Oliver Twist by Dickens

Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist is a brilliant critical study of a Victorian England by Charles Dickens. Dickens has presented the harsh reality of contemporary society that how there were schools of teaching how to theft?!!

This was the time when "Sun never sets on British Empire". They had established their colonies all over the world. They were considering themselves as superior race and highly civilized, developed society. But actually was it so???  Dickens raises this question. Britishers were thinking that it is "White men's Burden" to civilize the world.

But Dickens, being an Englishman breaks and challenges  the aura of this so called greatness.

See what is happening in London!!  it was a place full of criminals like Fagin. London is the capital of England. Metaphorically / symbolically capital represents entire Nation. It can be read as whatever was hapening in London that was also happening in entire country, or picture may be worse than this in other part of England.

"Please sir ! I want some more !!-Oliver's this line is ringing like bell in my mind. How pathetic it was that children were not given enough food to eat.it shows the failure of workhouses. I still visulise the scene when Oliver asks for more gruel, other's reaction were as if something rebelious thing he has done !!!

another scene is also interesting that all the Officers of workhouse had very large quantity of delicious food to eat. All were fat men with big bellies and chubby chicks and other orpahn children, complete opposite to them!!!!

Important characteristics of Dicken's writing is that even though he satirizes various institutions of society, SMILE NEVER LEAVES OUR LIPS WHILE READING.

But as a reader we have to keep in mind that writer's intention behind writing books like this is NOT to defame their country.Aravind Adiga- 2008 Man Booker Prize winner author for his debut novel The White Tiger, defensed himself by saying that writing of Balzac, Dickens and many other has Help THE NATTION TO GROW AS A BETTER SOCIETY. Dickens wants to remove evils from English society.