The beginning of chapter two describes the authorities trying to find a place for Oliver to go. The use of such phrases as ‘inquired with dignity’ and ‘magnanimously resolved’ highlights the detachment between the classes and shows that the well off are more concerned with maintaining their dignity than helping the poor. The chapter goes on to describe the way in which Mrs Mann steals money from the allowance for the children’s food- ‘she knew what was good for the children; and she had a very accurate perception of what was good for herself.’ It is compared with the story of the horse, to which the owner gives just one piece of straw a day, and feels sure that it would be a great horse had it not died. This is a metaphor for the attitude of the authorities.
Although we are not introduced to him at the time, we find out later that it was Mr. Bumble who named Oliver. We also find out the manner in which he named him. This seems to show Oliver’s lowly status- just another item on a long list. Mr. Bumble, we find out in chapter two, is the parish beadle. He is ironically described as ‘very self-devotional’ for doing what he does, which includes saying whatever the parish board wanted to hear and warning Mrs. Mann of visits by the board, so ‘the children were neat and clean to behold, when they went.’ From his actions in chapter three, we can tell that Bumble is actually only interested in profit from the children, for example his reaction to Oliver asking for more, and the way in which he tries to sell him as an apprentice into a life of servitude and exploitation.
Mrs. Mann runs the parish orphanage, which Oliver attends until he is nine years old. She is described by Mr. Bumble as ‘a humane woman, with motherly instincts’ but it is shown that for the most part he is covering up her shortcomings, and the rest he is ignorant of. We are shown the woman’s evil directly, in the way Oliver hides his hate of her because of her threats (‘he had sense enough to make a feint of feeling great regret at going away’); and through irony, describing her as an ‘experimental philosopher’; the experiments being giving the children no food.
After asking for more food, Oliver is sent to work for Mr. Sowerberry, an undertaker. Before this, he was saved from the clutches of a violent chimney sweep (who considered ‘roasting the boy’s feet’ to be relatively humane) only by a kind magistrate. The attitude of Mr. Bumble, and the conversations with both the chimney sweep and Mr. Sowerberry, all show that the opinion was that poor children were there to be exploited.
In our first introduction to Fagin, we are given the impression that he is a satanic figure- he is standing over a fire, and holding a toasting fork in lieu of a pitchfork. Also the first description that we are given, of a ‘very old and shrivelled Jew, whose villainous-looking and repulsive face was obscured by a quantity of matted red hair’ furthers the image of the devil- he is villainous and repulsive and has red hair- a colour closely associated with Satan. The comparisons with the devil continue as we are shown how he has corrupted the minds of the young boys who ‘work’ for him. In chapters 9 and 18, Fagin tries to tempt Oliver into crime, which is a parallel to the devil tempting others to sin in the Bible. The methods Fagin uses to do this show some of how society saw the children of the poor. For example, in turning stealing into a game, we see that they are used, and kept ignorant of what is going on around them. Also, when Fagin punishes the boys (locking Oliver in the room, attacking the Dodger) it shows that the poor are kept in line by violence and the threat of it.
Criminals in the book are portrayed as abhorrent people, and yet we are continually shown how it is not always their own fault, and can be put down to their extreme poverty. This is most clear in his portrayal of children as criminals. The most notable child criminal in the book is the Artful Dodger (Jack Dawkins), who we first meet in chapter eight. From the beginning, one of the most obvious differences about Jack is his language. It is very different to everyone we had seen up until now- it lacked the respectful deference of Oliver’s speech and the ‘educated’ phrasing of Mr Bumble. This is perhaps to show the lack of education that children of the poor get. Jack seems to have an appealing and pleasant nature, and yet is trapped in a circle of crime by Fagin because of his poor background. This means the reader has sympathy with him despite his criminality. Nancy, another of the child criminals, was forced into prostitution at a young age because of her poverty, and was shown nothing but cruelty as a child, and yet she has developed moral standards, and regrets her part in the snatching of Oliver. This is meant to show how the poor do have morals, and that crime is often forced upon them.
In the book, Oliver experienced the worst that the society of the time had to offer. He suffered cruelty, bullying and starvation. There is however, a good side to the story for, despite going through all of that he remains uncorrupted- despite being the object of injustice all his life, he recoiled in horror from enforcing it on anyone else. Also, while Oliver is rescued from the life of poverty, those who exploited him are severely punished. This book highlights the severe socio-economic problems of the time and also keeps the essential message that good will always triumph over evil.
