Charles Dickens making up historical events?

It appears that Charles Dickens has noted that there was a measles epidemic in England at the time the story took place which was around 1837.  However, after some research I found that there was actually no measles epidemic at this time. But there was indeed a cholera epidemic near this time period which is an infection in the small intestine which causes really large amounts of watery diarrhea. Could it be perhaps Charles Dickens made up the measles epidemic in order for it to better fit the story, or did Dickens mistakenly believed that there was a measles epidemic instead of a cholera one? One of the major reasons for Dickens's writings was to criticize or notice upon the society in his time period. However, does he have to make up cause and effect events in order to better criticize his time period's society and government? This takes away the credibility of criticism against social problems and if these problems indeed existed. What else has Charles Dickens perhaps lied to us about.

Fagin is no different

Fagin is actually no different from the other adults in the story. Even though Fagin isn't a wealthy snob like the other adults shown in the story, he is just as abusive towards children for his personal gain as the rest are. It may seem like Fagin is more supportive to the children than the other adults, acting somewhat like a parent. However, this is all so that the children will do the dirty work for him, and if they fail he will discipline them with violence. He actually probably doesn't care if the children get caught or not, as long as he doesn't get the blame for it. The pickpocket boys are also no different than Noah Claypole. They are underlings of Fagin just as Noah is subservient to Mr. Sowerberry. In the end, the Artful Dodger and Charley Bates both cause Oliver to take the blame just like Noah did. So once again Oliver's life takes a turn for the worse thanks to the affects of trusting adult strangers such as Fagin. In the end, we can see that there are deceitful and cruel adult supervisors who use children for their own personal benefits in both the wealthy and poor classes of society. This thus shows that no matter what their background is, you shouldn't trust people you don't know.

I hate Noah Claypole

I HATE NOAH CLAYPOLE! Noah has just provoked Oliver by making fun of his deceased mother because Oliver was improving well in his work with Mr. Sowerberry. The moment when Oliver's life starts getting better, Noah has to do something to make it worse. Why make fun of a person you hardly know about and his dead mother just out of jealousy. Frankly, I would've hit Noah as well, but in the end it just made things worse. Charlotte, Noah, and Mrs. Sowerberry went and triple teamed against Oliver without even knowing the background of the problem. This really enrages me that a person like Noah can't even handle his own problems and has to get bigger people to help him take out a nine year old starving boy. Nobody even hears Oliver's side of the story as they lock him in the cellar and refuse to give him more food believing that the meat is whats giving him the energy to act violent. But i guess this is just another lesson that you shouldn't take revenge on people because it wouldn't solve the problem but just start a cycle of hatred for other people. And now Oliver has left a home in which he could have had a successful life. By the way, it is quite ironic that Charles Dickens would use the names Oliver Twist and Noah Claypole as characters because in past history in England there was a rule named Oliver Cromwell who had an officer named Claypole helped Oliver in his reign of terror. However, unlike Oliver Twist and Noah Claypole, Oliver Cromwell and Claypole had a good relationship and even had Claypole marry Cromwell's daughter.

18th century relation with Oliver Twist

It appears that despite being sent away from the workhouse, Oliver's life has yet to turn for the better. He is instead sent to Mr. Sowerberry's house. Even there he is treated worse than the pet dog with very minimal servings of food. Apparently, this is quite normal around this time during the early 1800's because there was a huge sudden emergence of people especially towards major towns and cities. This was for reason due to the growth of the Industrial Revolution in which many factories and industries began to grow in populated areas. However with this growth of companies comes the beginnings of poor labor conditions. In this time came the distinguishing of classes of class struggles. The poor were often faced with hard labor and working conditions with minimal pay and food, usually consisting of merely bread. This appears to be the case for Oliver Twist. The wealthy are usually concerned with running businesses and trades with the help from hired servants and apprentices such as the Sowerberry family. The book also talks about the differences between funerals of a wealthy person and a poor person. It makes sense that a poor person who has nothing but his family would be very emotional when one of them dies. Whereas a wealthy individual has been provided with luxury goods, education, and wealth so when losing a family member they would usually feel more calm, especially when it involves receiving inheritance. In the end, I think I would rather be a grateful poor person than a spoiled rich brat.

The generic bad adult - Mr. Bumble

Mr. Bumble reminds me of the generic evil adult who makes children suffer in order to gain something for his own selfish benefit. This kind of character appears actually quite often in stories, especially those directed towards children such as the evil stepmother in Cinderella, the evil aunts in James and the Giant Peach, and White Witch from Narnia. These books gave children readers the idea of evil adults who try to make children's lives miserable. Many children then begin to compare adults in their own lives to those evil ones in these stories. Even myself once thought my 3rd grade teacher was somehow an evil witch in disguise out to make my life unbearable. However, looking back I can see that I was completely wrong. Many children think many adults as the antagonists of their lives but most of the the times we are just too ignorant and ungrateful to understand that most adults are here to help us and we should appreciate their presence. But there is a possibility that there is indeed an adult out there who is just like Mr. Bumble, perhaps Mr.Bumble was a character who resembled someone in Charles Dickens own life. Maybe there was indeed a greedy over-powered adult who didn't give a care about children and that Mr. Bumble was a way to show readers of these people's existence. Nonetheless, Mr.Bumble is definitely a sinister character who thinks only of himself. Also, a question I had while reading is how does the government and authorities not realize the sudden deaths and malnutrition of the children in the workplace? Do they just don't know about it or do they don't care?

Oliver's Birth

The birth of Oliver Twist is definitely a peculiar one, being born with no one near him besides him mom, a parish surgeon, and a drunken nurse. It reveals that Oliver was born a bastard because of the absence of the ring on her finger, but then that makes me question "What happened to the father?" Also, why would there be a drunken nurse and parish surgeon attending the birth of Oliver? A drunken nurse and a parish surgeon (similar to a christian doctor) don't really seem like a good match especially when handling something as important as the birth of a premature baby. There is also question as to why Oliver's mother was found lying on the street the night before. Despite all of these problems, it is still amazing how Oliver Twist was still able to be born. Even though he was a premature baby in the womb of a woman left on the street with no support from the father and was given medical treatment from an amateur doctor and drunken nurse, he was still able to be born as a normal boy. This could perhaps be even a miracle just like Reuben's birth in Peace like a River. However unlike Reuben, Oliver was born alone with nothing...so sad :,(.

Cruikshank illustrations

Apparently, many editions of the book have illustrations of it. They are done by a man with the last name of Cruikshank. I think that they are very interesting. I also think that they may have helped me understand the last twenty chapters a little more. After all, who doesn't love a picture book? I attached some pictures of the illustrations on here, but there is many more! Check them out, just by googling "illustrations cruikshank".

Errors in the Novel?

I noticed a few errors in Mr. Bumble's speech, and I was wondering if you all think it is purposeful on Charles Dickens part. It is in the scene where Mr. Bumble is complaining to Mrs. Mann in chapter seventeen. He says "A porochial (he means "parochial,") life ....... is a life of worry, and vexation, and hardihood; but all public characters, as I may say, must suffer prosecution" (he meant persecution). I only noticed the first one because I did not know the definition of 'porochial', so I looked it up. I found the definition of "parochial", which is to mean working for the parish. I just thought this is interesting, and wonder if Charles Dickens is showing that even the higher class are slightly uneducated?

Important Quote

"... Overpowered by the conviction of the bystanders that he was really the hardened little wretch he was described to be, what could one poor child do?" (Chapter 15)
This quote stuck out to me a great deal. It is incredibly interesting to me that a boy can go from innocent to a criminal, simply because this is how they are treated. It makes me consider if a basically good person can become a bad one because of others opinions of them. What does everyone else think of this?

Thankful for Nice People

If this book has taught me anything, it is that people can be truly cruel and selfish. This applies not only to then, but to now as well. However, the contrast of the terrible people such as Noah and Mrs. Mann, and the kind people, like Mr. Brownlow, makes the good look all the better. Mr. Brownlow and his housekeeper, Mrs. Bedkin, are amazing to Oliver. They nurse him back to health, and it is so sweet that he tears up when Oliver is doing well, and pretends it is because it is cold. I thought I would share what I was picturing Mr. Brownow looking like the whole time.. not really sure why George Clooney came to mind!

Handkerchief

As I read chapter eleven, I feel I have to point out the handkerchief's so far! There has been so many references to these as a symbol of wealth, beginning in the start of the novel when Oliver would have hung himself in the stall, had he had a handkerchief to do so. It also states that of course he does not have one, as they are very expensive. In chapter ten and eleven, Dodger and the other boys steal these, as they are easy to steal and make lots of money. The old man who had his stolen from him realizes it is gone quite quickly. I feel as if these handkerchiefs are akin to something like our phones now. Attached to us, and normally very valuable. Just thought I should point out how much Dickens is emphasizing these!

Olivers Innocence

Im chapter nine,  I think a few things are very well done by Charles Dickens. First, I think the name Charley calls Oliver is cool. He calls him "green", which in the context I believe is referring to his innocence.  Also, it is really cute when Oliver thinks they are playing a game by stealing Fagin's wallet. Its clear Oliver has managed to not lose his innocence while growing up in such terrible times,  which I feel is very admirable.

Important Paragraph

       After reading chapter eight, I went through to find a paragraph which is important. Heres one, paragraph 9. 
       The sun was rising in all his splendid beauty, but the light only seemed to show the boy his own lonesomeness and desolation as he sat with bleeding feet and covered with dust upon a cold door-step.
        This passage leads the reader to contemplate a life which is so lonely, each day serves to illuminate the hopelessness of your situation. This is also still applicable to many hpmeless children in that time period, not only Oliver. I would also like to point out that this passage would be much less effective if it did not have the imagery. Charles Dickens is an amazing author! 

Dickens does a great job with descriptions throughout the novel, but I feel like chapter 6 has some really amazing imagery.
"A minute ago, the boy [Oliver] had looked the quiet, mild, dejected creature that harsh treatment had made him. But his spirit was roused at last; the cruel insult to his dead mother had set his blood on fire. His breast heaved; his attitude erect; his eye bright and vivid; his whole person changed, as he stood glaring over the cowardly tormentor who now lay crouching at his feet; and defied him with an energy he had never known before" (page 41-42). This paragraph creates a really strong mental image for the reader, it also contrasts Oliver's usually composure to his anger. The effect is much stronger than if Dickens had said,"he was angry". "...Set his blood on fire" gives a better image alone. Dickens and his editor also seems to have a deep understanding of grammar...so many semicolons...

Similar Childhoods

I was doing a bit of research on Charles Dickens and found some similarities in his and Oliver's childhoods. When Dickens was twelve, his father was imprisoned due to debt, forcing Dickens to work at a blacking warehouse. He worked there, living in poverty, until his father was realized from jail. Oliver has similar experiences. He's been working for nearly all of his life and is living without his parents. Dickens seemed to be a bit better off, his parents weren't dead. From what I can gather, his mother was still with him while his father was imprisoned. It also seems doubtful that the owners of the blacking warehouse were as abuse as the adults in Oliver's life. The owners were relatives of his mother, so they probably treated his a better. It seems Dickens drew a lot of inspiration for Oliver Twist from his own life.

Feeling sympathy for Oliver

I've just finished reading chapter eight, but I'm still stuck on a quote from chapter four. It is when Oliver is going to Mr. Sowerberry's with Mr. Bumble. Oliver says "Everybody hates me. . . I feel as if I had been cut here, sir, and it was all bleeding away," I can't help but think that no child should feel like this, and it's terrible that so many real children had this experience in the 1800's. Another detail from chapter four that really bothered me is when Oliver is sent to sleep with the coffins, under a counter, after he ate scraps that the dog didn't want. I mean, I thought Harry Potter had it bad, but at least he had a closet under the stairs and some food!

Charles Dickens Other Works

I decided to look up other novels Charles Dickens has wrote, to see if any of them are very familiar. He also wrote "Great Expectations", which sounds very familiar, but I've never known what it is about. In case you're wondering as well, it is about a boy whose goodness saves him from being persecuted. Another novel Charles Dickens wrote is "Nicholas Nickleby", which is about a school where they dispatch bad children. It seems that Dickens likes writing about younger kids! Here is the book covers of these novels.

Researching History Behind the Novel

After finishing the second chapter of Oliver Twist, I am extremely shocked at a few things. First, I did some research to see if places such as Mrs. Mann's actually existed in the 1820's, and I found that they did. Apparently some of them had only 1 out of every 10 babies live. This has changed my outlook on the entire novel. I have so much sympathy for Oliver now, growing up in a place where you only see death! I also decided to look up what a "Beadle" is, because I had no idea at first. Apparently it is basically a person in charge of a workhouse. That definition really helped me understand Mr. Bumble's role in the rest of chapter two.  

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