Oliver Twist Presentation

Oliver twist

Bertazzoni Federica

Index

1.

Plot

2.

Character

3.

Historical Background

4.

Author

5.

Main Themes

6.

Personal Opinions

PLOT

The novel follows the journey of a little boy, Oliver Twist. Oliver, an orphan since birth, spends much of his childhood at a orphanage with too many children and too little food. The orphanage is located outside London. One night, after being served his portion of porridge, Oliver asks for a second plate, and this is considered unacceptable, and Oliver is sent to work as an apprentice to Mr. Sowerberry. Eventually, after suffering repeated mistreatment, Oliver runs away and heads for London. He soon finds a boy named Artful Dodger, who tells him to stay at the house of an “old gentleman” (Fagin) with other boys. Oliver learns that these boys are trained pickpockets. On an outing, Oliver notices the boys take a handkerchief from Mr. Brownlow, an elderly man, which prompts Oliver to run away in fear and confusion. The elderly man mistakes Oliver’s behaviour for guilt and has him arrested. However, after learning more about Oliver, Mr. Brownlow realizes his mistake and offers to take care of him at his home.

PLOT

Oliver assumes that he is now rid of Fagin and the pickpockets, but his knowledge of their crimes causes them to seek Oliver out. Nancy, a prostitute and mistress of one of Fagin’s men, Bill Sikes, is sent to take Oliver from Mr. Brownlow back to Fagin. They do so successfully, and Oliver is sent on a burglary mission with another member of the group. On this errand, Oliver is shot in the arm and then is taken in by the family (the Maylies) that he attempted to rob. While he is there, Fagin and Monks plot to get him back. Rose Maylie, meets with Mr. Brownlow to talk with Nancy, who has slipped away from Sikes to explain the plans made by Monks and Fagin to get Oliver back. She describes Monks and tells them when he might most easily be apprehended. Unfortunately for Nancy, news of her betrayal reaches Sikes, he kills her. Sikes accidentally hangs himself soon after. The Maylies reunite Oliver with Mr. Brownlow, who forces Monks to explain himself. Oliver is then informed that Monks is his half-brother and that he is entitled to a large fortune. Oliver receives his share of the money, Fagin is hung, and the Maylies, Oliver, and Mr. Brownlow move to the countryside where they spend the rest of their days together.

Bill Sikes

Oliver Twist

He is part of Fagin's gang, he is the one who kidnaps Oliver and decides to hire him for the Maylie robbery

He is a little boy between the age of 9 and 12 years old. His main characteristic is his good heart, despite all the evil suffered by adults.

Fagin

Monks

Oliver's main antagonist. He drags the boy into the nastiest deeds like stealing and gets hanged by the law

Persecutes Oliver because he believes him responsible for his father's death and wants all the inheritance

Rose Maylie

Nancy

Kind lady who shows affection towards Oliver

A kind-hearted woman, she puts her life on the line to save Oliver.

Mr Sowerberry

Mrs Bedwin

He is an undertaker and coffin maker who owns and operates a small dark shop in a small town.

kind and helpful lady, who offers treatment to Oliver to help him recover.

Noah Claypole

Jack Dawkins

Sowerberry's worker, who makes fun of Oliver

The boy who introduces Oliver to Fagin. He does what he wants and he acts like an adult.

Mr Bumble

Mr Brownlow

Manages the workhouse. He is cruel and uses very rough ways with the kids who live with him.

Good figure, who believes in Oliver's good faith and who will eventually become his adoptive father.

HistoricalBackground

Oliver Twist is set in 19th century London, in the Victorian age. During this period London grew tremendously to become a global city of immense importance. It became the world's largest city from around 1825, the world's largest port, and the heart of international finance and trade. Railways connecting London to the rest of Britain, the London Underground, roads, a modern sewer system and many famous sites were built.

Author

Charles John Huffam Dickens (Portsmouth, 7 February 1812 – Higham, 9 June 1870) was a British writer, journalist and travel reporter of the Victorian age. Known as much for his humorous attempts (The Pickwick Papers) as for his social novels (Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Hard Times, Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol), he is considered one of the most important novelists of all time, as well as one of the most popular. He is considered by critics to be the "founder" of the social novel, which outlines the life of economically disadvantaged social classes and denounces situations of abuse and prejudice.

curiosity

Main Themes

Social Class

Thievary and Crime

Child exploitation in factories

One of the main themes in Oliver Twist is social class. Social class means the group that we are known as in society. Dickens uses the theme of social class in Oliver Twis to show the difference in lifestyle for those who are rich and for those who are poor

This is one of the key themes in Oliver Twist, where we can see the failure of the workhouse system that was unable to look after the poor and lonely orphans that were in their care.

Thievary is an important theme of Oliver Twist as it helps to explain what the poor people needed to do in society to be able to earn money.

Personal Opinions

I really liked this book because in addition to being a very engaging story, to the point that you almost feel like you are part of it, you fully understand the different themes that Charles Dickens wanted to describe, and this ensures that the story is truly in harmony with the era in which it is told, because it addresses real problems that were present in the Victorian era.

Sources

1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oliver-Twist-novel-by-Dickens 2. https://www.sololibri.net/Charles-Dickens-10-cose-che-forse-non-sai-sullo-scrittore.html 3. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens Book Black-Cat