Charles Dickens Past

It appears that Oliver Twist may have been inspired by some of Charles Dickens own past. Apparently Charles Dickens used to work in a workhouse alongside many children, when he was eleven. He made a decent amount of money, but watching the children suffer and being in that enviroment most likely is a reason for him to have come up with the plot of Oliver Twist. Dickens must have seen some terrible things while working there. It helps me to understand why he is so cruel to Oliver, because this is what he would expect. He would not expect a happy story for a boy in Olivers position. I also have heard that Charles Dickens considered his job there so degrading that he did not talk about it to anyone, not even his wife.

Human Contact

Fagin falsely believes that locking Oliver up in a house will teach him a lesson and cause him to be desperate for any human contact. This method may have worked a normal child in which they have been raised with lots of tender care and love, and to have time out to think about what they have done wrong may cause them to repent for their actions. But Oliver was not raised to be a normal child. He was not given any love or support for almost his entire life. The only time he has ever been given any human contact was when someone was beating him. These memories of human violence has made Oliver distrustful of most adults, thus not necessarily making him desperate for human contact but avoiding it at any means possible. Anyways, I believe that violence is not the best method in teaching people, but I do think giving them a time out is indeed an effective method for having them rethink of what they did wrong. However, I don't think that at the severity of Fagin's in which he locked Oliver up for four days in order to make him more loyal.

Character Analysis - Mr. Brownlow and Judgments of others

I am quite impressed with Mr. Brownlow's character. He is definitely my favorite character in the book. He knows how to deal with people and see only the good qualities about him. When he sees Oliver, he ignores Grimwig and Mr. Bumble's judgment on him. He instead judges Oliver based on what he thinks of him and what he knows about his personality. He is definitely the purest, kindest person in the book and I feel Oliver is very lucky to have met him. Perhaps this character resembles a role model Charles Dickens met when he was a young boy as well. Mr. Brownlow's nature can help teach readers that we shouldn't judge people based on how they look or what people say about them. We should only judge others based on how we individually think of them and how we treat each other. False judgments can lead to false accusations, conflicts, and wrong choices. Why should we judge others based on what others say about them, fore we are not them and they are not us. "Do not judge a man until you've walked a mile in their moccasins" - Edward K Morgan.

Behind the name

After reading the book, it becomes clear to me of the strange naming used by the author for most of the characters, especially the significance of the main character Oliver Twist since it is also the title of the novel. In the book, Oliver was alphabetically selected his name during birth by Mrs. Mann. Oliver used to be a common name during the medieval ages in England. However, after the terror and violence displayed by Oliver Cromwell, Oliver was hardly ever named again. Perhaps Charles Dickens used the name Oliver to show how lots of people in society tend to act cruelly and unjust to Oliver in remembrance of the horrors of Oliver Cromwell. His last name "Twist" symbolizes how Oliver had to be sent to many different homes and caretakers in his childhood, never finding the true place to call a home. Thus, Oliver has always been "twisting" from one place to another. The other characters in the book have also had names that symbolize their personalities. Mr. Sowerberry's name sounds like "sour berry" which can describe Sowerberry's home and how its like to Oliver. At first it seems like the life as undertaker's apprentice seems joyful like a berry, but in actuality its quite sour and Oliver ends up getting beat up and locked in because of it. Mrs. Mann is a very cruel and violent person who acts very unladylike. She seems to have qualities that match more for a man. Thus the name Mrs. Mann sounds like "Mrs. Man".

Foreshadowing

This novel does a great job at foreshadowing and providing clues about whats about to happen in the book. While reading the  book I started wondering about some of these clues, and then after reading the ending it was confirmed. While I was reading the part when Oliver first arrives at Mr. Brownlow's house, there seems to be quite the amount of emphasis over the comparison between Oliver and a portrait of a lady in the house. This then came to my attention that this woman is probably related to Oliver because we have yet to find out the whole truth of Oliver's family and why he was left alone when he was born. At first, I thought that this would a picture of his mother, but if that was true then she should have been somewhat wealthy. Then I thought of the possibility that this might be a woman from Oliver's dad side of the story since we yet to have any insight about him. If this is true, that the woman is somehow related to Oliver, then it would make sense that Oliver is supposed to be from a wealthy family. I then predicted that Oliver would either find his family and live with a very wealthy inheritance or live with Mr. Brownlow, because it also seems that Mr. Brownlow is the first and only adult from the book who has shown to have a shred of sympathy and kindness towards Oliver despite hardly knowing him. I thought that Mr. Brownlow could be Oliver's father but apparently I was believed to be incorrect. However, my predictions were still somewhat correct because in the end they did reveal Oliver's true family to be from a wealthy establishment and Mr. Brownlow did end up taking care of Oliver and becoming his father figure.

Ending

I just finished the book, and I was pleased with what happens to the characters for the most part, but I also wasn't that much of a fan.  Firstly, I was very happy for Oliver that he ends up with Mr. Brownlow, and that Fagin is hanged, but the ending seemed sloppy to me. The entire novel is very realistic, and Dickens highlights many of the flaws of London at the time, yet in the end, everything turns out perfectly, which just didn't seem right to me.  Also, I was confused by the last couple lines that talk about Agnes, even though she's dead, and I don't think that people in this time period were very spiritual or thought about the ways that the "spirit" interacted with the world after death, so I was surprised that Agnes comes back and Dickens even says that she may have a place of forgiveness in the Church.

Theme: Social Classes

     I think that one of the main themes in the novel was social class and its unfairness.  This is shown throughout the novel and through many characters who try to control those less fortunate than them.  I think that Dickens was trying to reveal many of the flaws in the Victorian Social System, especially things like the parish home, and workhouse. Another way this theme is very evident is through Mr. Bumble, and I think that Dickens further proves that social class is nearly worthless through this character; at the beginning he is wealthy and powerful as a beadle, then ends up marrying Mrs. Corney for money, is downgraded to the workhouse master, and in the end ends up working there.  This is a huge transformation that I think Dickens intended to show that social class doesn't define a person and anything can change.