An Analysis of the Characteristics of Oliver Twist.doc

An Analysis of the Characteristics of Oliver Twist作者：佚名 最后更新：2011-5-27点击率：560四川外语学院外语专业毕业论文范本本科毕业论文中文题目： 雾都孤儿人物性格分析外文题目: An Analysis of the Characteristics of Oliver Twist系 别 专 业 年 级 2006级学生姓名 指导教师 结稿日期 2010年5月10日四川外语学院教务处制2010年 5月10 日填An Analysis of the Characteristics of Oliver TwistAbstractCharles Dickens is one of the most prominent realists in English literature. Oliver Twist is One of Dickens most enduringly popular stories. The novel describes the tragic life of the poor people and reveals the darkness of workhouse in England. Oliver is one of the most successful characters in the novel. He is pure, kind, brave, even in the dark hostile environment; he still remained the perfect character. This paper attempts to analysis Olivers character from the perspective of social background, childhood environment and other characters for example Nancy. Dickens has a contradictory opinion about human nature. That is some peoples nature is born with good virtue and will not change with the influence of environment such as Oliver while some peoples character is easily influenced by the environment, such as Nancy.This paper consists of five parts. The first part deals with the background information of the novel. The second part deals with the effect of the social environment in Oliver Twists time and compared the good virtue of Oliver Twist with the bad environment of society. The third part will have an analysis about the growth environment of Oliver Twist including family environment and education environment. In the fourth part, in order to have a deeper understanding about characters of Oliver Twist, the author will compare Nancys character with Oliver. Finally, there will be a conclusion about the thesis.Key words: purity; kindness; brave; social factors摘要查尔斯. 狄更斯是英国文学史上最著名的现实主义作家之一。雾都孤儿是他最具代表性的作品之一。这部小说描写了18世纪伦敦底层社会中贫苦儿童的的悲惨生活， 揭露了贫民救济所的黑暗。小说的主人公奥利弗是其塑造的最成功的人物之一，他单纯，善良，勇敢，即使在黑暗恶劣的环境中仍然保持着完美的品德。论文试图从社会背景，成长环境以及同小说中的另外一个人物南希的性格比较来分析小说主人公奥利弗的性格特点，并以此来说明狄更斯关于人性的矛盾的观点，即: 有些人的本性是天生的，不会因恶劣的环境而改变天性，例如主人公奥利弗。而有些人的本性是容易收到环境的影响的，例如南希。论文由五个部分组成。第一部分主要介绍狄更斯小说写作的社会背景。第二部分介绍了小说主人公奥利弗生活的恶劣的社会环境，以此来同奥利弗的美德形成了对比。第三部分通过对奥利弗幼时凄惨的家庭环境和教育环境的描写，更加凸显了他的善良，纯洁和勇敢。第四部分，为了使读者对奥利弗的性格特点有更深的了解，笔者将对奥利弗的性格特点与南希的性格特点进行比较研究。最后一部分是论文的结论部分。关键词：纯洁，善良，勇敢，社会因素An Analysis of the Characteristics of Oliver TwistOutlineThesis Statement: This paper intends to analyze the characteristics of Oliver Twist from the perspectives of social environment, growth and other sides.IntroductionI. Background information of Oliver Twists growthII. Characters of Oliver Twist and Social FactorsA. Oliver Twists Purity compared with the Darkness of Social EnvironmentC. Oliver Twists Kindness compared with the Evil of BourgeoisD. Oliver Twists Brave compared with the Cruelty of Reality of SocietyIII. Influence of Growth Environment on Oliver Twists CharacterA. Family Environment and Education Effect on Oliver Twists CharacterB. Representations of Oliver Twist Character in His Experience PartIV. Compare Nancys Character with Oliver TwistV. Associated with the Modern SocietyConclusions: The result from the research of analysis of Oliver Twists character and what can we get associated with the modern society.An Analysis of the Characteristics of Oliver TwistIntroductionOliver Twist is one of the most important characters in Dickens novels. It is also one of Dickens most enduringly popular stories is Oliver Twist, It is an early work published in 1837.Like many of Dickens later novels, the central theme of the novel is the hardship faced by the dispossessed and those of the outside of society. It is a novel reflecting the tragic fact of the life in Britain in 18th century. The author himself was born in a poor family wrote this novel in his twenties with a view to reveal the ugly masks of those cruel criminals and to expose the horror and violence hidden underneath the narrow and dirty streets in London. Oliver himself is born in a workhouse and treated cruelly there as was the norm at the time for pauper children. As the child hero of a melodramatic novel of social protest, the hero of the novel Oliver Twist is meant to appeal more to our sentiments than to our literary sensibilities. Charles Dickens protagonist in Oliver Twist is good from birth and who keeps that virtue despite a terrible social environment. Dickens attempts to modify the notion of inherited virtue by using the Romantic concept of a childs instinctive closeness to heaven and goodness.For we all know that Oliver Twist is not a believable character. Oliver Twist is raised in corrupt surroundings. His purity and virtue are absolute. Throughout the novel, the purpose of Dickens is to use Olivers character to challenge the Victorian idea that paupers and criminals are already evil at birth. Dickens is opposed the idea that evil is inborn in poor people. Oliver Twist has brought the publics attention to various contemporary social evils, including the workhouse, child labor and the recruitment of children as criminals. So the analysis of character of Oliver Twist is significant in literature and for the modern society.I. The background information of Oliver Twists growthIn order to have an analysis about Oliver Twist, it is necessary to have an introduction about Oliver Twists growth environment and experience. Oliver is a boy who is born in a workhouse. He has no idea of his parents identity. His mother Agnes died in childbirth. So he is a poor boy when he is a little boy. When worked in the workhouse, by a pure chance he is chosen as a scapegoat by the other starving boys to ask for an extra helping at a mealtime. So, he said “Please, sir, I want some more.” As a result, he is sold by the workhouse as an undertakers apprentice. The cruelty he suffers at the hands of an older apprentice causes him to run away. He finds his way to London. So we can see that when Oliver Twist is a young boy, he lived in a world filled with dirty and criminal. He was tortured by the terror and violence and also he have got some warm help from good people. Oliver Twists mother died when he was born. But even in this circumstance, he still survived. Struggling in painful life is the whole of his life. If he yields to the dark world, then, he is destined to be swallowed by the cruel reality. The story follows Oliver when he escapes the workhouse and runs away to London. Here he receives an education in villainy from the criminal gang of Fagin. Oliver is rescued by the intervention of a benefactor. But unluckily, then he was kidnapped by the villainy. After a lot of horrible experience, at last, he escaped and the story closes happily. We could see Oliver Twist lived in an evil environment when the day he was born. He has lived in such a bad environment and he gets a long with evil people almost everyday. But even in this situation, Oliver Twist still has a pure heart and has the courage to challenge the cruel reality. The purpose of this thesis is to prove Charles Dickens idea that some people are born with good virtue and they will not affected by the bad environment around them.II. Characters of Oliver Twist and Influencing FactorsA. Oliver Twists Purity compared with the Darkness of Social EnvironmentThe novel Oliver Twist takes London as background of the story. It takes an orphans experience as mainline and describes all forms of people and events in that time. The story truly reflected many sides of the London and the whole society of England. It has not only reflected an orphans pained and horrible experience, but also it has reflected the hard life of the lower class people of London. In the meanwhile, it described the upper classs rottenness and absurdity. When Dickens is writing the novel Oliver Twist, the whole England was in the first Industrial Revolution period. The Industrial Revolution was a time of dramatic change. Workers became more productive, and since more products were manufactured, prices of goods dropped. It makes more products available to the poor and the rich. Inventions and technological innovation have brought new forces to the national economy. England became a “world factory”. But under the mask of prosperity and wealth of the working class, lower class has experienced poverty and misfortune. In order to make a living, even women and little children should go to dangerous dirty factories to sell coolies. So in this situation, this novel is a reflection of the real life of England, especially the poor life of lower class.Even though under this darkness of social environment, Oliver is still endowed a pure heart and perfect virtue. However, the environment still influences him more or less in some degree. People in the workhouse him to make Oliver feel that he is lower than others. When Mr. Bumble said Oliver is one of “all the ungrateful lest, band worst-disposed boys as ever I see”, Oliver sobbed: “No, no, Sir; I will be good in deed; indeed, indeed I will.”So we can see from the word that Oliver admits that he is a bad boy because he is so pure and innocent that he did not know what is vice and what is goodness. As a little child, he is easily misled by the people around him. But when he comes to the countryside, he enters in to the world of goodness. When he comes to the countryside, he discovers a new world. Oliver Twists friend Maylies and Brownlow believe in forgiveness and kindness. Oliver receives good education and gets warmness from his friends. It proves that good environment plays a positive role to Olivers characters. Dickens holds the idea that peoples character is influenced by the surrounding environment. He also thinks peoples basic goodness could win the evil finally. So even in a dark social environment, Oliver could still keep his purity. It is the most distinguished character of Oliver Twist.B. Oliver Twists Kindness compared with the Evil of BourgeoisIn the workhouse, Oliver has undergone a lot of hardness. However, he still possesses the good virtue of kindness in his heart. The first Industrial Revolution in England has produced two important opposite classes. That is industry bourgeoisie and proletariat. Peoples life was generally improved, but it also has brought harmful results. For example, Pollution increased and working conditions were harmful. Capitalists employed women and little children to work long and hard hours. The Industrial Revolution was a time for change，for the better, or for the worse. Nobody will deny that Industrial Revolution was one of the most important events in history. A large number of bourgeois become rich, but at the same time, Proletariat suffered from cruel exploitation and become very poor. Oliver Twist was born in London. It is a typical city of England and it has all kinds of the representative characteristics of the whole society. When the upper class lived a luxury life, on the contrary, the lower class, for example, Oliver Twist, having no right and lived a hard and miserable life. London just like a mirror which could reflects a variety of contradictions and maladies in social life. Poorhouse is the background of the story and choosing poorhouse as the background of the story showed authors altitude and society sensibility.Oliver was born at the poorhouse. So Oliver Twist is destined to live a life of agony and misery. They live in dirty and chilly situation to endure the hunger and agony forever. The beadle of the poorhouse embezzles the funds that are used to support childrens living. Childrens destiny is entrusted to ruthless parasites, such as Mrs. Mann, and the town beadle Mr. Bumble. But both of them are so hypocritical; they are just concerned with their benefit and not concerned the life of children. The poorhouse is also the concentrating embody of the situation of the low class having no right and money. So Dickens has chosen the poorhouse as the background of novel. To Charles Dickens, the whole Bourgeoisie world is a big poorhouse . Oliver Twists kindness is a contrast with the evil of bourgeois. The purpose of bourgeoisC. Oliver Twists Brave compared with the Cruelty of Reality of SocietyOliver is brave boy in the novel. When someone insulted his mother, he could fight with them in order to protect his mothers reputation. Under terrible condition of life, he could also overcome the difficulties. Oliver Twist is a bitter criticism directed at the nineteenth-century English Poor Laws. The Poor Law of was passed in 1834. It is in accordance with which was established the new poorhouse, known as the workhouse. The Poor Law regulated that only the poor worked established workhouse, could they receive public aid. The indigent were no longer objects of charity, but were collected in the workhouse. These laws were a manifestation of the Victorian middle class emphasis on the virtues of hard work. The middle class promoted work as a moral virtue. But the result of that is to lead English society to subject the poor to hatred and cruelty. Workhouses were deliberately made to be as miserable as possible in order to prevent the poor from relying on public assistance. Under that circumstance, people hold the idea that paupers and criminals are already evil at birth. But we could conclude that the reason of Nancys corruption is environments impact. Nancy is a victim of the Law. People around her influence her deeply. “Oliver Twist” shows up the cruelty and meanness of such officials and authorities. They think that moral virtue lay in work. Only hard work could lead to success. It is considered hat poverty was the result of laziness, so poverty was a sign of moral degeneration. On the contrary, Dickens emphasizes the key role that environment plays in distinguishing vice from virtue. In short, Oliver and Nancys characters prove that basic goodness is incorruptible. No matter how terrible environment one lives in, ones virtue will defeats vice finally.D. The Values of the SocietyThe novel Oliver Twist is firstly published in 1837.In this period, the United Kingdom is facing rapid economic development and serious social problems. In the Industrial Revolution, all kinds of scientific and technological inventions and technological innovation have brought new forces to the national economy. England has become a “world factory”. So in this situation, money-worship has become the value of the society. People who worship money consider the money as the most important thing in life. They think that money is at the top of everything. All other values must be subordinated to the monetary value. Worship of money is a kind of ideological and moral supremacy on the concept of money. They hold the idea that money is not only universal, but also the standard measure of all acts. So in order to pursue more benefits, bourgeoisie start to have a cruel exploitation on the proletariat.In the ideological, the Victorian era has undergone great changes. Fast development of science and technology in various fields and many new discoveries has broken the peoples strong religious beliefs. Peoples religious buildings began to collapse. Besides that, Darwins “Origin of Species” and “human evolution” have shaken the theoretical basis of peoples traditional beliefs. These ideas have led to further brutal capitalist exploitation of working people, no longer have spiritual and moral concerns on them. Dickens and many writers sense of social responsibility are strongly refuted the practical worship of money, especially its moral and cultural denigration, and indifference to human emotions. Dickenss novel Oliver Twist is one of typical work of that time.During this period, Dickens, Thackeray and Bronte sisters are representative writer of that time. They take up the criticism of society and defend the interests of the peoples responsibility. Despite their creative point of view and style varied, but their common feature is concerned with the fate of the majority of peoples life for inhuman social institutions, the moral degeneration of society and the prevalence of money worship and large areas of poverty and injustice indignant. Their work is a true portrayal of peoples poor lives and social systems. They have a merciless criticism of awakening public awareness of social issues and social development and awareness.III. Influence of Growth Environment on Oliver Twists CharacterA. Family Environment and Education Effect on Oliver Twists CharacterWe all know that peoples character is closely related with the family environment and education effect. The hero of the novel Oliver Twist is born without parents. He has no father and his mother died in the childbirth. So for little Oliver Twist, he has no family from his birth. So it is to say Oliver Twist got no love from his parents. He is destined to live a poor and miserable life from his birth. For this reason, there is a deep feeling of inferiority in the character of Oliver Twist. Besides that, for Oliver Twist is orphan, nobody will support him to go to school to get knowledge. So he must go to the workhouse to do hard works in order to support him. Even in this situation, Oliver Twist could not flatter others. After Oliver Twist escaped from the workhouse and runs away to London, Here he receives an education in villainy from the criminal gang of Fagin. A major concern of the novel Oliver Twist is the question of whether a bad environment can irrevocably poison peoples character and soul. There are many characters that are all good and can barely comprehend evil, such as Oliver, Rose, and Brownlow. There are also some characters that are all evil and can barely comprehend goodness, for example, Fagin and Sikes. Although Oliver was born without pa