After studying 'Oliver Twist' the reader gains understanding of the true horrors that exist in Victorian London. They discover key facts about the behaviour of the underworld inhabitants through Dickens techniques such as similes, pathos, adjectives
Katy Dudley 11AES
How does Dickens persuade his readers of the dangers and horrors of Victorian London in his novel 'Oliver Twist'?
All of Charles Dickens novels are set in the period he wrote them in and contain certain points of social and political beliefs that he highlighted with the desire to change his audience's views, on mainly the poor, but also all those that were treated unjustly because of laws and stereotypes. 'Oliver Twist' is the story of a young orphan who is the illegitimate son of two good people. It shows the attempts of a collection of villainous characters to break his hereditary kind-heartedness and innocence. This is to benefit them through his considerable, unknown inheritance that they have found out about. However, behind the story Dickens hides messages raising the issues of the terrible conditions of the workhouses and the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, the abuse and exploitation of children, poverty, crime, inequality, prejudice towards different religions and nationalities and ignorance to the existence of some physical disabilities and mental illnesses.
The poor law act was a typical example of a whig-benthamite reformation legislation of the Victorian period. That is to say it follows Bentham's theory of segregation. It gained general parliamentary support and was passed with considerably less consideration and discussions as was normal when new laws are proposed. It ensured that conditions in the workhouses were as vile and uncomfortable as possible so that only the truly destitute would even consider submitting. It also implied that the poor were only in that state because they were lethargic and were therefore named the 'undeserving poor' when in reality it was the lack of opportunity that held back the poor people from improvement. They had no education and no means to gain qualifications to use to get better jobs. They only had very few options; to stay where they were in horrific conditions, to submit to the terrible workhouse or turn to crime.
After three years the law had become fully effective and the consequences of decision were obvious. Dickens was always protesting against the harsh treatment of the poor and was always on a crusade to resolve the problems. It was at this point that Dickens decided to take action by writing 'Oliver Twist'. Dickens can really sympathise with the poor characters in his book and the young children in his novel as he has been in their position. After his father was taken to debtor's prison, twelve-year-old Dickens was sent to a shoe blacking factory to earn money. His experiences in the factory and around that time were so traumatic that he only spoke about it to his wife and closest friend. These experiences affected Dickens' writing and helped contribute to the graphic imagery found within 'Oliver Twist' that show the horrors of London.
Dickens' writing is distinguishable by the many various descriptive techniques found throughout his work. In 'Oliver Twist' the descriptions can be divided into two main groups; description of setting and description of characters. To fully persuade his audience of the dangers of London, Dickens had to ensure his descriptions were detailed so as to display in the readers mind the events portrayed in his writing.
The setting is crucial in the persuasion of the readers of the dangers and horrors found within London in the Victorian period. Adjectives are one of Dickens techniques which help to create the scene in the readers mind. In chapter 50: the pursuit and escape it says:
'the buildings on the banks are dirtiest and the vessels on the river blackest... there exists the filthiest, the strangest, the most extraordinary of the many localities that are hidden in London... to reach this place, the visitor has to penetrate through a maze of close, narrow, and muddy streets, thronged by the roughest and poorest of water side people... the cheapest...provisions... the coarsest and commonest articles of wearing'
This is taken from Sykes escape to Jacobs Island. Here Dickens has successfully portrayed the worst place in London with the help from adjectives (which have been underlined.) However, Dickens has used more superlatives in this extract (the superlatives have been put in italics). The definition of a superlative, in a grammatical sense, is an adjective that expresses the 'most'. By using them Dickens shows us the lowest area of London and the awful conditions that people actually live in. The area is so horrendous that the reader must think why people would tolerate this. It is known that Jacob's Island was a sanctuary for criminals that are trying to hide from justice. Those living there must have had done something terrible to be forced into hiding there. This shows what is capable of happening in London. Also there is a repetition within the superlatives. The individual words are not being repeated but the reiteration of the suffix 'est' gives the impression that the list of adverse circumstances and poverty is infinite.
Onomatopoeia and other descriptions of sounds are another significant technique used by Dickens to create the most realistic scene possible within the mind of the reader. In chapter 21: the expedition it says;
'The whistling of drovers, the barking of dogs, the bellowing and plunging of oxen, the bleating of sheep, the grunting and squeaking of pigs, the cries of hawkers, the shouts, oaths and quarrelling on all sides; the ringing of bells and roar of voices that issued from every public house, the crowding, pushing, driving beating, whooping and yelling; the hideous and discordant din that ...
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Onomatopoeia and other descriptions of sounds are another significant technique used by Dickens to create the most realistic scene possible within the mind of the reader. In chapter 21: the expedition it says;
'The whistling of drovers, the barking of dogs, the bellowing and plunging of oxen, the bleating of sheep, the grunting and squeaking of pigs, the cries of hawkers, the shouts, oaths and quarrelling on all sides; the ringing of bells and roar of voices that issued from every public house, the crowding, pushing, driving beating, whooping and yelling; the hideous and discordant din that resounded from every corner of the market'
On their way to the house burglary Sikes and Oliver pass through Smithfield Market. The large collection of onomatopoeic words all compressed into one long sentence gives the impression of a chaotic and crowded area. The mixture of human and animal noises creates the impression that the two are in close proximity. This would increase the chances of disease and infection spreading between species. This is a minor way in which Dickens highlights a danger within the Victorian life. The second technique that can be found in this extract is the use of long sentences which have been divided into clauses by the use of commas and semi-colons. The length of this sentence and amount of sounds found within it create a sense of manic chaos within this small crowded market.
The majority of London was populated by poverty. But there did exist a small minority of wealthy residents. Dickens has impartially displayed this situation clearly when he wrote:
'though costly coloured glass and paper mended window, through cathedral dome and rotten crevice, it sheds its equal ray.'
This can be found just after the murder of Nancy in Chapter 48: the flight of Sikes. Dickens uses juxtaposition to compare the extremities in the wealth of the people of London. He also does this through the device of personification. The sun shedding it's rays equally presents the argument that the poor are actually equal in worth with the rich. That the sun can see no segregation between the two, nor that any deserves any more light. In portraying this comparison Dickens imparts to the reader another danger. The risk presented by decaying buildings and rotting homes. This use of the rich in his novel refines his point of the inequality present in London.
Personification is again used in chapter 50: the pursuit and escape when it says:
'crazy wooden galleries'
Again this is found in Sikes' escape to Jacobs Island. Objects can obviously not become crazy as they are inanimate items. However, through the personification of the galleries we learn what the state of mind of the people who inhabit Jacob's Island is. Being forced to accommodate such ghastly conditions has driven the inhabitants to the brink of insanity. This presents a danger because it shows us that these people are desperate and when in extreme situations extreme reactions occur.
Finally, a technique that is general to most novelists is careful selection of vocabulary. This is clear in Dickens' writing because his sentences are well structured and have the maximum effect on the reader. An example is in Oliver's 1st observations of London where it says:
'The sole places that seemed to prosper amid the general blight of the place, were the public houses and in them, the lowest orders of Irish were wrangling with might and main... drunk men and women were positively wallowing in filth.'
Here we can see the prejudice against the Irish. Known for the habit of drinking, the Irish immigrants are not held in any respect. However, it is not only the Irish who are frequently visiting the public houses. Life for the poor is hard. Most men and women would become drunk as a release and escape from the anguish in their lives. This again presents a similar danger as in Jacob's Island because when acting under alcohol peoples actions become unpredictable and vulgar. Dickens' choice to use 'wallowing in filth' at the end of this extract has the result of producing a picture in the imagination of the reader of people surrounded by waste. This is a menacing image and poses a threat, especially in the eyes of an innocent child like Oliver.
Overall these mental pictures developed from Dickens' descriptions of setting have made it apparent to the reader the very real dangers and horrors that haunt London's streets. He has succeeded to show his readers what a terrible life it was to be poor and forced to subsist in these harsh circumstances.
Dickens' characterisation is also imperative to the persuasion of dangers and horrors. There are many different characters whose presence is necessary in the progression of the story of 'Oliver Twist.' Two in particular are Bill Sykes and Fagin. These two men are the two key villains in this novel. Fagin is the manager of a group of boys whose job is to steal from the rich. Fagin has been approached by the character Monks and was requested to take Oliver into his care and destroy his innocence and transform him into a criminal, so that Monks was able to receive Oliver's inheritance. Bill Sykes is also a thief, who is in business with Fagin and has become so advanced in his field of expertise that he is the best. Many of the descriptive techniques used in the description of setting are repeated in the depiction of characters. However they do have different effects.
Fagin is a character inspired by an associate of Dickens himself while he was working in a factory. The closest revelation we have to the personality of the actual Fagin is through his fictional representation. The real Fagin was partly the reason Dickens' childhood was so traumatic, this is all we really know as Dickens only spoken about his time with Fagin in the factory to his wife and closest friend. However, we know that the real man must have made a bad impression on Dickens' mind as he has earned himself a place as this evil character in Dickens' work.
First meetings often leave lasting impressions. In work of fiction the first appearance of a character is where the author can introduce the characters persona. Dickens has seized the opportunity to introduce us to the personality of Fagin through his appearance as he portrays him as being:
'a very old shrivelled Jew, whose villainous-looking and repulsive face was obscured by a quantity of matted red hair. He was dressed in a greasy flannel gown, with his throat bear'
The description of Fagin upon Oliver's first encounter with him constructs an opinion within both Oliver and the reader. Dickens choice of adjectives leads the reader into viewing Fagin in the way that will aid Dickens in showing them the danger that is found within this character. Once more we see prejudice against religion through the reference to Fagin as 'The Jew'. This is also a problem because the hatred for a particular race only generates conflict.
Again, Dickens imparts another piece of Fagin's traits in his account of Fagin's excursion to visit Sykes when he says;
'his shrivelled body... emerged from his den...It seemed just the night when it befitted such a being as the Jew to be abroad. As he glided stealthily along, creeping beneath the shelter on the walls and doorways, the hideous old man seemed like some loathsome reptile, engendered in the slime and darkness through which he moved crawling forth... evidently too familiar with the ground he traversed to be at all bewildered'
Fagin is often compared to animals in the way he is rendered. Firstly his home is called a 'den' which is the name conventionally given to the lair of an animal. He is also described through a simile as a repugnant reptile that is created from the grime of London and how they are synonymous. He has this capability to move very quickly and with much agility through the twisting streets. He also displays this great sense of direction, which is implied in the text that it has come from too frequently travelling these paths on dreadful business. His capability to do so raised concern of what else or who else can be out moving just as quickly without others even knowing their presence is there.
Fagin is a man of many dishonest talents. He has a way of influencing situations into turning out for his own good. Upon the recapture of Oliver this is displayed as such;
'Mr. Fagin took the opportunity of reading Oliver a long lecture on the crying sin of ingratitude: of which he clearly demonstrated he had been guilty... Mr. Fagin laid great stress on the fact of his taking Oliver in, and cherished him, when, without his timely aid, he might have perished from hunger and related the dismal and affecting history of a young lad... in parallel circumstances... had come to hang at the Old Bailey one morning. Mr. Fagin did not seek to conceal his share in the catastrophe, but lamented with tears in his eyes that the ...behaviour of the young person in question, had rendered it necessary that he should become the victim of certain evidence for the crown'
He cleverly tries to manipulate Oliver into feeling guilty and gives his many reasons why Oliver should feel this in long and detailed sentences. He makes out that Oliver is completely dependant upon him. Within his persuasion Fagin makes covert threats by describing the fate of another young boy who was caught up in similar state of affairs. He seems to show no guilt in the fact that had lied to have the boy hung when the boy was innocent. He shows his flawless acting aptitude as he brings tears to his eyes to convince Oliver that in his anecdote he was the victim and it was essential for the boy to be hanged. This would have raised awareness that the law can be lied to and those that do can get away with it.
The faults in the law, such as it being subject to liars, are again highlighted when the novel says:
'Mr. Fagin concluded by drawing a rather disagreeable picture of the discomforts of hanging; and, with great friendliness and politeness of manner, expressed his anxious hopes that he might never be obliged to submit Oliver Twist to that unpleasant operation. Little Oliver's blood ran cold, as he listened to the Jew's words, and imperfectly comprehended the dark threats conveyed in them. That it was possible for even justice itself to confound the innocent with the guilty when they were in accidental companionship'
A technique that Dickens used here (that has so far not been mentioned) is Pathos. Pathos is used to stir up extreme empathy within the reader for a character. Here it is used when Oliver is described as 'little' and when we are told that he only 'imperfectly comprehends'. To think of such a small innocent boy being threatened in ways he barely understands because he is so young and inexperienced makes the reader feel sympathetic for Oliver and anger for Fagin for treating Oliver this way. Again our feelings of sympathy are renewed when Oliver realises that justice cannot save him from Fagin as he is in his 'accidental companionship' and would be confused as also guilty. This is a horror to think that the innocent can pay for unintentional company with the culpable.
The way people act is not always who they are. We find this out in Fagin's case when the following event happens;
' the Dodger... made a pass at the merry old gentleman's waistcoat; which, if it had taken effect, would have let a little more merriment out, than could have been easily replaced. The Jew stepped back in this emergency, with more agility than could have been anticipated in a man of his apparent decrepitude'
Fagin behaves as if he is a frail old man. However, when the threat of his stolen money being stolen from him is posed, he is amazingly able to avoid it more rapidly than would be expected. This is another one of Fagin's deceitful tricks. People are less likely to harm him if they know his is too fragile to be much of a problem. However, that is not the truth. His dishonesty is reflected in his concealment of his personality.
Fagin is a creeping thief who uses sycophancy to keep Sykes from betraying him. But as the following shows this is not the case:
'"Well, well, then - Bill Sykes," said the Jew, with abject humility...Mr. Sikes demanded a glass of liquor
"And mind you don't poison it," said Mr. Sykes laying his hat upon the table.
This was said in jest; but if the speaker could have seen the evil leer with which the Jew bit his pale lip as he turned round to the cupboard, he might not have thought the caution wholly unnecessary,'
This was from Sykes visit to Fagin. When confronting Bill, Fagin is obsequious and unctuous that Bill does not actually realise that in his humour he is giving a valid warning. Even though Fagin tries to hide his abhorrence for Sykes he occasionally manifests his feelings through sly hidden expressions. This is again part of Fagin's perfect acting skills. He is not only able to fool those who do not associate with him frequently but he is able to suppress his feelings in front of those who know him best. All this concealment that exists, even between those who are in league with each other, reveals a part of London that itself is hidden.
Bill Sykes is an expert in thieving and he is recruited by Fagin to help in the ruin of Oliver. Normally, Fagin and Sykes' relationship is kept professional. They do not get on well but they know too much about each other to allow their connection to go wrong. Bill plays a part in the recapture of Oliver and uses him in a burglary.
As with physical description of Fagin, the physical description of Bill has given Dickens the chance to give the reader an insight into the personality of Sykes. The first description of Bill Sykes is;
'a man in a velveteen coat, drab shorts, half boots, and stockings, who even by that dim light no experienced agent of police would have hesitated to recognise as Mr. William Sykes.'
Here the police seem to salvage some of their reputation that was lost, to the reader when they were fooled by Fagin, by being able to recognise the most skilled thief of the time. We know Sykes must be an evil character by the fact that the police know him. But what is horrifying to think is that even though they know who he is and what he does, they still are not able to catch him. With him regularly making house burglaries it is worrying to think why he has not been stopped and how far he is willing to go.
While Fagin is secretive with his detestation for Sykes, Sykes himself is satisfied when he torments Fagin as such;
'Mr. Sykes contented himself with tying an imaginary knot under his left ear, and jerking his head over on the right shoulder.'
Through this action Sykes suggests that he knows something about Fagin that could have fatal consequences. What ever security that was found within the old parable 'honour amongst thieves' is disregarded when we find out that Sykes, for instance, is just waiting for Fagin to give him reason to hand him into the police to be executed.
Sykes appears to be a violent man in his interaction with the characters so far. The extent to which Sykes is willing to go is not known until the following event took place:
'the house breaker freed one arm and grasped his pistol...and he beat it twice with all the force he could summon, upon the upturned face... she staggered and fell: nearly blinded with the blood... but raising herself, with difficulty... drew from her bosom a white handkerchief... and holding it up... as high towards heaven as her feeble strength would allow, breathed one prayer for mercy to her maker... it was a ghastly figure to look upon. The murder... seized a heavy club and struck her down.'
Graphic imagery in his writing is what gives Dickens style its flair. He has again used pathos. This time we feel sympathetic for Nancy. A lot of the pathos was in the prelude to this quote but we can see some in the extract. Not only is his crime callous and cruel but Sikes murder of Nancy shows us how pitiless and unkind Sykes can be. This merciless act is another display of London crimes.
Throughout the book so far we are given the impression that Sykes is a hard hearted man that feels nothing but anger. We find the following out just after the murder of Nancy;
'He had not moved; he had been afraid to stir. There had been a moan and motion of the hand; and, with terror added to rage, he struck and struck again.'
Dickens choice of vocabulary here implies that Sykes is actually scared of what he has done. The emotion of fear could have been caused by either one of two other emotions: remorse for having killed Nancy, or apprehension of being caught and hanged for murder. The decision of which is left for the reader to choose. However, we know he is angry as he is enraged by his crime. As his terror leads him to his rage he strikes out on the disfigured body. That description tells us that his emotions are out of his control. His temper is unrestrained and he is liable to act in a way that relieves his anxiety. With people like Sykes in London it is worrying to think what may happen.
After studying 'Oliver Twist' the reader gains understanding of the true horrors that exist in Victorian London. They discover key facts about the behaviour of the underworld inhabitants through Dickens techniques such as similes, pathos, adjectives, and choice of words. These techniques helped in showing the reader why life was so horrific in that time by building up images so the reader can almost see and smell and use other sense to understand the world that Dickens lived in.
