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

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 * The Tales of //Oliver Twist // - Political Connections **

//Oliver Twist// by Charles Dickens was first published in the literary magazine Bentley's Miscellany, and was fully published in 1838. The novel comments about the politics of the day in England and specifically satirizes the New Poor Law which made life harsh for many innocent young orphans. The satire includes a portrayal of the board which decides Oliver’s fate as unintelligent, as Dickens considers the law enforcement of the day inefficient and overly harsh. Politics are also shown to be dominated by characters of high statute or wealth that use their power to manipulate the system, such as Dr. Losborne who employs his influence to clear Oliver of criminal charges, and Mr. Brownlow, who uses his wealth and power to circumvent the political institutions and authorities to prosecute Monks himself. Through his novel, Dickens illustrates the corruptible nature of the politics of England and comments on its harmful effects on the poor.

//An Introduction //
//**to the Political Culture in the Time of Oliver Twist **//

Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens was a true champion for the poor, partly due to his childhood trauma. His father was imprisoned for debt and he was assigned to the blacking factory to help support his family. Throughout his novels, atrocities of the system were repeatedly pointed out utilizing mainly satire. Dicken's revolt in his literature was for the weak against the strong. Dickens saw that there was a tyranny of man over man and he fought it wherever he witnessed it. He wrote several books satirizing the political climate of his time, and he contributed to the newspaper, //True Sun//, as a parliamentary reporter which sold 30,000 copies a day. Dickens used his knowledge of the parliament to encourage reform such as the Reform Act of 1832.

New Poor Law
The New Poor Law was enacted as a new Victorian way to deal with the poor and indigent. Established in 1834, it enacted several new rules. Under the previous law, parishes took care of the poor independently, but after the enactment of the New Poor Law, parishes were required to work together to create regional workhouses where poor people could apply for aid. Sadly, the workhouses were nothing more than prisons for the poor, and in the workhouses many civil liberties were denied, families were separated, and human dignity was destroyed. For many of the poor, this law, which was enforced by the Metropolitan Police, was a last resort. The Metropolitan Police Force was created by Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel in 1829, and its headquarters was in what would become known as Scotland Yard. The ‘Peelers’ (later known as Bobbies) effectively replaced the old London watch system, which remained in effect since Elizabethan times.

Social Classes
Social classes in England were divided by power, authority, and wealth. Labels such as “working class” and “middle class” were coming into play in the early eighteenth century, around the time Dickens wrote //Oliver Twist//. Old aristocracy in addition to the new gentry whose wealth originated from commerce, industry, and skilled profession created the upper class. The elite established themselves in public schools and universities, allowing them to maintain control over the political system. They succeeded in excluding not only the lower class, but also the middle class in the political process.

Reform Act of 1832
The Reform Act of 1832 was a response to the widespread abuses of the Parliamentary system by the upper class. Before the Act, some members represented areas that no longer existed, seats were bought with money, and the populous were misrepresented. Lack of a secret ballot in voting allowed the elite class to dominate politics through blackmail. Before the Reform Act, the Tories held a parliamentary majority and were blamed for the majority of the corruption. The Act effectively dissolved the parliament and new elections were held in which the Whigs came to power. The reform led to more change and ushered in social reform by providing the right to vote to a middle class group.

//Treats of Information on the Novel //
//**Pertaining to the Previous Introduction **//

The Poor Law
In the first couple of chapters, Dickens comments on the New Poor Law of 1834 by focusing in particular on the conditions of the workhouses in Victorian England. Through the eyes of the main character Oliver, Dickens shows a place where the inmates live a “life [that] was monotonous” and full of “menial and degrading tasks to perform”. The inmates of the workhouse were forced to do these tasks on minimal food rations, which, according to Dickens, was typically “three issued meals of thin gruel a day, with an onion twice a week, and a half roll on Sundays.” As if that were not bad enough, the inmates were also beaten on a regular basis, such as when Oliver received “a tap on the head to wake him up, and another on the back to make him lively” from Mr. Bumble.

In addition to Oliver and the workhouse inmates coping with the meager portions, corruption also marked Victorian society in Oliver Twist. This was demonstrated mainly through Fagin's band of pickpockets and Monks, who, attempting to take the entire family inheritance from Oliver by destroying the proof of his connection to the family, buys his mother’s gold locket from Mrs. Bumble and then immediately throws it into the river.

People in Politics
Within the world of //Oliver Twist//, politics make up a large portion of the novel itself. Many characters within the novel exist to portray Dickens’ vision of a political society. Mr. Bumble holds political power to enforce the poor laws and to control the seemingly wild children. His dependence on the set of poor laws ensures his political survival within the novel. Dr. Losborne, a medical specialist within the novel, holds political power only because he appears to be an elite specialist. He keeps Harry Maylie afloat by using politics to his advantage (seen later in this discussion). Fagin, the Jewish burglar mastermind, appears in the novel as the antithesis of the political system while Mr. Sowerbury creates a vision that the political system holds the poor down while the middle and upper class benefit from the lenience showed toward them.

//Oliver Twist// comes complete with its own set of characters who in the real world, would be considered corrupted. The first of these characters is Mr. Bumble, the beadle who treats young Oliver with much disrespect. His involvement in the conspiracy against Oliver’s family shows just how little Bumble cares for anything but his own political gain. At the end of the novel, after his involvement in the plot worries him about whether his political standings will change or not he apologizes, “I hope that this unfortunate little circumstance will not deprive me of my parochial office.” He will simply suppress anyone for his own political gain.

Harry Maylie is yet another character within the Oliver Twist involved in corruption. Although not truly corrupt himself (his love of Rose overshadows his eagerness for political office) the circumstances surrounding him appear shady. Not only does his mother feel that marriage to Rose will bring his political status spiraling down, but so does Rose herself. As such, Harry resolves his combatting love for Rose and political potential by becoming a minister, so he ultimately both holds power as a member of the clergy and cannot be brought down by his wife's questionable birth.

Dr. Losborne and his involvement in this plot also shows a corrupt side. He displays his lenience within the law by convincing a policeman that Oliver cannot be implicated in the robbery with complete certainty. Losborne's power arises from his profession; because he is a medical specialist, he wields power over his constituents.

The Man in the White Waistcoat and the Board on which he sits exemplify the true corruption within society. Holding power similar to Mr. Bumble, the Man in the White Waistcoat and the Board define the law within the poor houses and decide what actions should be taken in the best interests of the children. Their dislike and distrust of Oliver (the Man in White claims that Oliver will ultimately be hung for insolence) bring them to decide on his sale for apprenticeship. On top of this, they reflect the oppressive government views of the time, as they dole out minimal amounts of food to the people in the poor house in order to keep them in line. The Board and the Man in the White Waistcoat symbolize the oppressive government which Dickens criticizes.

A Primary Perspective

 * Contains Particulars Concerning the Subject in Question in which Claims are made of Creations Influencing Events **

Art has served to inspire, unsettle, and simply influence man since the beginning of time. Expression through music and visual art by humans can be traced all the way back to the beginning. The influences of art undeniably change the world as witnessed through wars and cultural staying power. Oliver Twist, in itself proved a commentary on the political division and corruption of the early 19th century.

Perhaps the most famous piece of literature in the western hemisphere, the Bible still continues to influence millions of people. This work has incited much conflict in the past starting out with the Crusades. The Crusades’ reoccurring conflicts proved the stubbornness that came to be associated with white Anglo-Saxon men. Their views dogmatically asserted that the Christian way was the only way and that any other religion was inferior to Christianity. Likewise, with religious texts came the devotion of the readers to die for their religion.

Jewish people have experienced an inordinate amount of conflict due to their religion. All coming from their devotion to religion, their passionate religion ties to the First Testament of the Bible. Interestingly enough, however, an animosity has existed in some Christians toward those of Jewish faith. Concluding the First World War, Germany was left in shambles after they struggled to economically survive. Lacking a coherent solution to the mess, the Jewish people were blamed for the debts of the country. Religion now served as a method of separation: a scapegoat of dissonance. When millions of members of the Jewish tradition were executed during the Second World War, the modern day realities of discrimination disturbingly remained prevalent. The influence of religious texts also dictates the fate of other groups.

Muslims have devoted themselves to the writings of Muhammad. An important part of their activities includes a pilgrimage to Mecca. Often, the followers of Islam must husband their money for a lifetime in order to make this one trip to the “Holy City”. Thus, some spend their whole lives attempting to amass the necessary amount of money for this pilgrimage. The Koran, or Book of Islam, teaches tradition from generation to generation, and also serves to mold the lifestyles of its readers. Texts are not only influential in religion, as political documents allude to philosophical writings.

When the colonies were seeking freedom from Britain, a document was needed in order to declare autonomy and freedom. At this time John Locke had published writings that went against the king and proposed alternative forms of government. Thomas Jefferson used the ideas from John Locke to declare the “inalienable” rights of man. Moreover, when the Constitution was being drafted additional philosophers were sought. Our political system owes the ideas of separation of powers to Montesquieu, who developed the idea. This idea of balance of power in the American system is a key component to prevent corruption and dictatorship in the Government. Whether philosophical publishing, or works of fiction, writing has a significant influence on the political system.

Oliver twist was written about the early 19th century England and to detailed the failures of the New Poor Law, which further separated the classes of the upper and lower castes. Essentially, the lower class was neglected from the political system at this time period. The living conditions that the lower class citizens had to endure were revolting and unacceptable. To incite change in this unsafe, unrepresentative system, Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist to poke fun at those high in social standing who often turned their noses at the poor and to show the strong morality of those in the lower class. In this way, he separated the class barriers and implied that political reform was necessary. By writing works that went against the trend of the times, Dickens catalyzed change by directly writing against the current political system.

A Secondary Perspective

 * Involves a Varying Position on the Subject in Question and Relates that Creativity Arises from Events **

//Oliver Twist//, like so many other social commentaries, focuses on the flaws of the society about which it was written; in this case, the city is London circa 1836. While following Oliver around London’s underworld, readers come to understand the political corruption running rampant through the streets. Dickens's vivid depiction of England’s underbelly instills bite into his satire, but – as is the case with all other literary satires – his efforts failed to elicit change from the society about which the book was written.

Consider //Brave New World//, //Fahrenheit 451//, //1984//, and countless other social commentaries along with //Oliver Twist//. Each book derives from culture a terrifying prospect of futuristic life, and each book warns of the terrible manifestations of the worst aspects of society. Yet despite the wails of destitution that each book excretes, the lasting impacts on society – mostly chic allusions like “Big Brother” – fail to influence the development of our culture. That is driven much more directly, especially these days, by technology.

Some may say that the lasting influences of these books remain invisible because, as intended, society was made aware of its faults and evolved to avoid the doom predicted by insightful authors. But the evidence points the other way. Drug usage remains high – thanks for the warning, Aldous. Children learn in school to read fewer and fewer books (a commentary on the effectiveness of our school systems, with clever students remaining devoid of workload with adroit use of the internet), and instead spend more time mindlessly pursuing the pleasures of knocking off zombie heads in //Left 4 Dead// or toggling through weapons in //Halo// while simultaneously listening to an iPod and texting a friend. Thanks, Ray. Amazingly, these authors were right, and yet society inevitably crawls toward the deleterious hedonism forecasted by fear-mongering soothsayers long ago. //1984//’s reality comes especially close to our own, with technology advancing to the point where privacy ceases to exist and the media controlling the perceptions of millions of Americans. Yet still, //1984//’s most obvious claim to fame is “Big Brother,” which even our illiterate comrades understand but don’t heed.

While //Oliver Twist// can be traced to its root as a social commentary on the New Poor Law and the terrible treatment of the destitute in England, its lasting social influence is much harder to follow. Specifically, Dickens comments on the rampant political corruption in England and intertwined societal and political pressures of the times. He makes a fool of Mr. Bumble the Beadle to satirize corrupt, self-serving members of the governmental bureaucracy, by sentencing him to being the unhappy master of a poorhouse nostalgic about the hat he wore as a Beadle. More subtly, he also criticizes the pressures of the rigid class system on political figures, as Harry Maylie’s marriage of Rose is barred because her questionable birth would drop him several rungs on the caste system’s ladder and prevent him from joining Parliament. In response to //Oliver Twist//, England learned nothing from the ill treatment of its poor as conditions did not improve for years to come. England’s political system continued to evolve into the 20th century, when women were granted suffrage, until it reached a state comparable to its modern structure. Most importantly, no rallying cry was heard amongst the lower and middle classes of England upon //Oliver//’s publication. Instead, //Oliver// serves to teach us today about the conditions felt by the British at the time the book was written, just as //The Great Gatsby// reflects the uninhibited pursuit of the American Dream in the 1920s.

Who stands to blame for our failure to adapt and learn from the warnings of our forefathers? Is it our teachers, who have failed to instill in so many students a passion for literature, knowledge, and analysis which would bring students to value the lessons taught by books? Probably not, since many people, intellectuals included, just don’t find the study of literature appealing. But can we blame them for not teaching us these lessons themselves, making sure we got them while still impressionable? Again no, since the sheer volume of material has overwhelmed many a student and can’t be grasped until the young mind develops anyway. Instead, society itself is to blame. Society, and its self-perpetuating, overwhelming, fast-moving, can’t stop, blur of a mess with which every person competes to stay afloat. Competition drives the economy; competition drives politics; competition drives personal life. Meanwhile, stiffening competition zaps time and energy and leaves its victims devoid of any time for truly stimulating activity. Just ask the students.

Perhaps Dickens’ greatest commentary on the political and societal structures of 1830s England regarded the complacency of its citizens. Because the system worked, however dysfunctional it may have been, and some citizens benefited from it, they contributed to its perpetuation. To argue this point, Dickens inserts Mr. Sowerbury, the man who buys Oliver from his original poorhouse. Sowerbury, a coffin maker, belongs to the lower class, but his status above the destitute and his ability to benefit from the system – if only just enough – prevent his taking action to change the system. For this reason, Dickens explains, that although some beneficiaries of the educational system may learn from literature, those people are in fact too lazy or too satisfied to allow the literature to influence the life it criticizes.

So while these novels sit on shelves and warn of impending doom, only the educated elites know their messages and ponder them. But since the less-educated common man, who doesn’t benefit substantially from English class, drives society, we hurl unimpeded toward the waterfalls of destruction about which dead intellectuals warned their living counterparts and failed to teach to the general public, for use of wrong medium. Maybe something less esoteric, like music videos, would have worked better.

//Affording Further Information //
//**Regarding the Topics at Hand and Providing the Reader with Outlets for Further Curiosity **//

[] Victorian Web provides a cornucopia of information range from political history to religion during the period. By navigating through main page of the site to the section entitled Political History, one can enhance his knowledge of nearly any aspect of politics during the Victorian era. For example, if one was interested in women’s roles in legislation during the age of Victoria, he or she could click on any of the links under Women’s Suffrage and be exposed to a variety of information. Overall, this site provides copious information regarding politics in the Victorian era, presenting facts in reference to all aspects of government during that time.

[] Eh.net provides information regarding the poor laws throughout the course of English history. Beginning with the origins of the poor laws, the site relates how the Poor Law of 1834 was originally made to help the rising amount of people living in poverty, mostly in the urban centers of Britain. The law was amended to give the poor, who would otherwise be on the street begging, jobs. With the birth of the industrial revolution, more people were being drawn to the cities in search of work, which led to an increase in the “vagrant” population. The Poor Law evolved to meet the needs of the political leaders and eventually improved conditions for the workers. This article provides details about the political incentives behind creating such a law, and it discusses the very laws under which Oliver and his companions were work early in the novel.

[] This is an free e-text of //Oliver Twist //. To be more familiar with the information provided on this page, the novel itself can be accessed here.

[] This page on Oliver Twist provides a brief summary of the novel and short criticism of the New Poor Law in England. At the end of the page, multiple links are provided which navigating both within and outside of the site map. The site also included brief histories of each character in the novel along with links to an online version of the text provided by The Literature Network.

Further Evidence
Many of the most exciting musical compositions ever written came from the masterful artistry of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Immortalized by the roars of today’s symphony halls, Tchaikovsky’s pieces were undeniably written with intense emotion. However, a simple love of music could not hold sole responsibility for the strong apexes in his works. Tchaikovsky’s music embodies his life, and all the hardship, failure, and frustration that came with it. The source of the composer’s dishevelment can be traced back to a simple economic desire from his parents. The commonality of the importance of economic stability led Tchaikovsky to his self-destruction. While Oliver Twist provided a social commentary on the fallacies of the economic system, Tchaikovsky’s works possessed a personal cry of despondency that derived from monetary desires.
 * to the Debate Above, Which Does Not Directly Relate to the Topic at Hand**

Tchaikovsky commenced his musical studies at an early age. He learned very quickly and his indelible gift for music pleased his parents early on. However, because they could not see music as a stable future for their son, Tchaikovsky’s mother and father sent him to the Imperial School of Jurisprudence. Here the precocious child would become a civil servant. Soon after he entered the school, his mother suddenly died of Cholera. Now without a female figure in his life, the boy was left to interact with only males while growing-up. In addition, the Imperial School of Jurisprudence was subject to widespread homosexuality. At this crucial time in personal development, Tchaikovsky was abandoned in an atmosphere that denied him his potential development in music. Tchaikovsky continued his studies and toiled through his daily duties. He quickly realized that he could not live his life in this fashion, so he left the economic security his parents had ensured, and pursued music.

After being exposed to homosexuality for so long during his education, it is no surprise that Tchaikovsky became one himself. Despite his true preferences, the composer married Antonina Miliukova, thinking that marriage would bring personal stability. However, the marriage ended quickly and disastrously. In fact, Tchaikovsky even contemplated suicide after the disunion. He dedicated his Fourth Symphony to her, to show the importance he placed on the relationship. Symphony No. 4 is characterized by a theme of “fate” as described by Tchaikovsky which interrupts dream-like melodies with a harsh howl from the brass and a thunderous growl of the timpani. Tchaikovsky’s early experiences accumulated to form his own //fate//. The forced schooling of his early years not only failed to achieve the end result of steady income, but also deteriorated the soul of the composer. His works bleed of his turmoil, and will bleed for generations to come.

//Images of the Subject at Hand //
//**are Presented to the Reader **//







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