And Dickens was the founder of English critical realism literature. “Oliver cried lustily. If he could have known that he was an orphan, left to the tender mercies of churchwardens and oversees, perhaps he would have cried the louder.” (Page3, Oliver Twist, published by Oxford University Press) The sentence used the rhetoric of irony, profoundly showed up the social background of the day. The other place:” Thus, to do a great right, you may do a little wrong; and you may take any means which the end to be attained will justify; the amount of the right, or the amount of the wrong, or indeed the distinction between the two, being left entirely to the philosopher concerned: to be settled and determined by his clear, comprehensive, and impartial view of his own particular case.”(Chapter12, page73, Oliver Twist, published by Oxford University Press) This sentence was also ironically. Dickens made the best use of the regular text and got his thought across through the regular text. Hence can be seen Dickens talent. Let us see here: Oliver stood up and advanced to the master, with his basin and spoon in hand, said:” Please, sir I want some more.” “Please, sir, I want some more.” Oliver answered again. These words were showed Olivers brave of being a hero. Whats more, the following is also an example for backing this point. When Noah said Olivers mother was a regular right-down bad un in a jeering tone of affected pity again and again, which made Oliver angry on-air. Surely, Oliver collected his whole force to beat Noah up. The cruel insult to his dead mother had set Olivers flood on fire, since then, Oliver continued refractory. Olivers love to his mother is obviously. And here, the key is his courage-as a hero, plucking up the spirit. The other place that represents Olivers heroic action is the flight to London. No doubt that Mr. Sikes dog is a role absolutely necessary, I believe. He could understand whether the thing is right or wrong. “Dogs are not generally apt to revenge injures inflicted upon them by their masters; but Mr. Sikes dog, having faults of temper in common with his owner: and laboring, perhaps, at this moment, under a powerful sense of injury: made no more ado but at once fixed his teeth in one of the half-boots.”(Chapter15, showing how very fond of Oliver, the merry old Jew and Miss Nancy were. -Oliver Twist, published by Oxford University Press.) These sentences were the best evidence to support the conclusion. In the novel, I regard the dog as Olivers shadow. Oliver and the dog are the same weak, the same courageous and the same kindness in heart. Sikes dog is a hint foreshadowing in the story. Dickens gave some description to him so that we readers could pay attention to the relationship between him and Oliver. “Oh, dont tell me you are going to send me away, sir, pray!” exclaimed Oliver, alarmed at the serious tone of the old gentlemans commencement; dont turn me out of doors to wander in the streets again. Let me stay here, and be a servant. Dont send me back to the wretched place I came from. Have mercy upon a poor boy, sir!(Page84, Chapter16, Oliver Twist, published by Oxford University Press), which showed that Olivers long for love and a home. However, Oliver was only one sample. There were an awful lot of people whose situation was similar with Oliver. Dickens took this chance to express the desire of the unlucky and humble who hungry for a happy life, meanwhile the desire reflected the cruel and inequality of the society at that time. Of course, this is why Dickens criticized for confusing conditions under the old and the new Poor Law. In addition, Dickens put Mr. Brown low-the old gentle man in the position of the good person in the society and devoted himself to the friendly Mr. Brown low so as to give the people in extremely misery some hope.Oliver Twist shows us the main three features of Charles Dickens works.To start with, personalized language is an excellent method in Dickens characterization. The thief, hooliganism, harlot in the book all had their own language that matched with their identities. “The use of thieves cant is Dickens chief method of giving realism to the speech of the low characters; it helps to mask his somewhat implausible avoidance of blasphemies and obscenities. Dickens uses it in a much more natural and unforced way than his predecessors. Instead of having footnotes, he often contrives his dialogue so that the terms are explained to the innocent Oliver, or can be inferred from the context. Theyre most frequent in the speech of the Dodger, Bill Sikes, Toby Cricket, Charley Bates and Fagin; the comparative purity of Nancys speech is noteworthy, and one or two of her low expressions were removed in revision.”(Page354, Oliver Twist, published by Oxford University Press.)Secondly, Dickens departed from convention, arranging the coincidence whenever he needed. This is different from the previous outstanding realism novels whose story line was often the characters development. The first time Oliver went into the street with the thief, the first person being stolen happened to be Mr. Brownlow-the good friend of his dead fathers. For the second time, when Oliver burglarized under the hijack of Sikes, the being stolen one happened to be his aunt Lucys. It stands to the reason that these are impossible. But Dickens had the ability to make the specific details description full of vitality and passion, which make us nervous when reading and have to believe the originally far-fetched and unnatural plot. This is the charm of Dickens art world.The third feature is Dickens sympathetic imagination while writing, even for the heinous character. Such as the Fagins on trial, Dickens began from the perspective of Fagins psychology:” As his eyes wandered to the gallery, he could see the people rising above each other to see his face: some hastily applying their glasses to their eyes; and others whispering their neighbors with looks expressive of abhorrenceBut in no one face-not even among the women, of whom there were many there-could he read the faintest sympathy with himself, or any feeling but one of all-absorbing interest that he should be condemned.”(Page339, Oliver Twist, published by Oxford University Press) Here, Dickens not only described the objective things, but cut the inner world of the figures through selecting a series of details carefully. What an extremely rich imagination Dickens has!Except for Oliver Twist, the character I like best is Nancy-a miserable girl, sinking to the house of thieves and falling in love with Sikes. Her inner world is rich and complex, having life breathe. She couldnt see her future other than gallows, but she regarded Oliver Twist as her brother, risking her life to rescue him. Therefore, Sikes killed her. She is a heroin to a certain extent. Charles Dickens has an allusion when created the name Nancy and Sikes, which is a watching focus. The abbreviation of Nancy and Sikes are N and S, exactly are the two magnetic poles. They made up a pair of contradictory, opposite and unified, never be apart. Nancy couldnt depart from Sikes, preferring to be killed by him than to abandon him; Sikes also couldnt depart from Nancy, would be out of senses once lost her, died of hanging when falling down the house finally. One good turn deserves another, Mr. Brownlow, Oliver Twist, Mrs. May lie and Rose all had a good result. But the end of the wicked shall reap, Sikes was killed by himself; Fagin was sentenced to hanging; Mr. and Mrs. Bumble, deprived of their situation, were gradually reduced to great indigence and misery, and finally became paupers in that very same workhouse in which they had once lorded it over others; Monks inferiority but do not change, squandered the family property and continue to do evils, was eventually arrested, died in prison. My favorite words in this book are the end:” I believe that the shade of Agnes sometimes hovers round that solemn nook. I believe it none the less, because that nook is in a Church, and she was weak and erring.” These words seem that contradictory, whereas, are unified. They show us the bright in the dark, on the other hand, remind us to notice the darkness in the bright. I have to admit the proper of Dickens words that according with George Gissings eval