Society’s Attitude Towards Under Privileged Children in the Novel Olive

Society’s Attitude Towards Under Privileged Children in the Novel Oliver Twist ‘Oliver Twist’ is one of Charles Dickens most enduringly popular novels. Best known for his host of distinctively cruel, comic and repugnant characters, Charles Dickens remains the most widely read of the Victorian novelists. ‘Oliver Twist’, a meek, mild young boy, is born in the workhouse and spends his early years there until, finding the audacity to ask for more food, â€Å"Please, sir, I want some more.† he is made to leave. Oliver represents the underprivileged children in this novel. Dickens shows us society’s attitude towards Oliver and the under privileged children, they were abused, beaten and â€Å"brought up by hand.† ‘Oliver Twist’ is a criticism of the workhouses, the judicial system and the criminal world of London society of the time. Dickens use of satire and descriptive style conveys the pain of the unfortunate to the reader. His narrative skills are loaded with biting sarcasm and irony making the novel a chilling revelation of the life of the orphans. Dickens was a lifelong champion of the poor. He himself suffered the harsh abuse visited upon the poor by the English legal system, as he himself was an orphan. In England in the 1830s, the poor had no voice, political or economically. In Oliver Twist, he presents the everyday existence of the lowest characters of English society. He goes far beyond the experiences of the workhouse, extending his depiction of poverty to London’s squalid streets, dark alehouses, and thieves’ dens, he gives voice to those who had no voice, showing us a link between politics and literature with his language techniques and social commentary. The novel is that of a young individual boy but t... ...y to make us visualize the19th century London. Characters such as Mr.Brownlow, Nancy, Ms. Rose, all give comfort to Oliver’s life but filthy characters such Fagin and Sikes never allow Oliver to be in peace. Dickens shows us how society can change the life of a person. The different classes of society all have good and bad. But in the end we know that good prevails over evil. The novel has made me realize that I can survive under any circumstances if I keep hope and keep praying like Oliver did, have more faith. The novel also inspires me as good prevails over evil and always will. The novel is also an eye opener for me as it teaches me to appreciate the comforts of my life as I have a home to live in, love from my parents, food to eat everyday and it teaches me to be more understanding and gentle towards younger people who are less fortunate than me.