The+Tales+of+Oliver+Twist+-+Social+Connections

Social Connections in //Oliver Twist// toc

=**Background ** = =**Social Class **=

 __The Lower__  __Class__ : The Victorian attitude towards the poor was one of shame. Welfare in Dickens's time was based on deterrence rather than support—many poor people ended up in workhouses. Parish workhouses, the last resort for the homeless poor, were made as miserable as possible to discourage reliance on public assistance. Upon entering, inmates were stripped, searched, washed, given shapeless striped clothing to wear and shorn of hair -- in short, they were treated like criminals. Husbands and wives were separated into men's and women's quarters to "avert breeding." Mothers were taken away fro m children to end "negative influences" on the young. Brothers and sisters were kept apart to avoid the "natural" inclination of the poor toward incest.

In the workhouses, meals were purposely inadequate, consisting mainly of single pints of gruel and a few ounces of bread and water. Rooms measuring 20 feet long accommodated upwards of 30 people. Most inmates shared a bed. Heating was overlooked; often a block of rooms shared but one fireplace. Work involved back-breaking labor such as stone-splitting, mill-driving (on tread mills), bone-crushing (for fertilizer) and heavy housework.

The workhouse was administered by unpaid bureaucrats, headed by the Beadle, an elected official. These civil servants treated workhouse residents with scorn and cruelty, reminding them with Biblical passages how lucky they were ("Blessed are the poor..."). The workhouse staff received a somewhat better class of lodging and food for their efforts.

__Middle Class__ : The Industrial Age and the financial opportunities surrounding it led to a rapidly growing middle class in early 19th-century Britain. The middle class, which included factory owners, managers and purveyors of new services, wanted its place in society and needed to legitimize labor. They put forth a new ideal of work as moral virtue: God loved those who helped themselves, while "burdens on the public" were sinful and weak. This attitude validated the middle class by giving it someone to look down upon. 

__Upper Class__ : Victorian society was greatly concerned with every aspect of daily life. The horror of social ostracism was paramount. It was important to know whom you could speak with - especially if you hadn't been properly introduced. Young women always were accompanied by a chaperone-- to be caught alone with a gentleman who was other than family was essentially social suicide by scandal. The established career for society women was marriage - they were expected to represent their husbands with grace and provide absolutely no scandal. Charity work would be accepted, but only if it was very gentile... sewing for the poor, or putting together food baskets. Members of Victorian society kept busy with parties, dances, visits, dressmakers, and tailors.

__Marriage__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">: <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">In contrast to today's society, marrying for love in Victorian England was not common in the middle and upper classes. Instead marriages were based on power, wealth, land, necessity, status, and convenience. Marriage was not so much between the individuals as between the families of the individuals. It was important to marry within the same class since social standing was just as important as wealth to many families. To marry outside of one's group would endanger the entire family's position in society. Often the married couple would grow to love each other, but it rarely started out that way in such. Another factor families considered was power. Political power and connections could assure a profitable marriage in the absence of great wealth.

=<span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;">Religion =

<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">The established church in England was referred to as the “Anglican Communion.” This Protestant church closely related to the current day Episcopal church was kept running by a small tax paid by property owners. Parliament had much influence over the church, having the final authority on all matters. Many of the English people attended church regularly, sometimes twice a day on Sundays. Church attendance in the country was higher than attendance in industrial cities. In addition, the Church of England discriminated heavily against other religions. Protestants of other denominations were considered dissenters and nonconformists. Since Catholicism garnered much suspicion amongst most English people, Roman Catholics were not only physically shunned, but also politically. Roman Catholics could not vote or be elected into Parliament until 1829. Similarly, Jews faced restrictions in professions, trade, and commerce. The Jewish population was extremely small, and Jews could not be active in Parliament or the army. In 1858, Jews overcame political barriers when Lionel de Rothschild became a member of Parliament without being a Christian. The Jewish population only began to grow significantly in the 1870s. . =<span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;">Gender = <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 121%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">A general struggle to shift gender roles existed in the Victorian Era. The idea remained that women were the weaker of the two sexes, living at the hands of supreme males. The patriarchal society penned Victorian women as delicate, while the men appeared hardworking, “gentlemanly,” and strong. These stereotypes emerged from the gender roles within the home and workplace. Victorian marriages were based on “dependence and subservience,” with women at the hands of men. A marriage was not a partnership because the husband dominated. Even a woman's own property fell to the ownership and control of her husband upon marriage. Many upper and middle class women never worked outside of the home, and home chores included domestic jobs and child care. Another duty included acting as a sick-nurse when required in the household. Hiring a nurse was synonymous with failure. Many women completed social work, distributing clothe, food, and medicine to the poor. Some women did assist their husbands in their small businesses. Only men were allowed occupations in the army, navy, construction, railways, the priesthood, and Parliament. Another example of the subservience of women includes the fact that women were not allowed to walk around unaccompanied by a man or servant. A girl walking the streets alone received insults from men, suggesting they were prostitutes <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">. In terms of prostitution, sexual taboos existed and prostitution was scorned, but at the same time, prostitution was prevalent amongst Victorian women. In the daytime, the Victorian era represented purity and sexual innocence, but at night, all morality was lost. Prostitution gave women an outlet to stand up for themselves and break some constraints of a male-dominated society. In addition, prostitution provided women with economic profit not found working in the household. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">.

=**<span style="color: #079d07; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14pt;">Novel **= =<span style="color: #079d07; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;">Social Class = <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 144%; text-align: center;"> __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 168%;">Accusation based on class and appearance <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14.4pt;"> __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">: After Jack Dawkins, also known as the Artful Dodger, befriends Oliver, he leads Oliver to the thieve's hidehout in London. Here, Oliver meets Fagin. After many days of learning from Fagin, Oliver “goes to work” with Charley Bates and Dodger. Bates and Dodger carefully pickpocket Mr. Brownlow and steal his handkerchief. However, Oliver, witnessing the event, runs away due to fear and disbelief. Mr. Brownlow automatically assumes that Oliver stole his handkerchief. After a long chase through the streets, a police officer snatches Oliver by the collar and brings him to the metropolitan police office, disregarding Oliver’s plea of innocence. Dickens describes the scene with the lines, "'Oh no, I won’t hurt him,' replied the officer, tearing his jacket half off his back, in proof thereof." Thus, Dickens shows his contempt for the police and authority as they automatically assume situations based on predetermined judgments. Dickens also adds that a police officer is “generally the last person to arrive in such cases.” Therefore, Dickens blatantly shows his disdain for how authority figures acted in his society. Further along, even after Mr. Brownlow retracts his accusation, the district magistrate, Mr. Fang, still assigns Oliver to hard labor. This situation demonstrates that the authorities automatically condemn individuals merely based on their appearance of lower class poverty. Even though Oliver was in fact innocent, he was still accused and punished for the crime due to his ragged and weary look.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 126%;">__Final outcomes of the characters__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 10.8pt;">: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> At the close of the novel, the moral characters end up in a much better place than the immoral characters. For instance, Mr. Brownlow, Dr. Losborne, Rose, Harry, and Oliver prosper at the end of the novel as they move to the countryside. In addition, Rose and Harry marry each other for love, thus showing that the power of love exceeds the power of money. Dickens describes their situation, “removing with him and the old housekeeper to within a mile of the parsonage-house, where his dear friends resided, he gratified the only remaining wish of Oliver’s warm and earnest heart, and thus linked together a little society, whose condition approached as nearly to one of perfect happiness as can ever be known in this changing <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">world.” In contrast, the immoral characters of the novel face grave ends. Sikes accidentally hangs himself after trying to escape from the mob that wants vengence for Nancy's murder. Sikes sees Nancy's eyes haunting him and accidently falls from the house with a noose around his neck. In addition, Fagin spends lonely nights in jail, before finally dying on the gallows. Monks, even though he explored the New World for some time, died in jail as well. Also, Mr. and Mrs. Bumble commit fraud by withholding information about Monks and Old Sally; therefore, Mr. Bumble is never allowed to hold office again. Dickens’ portrayal of these characters at the conclusion of the novel shows the author's praise of morality and condemnation of immorality. Dickens makes the statement that thievery and illegal activity deserve severe punishment, while moral decisions and innocence command due respect and positive consequences. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 126%;">__Living conditions based on class__ : <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The stark contrast in the living conditions between the classes is as clear as black and white. Oliver Twist and the other paupers are forced to live off of meager meals and forced to work endless hours in the unsanitary workhouses. The paupers are barely fed enough to survive. Oliver asks the workhouse master “Please Sir, I want some more,” because he and the other boys are slowly starving. In contrast to the starving paupers in teh poor houses, Mr. Brownlow, a member of high society, lives in luxury and is well fed. The wealthier classes have nice homes with proper heating and lighting, whereas the poor houses are cold, dark places where the rats congregate. The living conditions vary greatly from the rich to the poor.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 126%;">__Marriage expectations based on class__ : <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Harry Maylie and Rose Maylie flirt and show signs of attraction throughout the novel. Eventually, Harry professes his love to Rose Maylie, but she declines his marriage proposal. Rose shows concern for his political aspirations, because she could possibly hinder his achievements. The two lovers come from two different social classes, and their union would be frowned upon by society. Rose was born and raised under ill circumstances, which is looked down upon. Harry talks about his higher station, but shows that he does not care about their differences when he asks Rose, “If I had been less- less fortunate, the world would call it; if some obscure and peaceful life had been my destiny; if I had been poor, sick, helpless; would you have turned from me then? Or has my probable advancement to riches and honour, given this scruple birth?" There was to be no inter-class mingling nor marriage. Harry was expected to marry a woman of “higher standard” in order to advance in the political world. The thought of marrying for love was not expected, because he was supposed to marry to protect his wealth and status. Rose had more freedom to marry for love due to the fact that she was of a lower class and was not expected to marry for money or status. In the end Harry gives up his political aspirations in order to marry the love of his life, Rose. He explains to Rose that he was, “resolved that if my world could not be yours, then I would make yours mine…those who have shrunk from me because of this, have shrunk from you.” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Harry went against the social “parameters” that he was expected to follow based on tradition and extensive practice.

=<span style="color: #079d07; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;">Religion = <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">__Stereotypes based on religious beliefs:__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Fagin is the dirty thief who rules over the gang of juvenile delinquents who steal to make him money. He is always portrayed in a negative light based on his operations and morals. Throughout the novel Charles Dickens refers to Fagin as, “a very old shriveled Jew, whose villainous-looking and repulsive face was obscured by a quantity of matted red hair," <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> which gives a stereotypical image of a dirty, ragged Jew. In society Judaism is viewed as the dirty religion of the lower, less moral class that resorts to corruption and prostitution to make a living. The stereotypical language against the Jewish culture and religion is demonstrated through the characterization of Fagin or “the Jew .” =<span style="color: #079d07; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;">Gender =  <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">__Nancy’s activities:__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">While a member of Fagin's gang, Nancy also resorts to prostitution to earn money. When she was younger, Nancy pickpocketed for Fagin and as she grew up, she fell more into the prostitution scene. Dickens displays how society does not expect as much from women as they do from men, thus holding them to a lower standard. In addition, Dickens’ descriptions of Bet and Nancy show how society expects less of women. Dickens first describes the women as, “They wore a good deal of hair, not very neatly turned up behind, and were rather untidy about the shoes and stockings. They were not exactly pretty, perhaps; but they had a great deal of colour in their face, and looked quite stout and hearty.” This portrayal does not evoke an awestricken image of the women. Thus, Dickens' depiction of Nancy and description of her activities displays how women were not seen at the same standards as men. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">__Conditions of Nancy’s death__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">: After learning about Nancy meeting with strangers, Sikes returns home and kills Nancy. Sikes enters the house and the room very quietly, only using a single candle to light the way. After entering the room, Sikes grabs Nancy and covers her mouth to quell her fright, and them drags her to the middle of the room. Nancy begs for her <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">life before Sikes, pleading, “Bill, Bill, for dear God’s Sake, for your own, for mine, stop before you spill my blood! I have been true to you, upon my guilty soul I have!” However, despite her efforts, Sikes beats her to death with a pistol. Nancy dies soon after. As she lies on the floor, blood spills from her head. Through his portrayal of Nancy’s death, Dickens shows how women were viewed as the weaker sex in his society. Instead of standing up for herself and fighting against Sikes with confidence, Nancy desperately begs at his feet, giving Sikes respect even when he does not deserve it. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">__Men held to a higher standard than women__ : <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Mr. Edward Leeford is found to be Oliver and Monks’ father. Monks had been in search of his half-brother so that he could destroy him and receive the remainder of their father's inheritance. Once Oliver’s lineage was discovered, Oliver was able to receive the will. The reading of his father’s will brought with it conditions under which Oliver could receive his inheritance. It stated that if Mr. Leeford’s illegitimate child with Agnes Fleming was a girl, then she would inherit all of the estate unconditionally. The will stated that “If it were a girl, it was to inherit the money unconditionally; but if it was a boy, only on the stipulation that in his minority he should never have stained his name with any public act of dishonor, meanness, cowardice, or wrong.” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> This descrimination between male and female child puts extra importance on the possible male child. The male child is held to a higher standard than the female child which is given a “handicap” in order to survive. Women were seen as being weaker than men who were more capable of taking care of themselves.

=<span style="color: #bf08bf; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14pt;">**Opinion 1**: =

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The question of whether art influenced history, and vice versa, can easily apply to the Victorian period. In this era, artistic creations such as literature, music and fine art all influenced the events that soon become historic. Works by Charles Dickens, specifically //Oliver Twist//, comment on the social problems in England during the time, changing the way people around Dickens thought about society. The era previous to the Victorian, the Georgian era, contained authors such as Mary Shelley and Jane Austen, who wrote of the society of the time. The transition from the Georgian era into the Victorian era in arts also helped to change events in history. //Oliver Twist// by Charles Dickens is a novel that in the Victorian age would have been published by chapters in magazines or newspapers. Many of the people with access who were able to read the story were of the middle class, thus identifying with many of the characters in //Twist//. Throughout the novel, Oliver’s life is characterized by a series of unfortunate events, thanks to his birth into the poorest class in society. In 1841, Dickens publicly denounces the child labor laws and unhealthy factory conditions of the time. As an author publicly denouncing the society at the time, fans and readers may have followed suit and protested against the way the poor were treated. Mary Shelley, an author from the Georgian era, believed in Enlightenment meaning people could improve society through the responsible exercise of political power, without it turning into chaos. Her greatest work, //Frankenstein//, embodied this belief and once published, began changing the way women writers were looked upon. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Entering the Victorian age, women were still looked upon <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">as subservient to men. However, with the help of Shelley’s successes, the view started slowing changing to a more positive light. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Jane Austen on the other hand, wrote stories with biting remarks towards society and the need for women to marry rich. Works of Austen such as //Sense and Sensibility// and //Pride and Prejudice//, helped move the period from Enlightenment to realism, thus effecting historic events. Though it may seem as if history effects the way artists create fine arts such as literature, the opposite is true. Fine arts create history. The way artists think and express themselves in turn creates events to remain all throughout history.

=<span style="color: #bf08bf; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14pt;">Opinion 2: =

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">The greatest art does not arise from simple emotions or sentiments. Rather it comes from deep emotions and concerns felt by the artist; often such concerns deal with societal conditions of that time. Some of the greatest literary works of modern English exemplify this, including Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. Dickens’ monumental work regarding the poor working class of Victorian England illustrates satirical protest against the Poor Laws of that time. Outside of this time period, numerous other artists have shown additional motivation by current events. Brave New World, Aldus Huxley’s monumental work, paints a picture of an exaggerated, futuristic society inspired by the superficial, pleasure-seeking society of his time. George Orwell’s Animal Farm comments on the innate flaws present in communist U.S.S.R. Furthermore, the concept of racism inspired countless artistic protest novels, including To Kill a Mockingbird, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. These numerous works clearly indicate that current events provide abounding motivation for artistic work. Past events are always available for commentary, while change caused by social commentary is not always guaranteed. Brave New World and Animal Farm, for instance, brought about no major changes in society after their publications, and To Kill a Mockingbird did not immediately change America’s stance on racism. The impact of art on society pales in comparison to society’s impact on art.

=<span style="color: #de1212; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14pt;">Further Information: =

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] A great website for all things Victorian! By clicking on the squares on the main page, which represent topics such as religion, gender, literature, art, and many other things, you will find a wide variety of information for each topic. The site relates relevent topics to each other through further links, allowing a more complete grasp of the Victorian era as a whole.

[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">A link to an online copy of //Oliver Twist//. If you have not already read Charles Dickens’ classic, it is highly recommended! Google Books allows you to search the text for whatever word or phrase you like, and helps to find specific parts much quicker than looking through the whole book. You can read a general overview of the plot, and reviews by other readers. There are also links to Amazon and websites for several bookstores, where hard copies can be purchased.

[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shmoop is a resource site that gives detailed information on all parts of //Oliver Twist//. It goes over everything that a student would need to know. Under “Themes”, it covers everything from class and religion to fate and free will. There is a section for important quotes, as well as a concise plot summary. There’s even a section devoted to explaining the many literary devices present in the novel. If there is a question about the novel, this site likely has the answer!