Dickens also uses sarcasm through out the novel to show us the misery of the orphans.
“rolled about the floor all day, without the inconvenience of too much food or too much clothing” . Sarcasm is used as a technique to portray the misery of orphans. This line shows us that the children worked all day and they were deprived of the basic necessities of life . This arouses our sympathy for the orphans and we began to feel sorry for them .
“The bowls never wanted washing” – This line is very important and intensifies their hunger .This also arouses our sympathy for the orphans as they did not eat anything except a small pieces of bread.
“hunger and recent ill usage are great assistants if you want to cry “and Oliver cried very naturally cried very naturally indeed” This line represents other orphans . The other orphans used to be depressed and cry all the time . Again sympathy has been aroused for the orphans as the children in the 21 st century lead a very comfortable and luxurious life and these orphans were never loved by anyone in the 19th century .
Exaggeration has also been used to show the life of orphans .
“Oliver was a victim of treachery and deception . He was bought by hand”. Dicken uses the words “treachery” and “deception” to stress on how brutally the orphanage handled the orphans . Dicken also uses satire over here accusing the orphanage system of London of their cruel treatment towards the orphans .
Dicken uses satire to condemn the poor education provided by the orphanage system .
“the boy is a fool- I thought he was” . Dicken shows how irresponsible the orphanage system were in providing education which adds to the misery of the orphans because this was one of the reasons why the orphans were mocked in society.
Descriptive style has also been use while describing Oliver “Oliver Twist’s ninth birthday found him a pale thin child ,some what diminutive in stature” –This line describes Oliver and tells us that Oliver was strong at heart. .
‘ AND ALL THE NAUGHTY ORPHAN WHICH NOBODY CAN’T LOVE”- this is a very poignant line and it also shows that orphans are never loved by anyone .
Oliver was overwhelmed with tears when Mr Bumble was selling him .He said to Mr Bumble “So lonely sir !so vey lonely! Cried the child .Every one hates me .Oh sir , don’t pray be cross with me”. The child beat his hands upon hisheart and looked in his companion’s face , with tears of real agony . –This line is full of pathos and we pity the orphans . The author very clearly involves us and through his dis emotive language we too began too feel what they are facing and began to empathize with their feelings. The orphans are not given a hostile welcome .This shows us that they were not given any respect and treated as garbage trash. “The undertaker’s wife opened the side door and pushed Oliver down a steep fight of stairs”.
Dickens also uses satire to tell the readers the conditions of the young orphans
“It shows us what a beautiful thing human nature may be made to be :and how impartially the same amiable qualities are developed in the finest lord and the dirtiest charity boy”. Different techniques has been used to put the reader in that situation and feel what the orphans are feeling at that time.
There is also a situation in the novel which has a great impact on the Oliver when meets Dick , who was his friend . Oliver was escaping to London after getting fed up with all the way they treated them . On his way he met Dick .
“They had been beaten and starved , and shut up together many and many a time”. Dickens very cleverly uses verbs to show the consequences they had to face . Phrases like “They beat me and ill use me” also has an effect on the reader . The little Dick was facing the last stage of his life . When both of them were a parting Dick said : “good bye dear ! God bless you!” – These words are very effective and Oliver is contended as it was the first time he had receive a blessing from someone . He was cursed , beaten ,harassed through out his life .
The setting plays a very important part in every novel. Through the setting we are able to clearly picture out what the situation is and the place. The first one is the workhouse.
“THE ROOM IN WHICH THE BOYS WERE FED WAS A LARGE STONE HALL ,WITH A COPPER IN ONE END” – the workhouse had a dirty environment .The children had to live in unhygienic conditions and had to starve for food. “The hungry and destitute situation of the infant orphan was duly reported by the workhouse authorities” –This shows that the workhouse did not really care for the children and forced them to clean the floor and be starved for food . Home should be a secure place where children are protected and taken care of .They live in hygienic conditions and feel secured .where as in the workhouse the children were insecure and always had to sleep with an empty stomach .This shows the conditions of the orphans at that time. The author has contrasted the home to the workhouse. In the workhouse the orphans were forced to sleep on “a rough ,hard bed” “the floor all day without the inconvenience of too much food”.
This paragraph is about Fagin’s den. The author has described Fagin’s den.very effectively which depicts us the unhygienic conditions the orphans lived in . The orphans were persuaded to commit crime and they were taken advantage of their childhood .Even in the criminal world the conditions are as worse as in the workhouse .
“a dirtier or more wretched place he had ever seen . The streets were narrow and muddy and the air was impregnated with filthy odours” This is atypical setting of the underworld. Phrases like”filthy odours,” “streets were narrow and muddy” helps the reader to get a clear description of the underworld and we began to imagine how human beings can live in such unhygienic conditions and we began to feel sorry for the orphans.
“The walls and the ceiling of the room were perfectly black with age and dirt”- This is a description about the Fagin’s den . The environment was unpleasant and the conditions were extremely worse . “several rough beds made of old sacks , were huddled on the floor.” .The orphans had no one to support them and in spite of that the society is ill treating them ,harassing them .
Dicken also uses language to illustrate the habits of the orphans who were guided by the criminals such as Fagin –
“Seated around the table were 4 to 5 boys , none older than Dodger , smoking long pipes , drinking spirits with the middle aged men” – This description is very effective portraying how badly the orphans are guided once left on the streets . The words “long” and “middle aged men”-are literary devices of exaggeration used by Dickens to emphasize on how miserable these orphans were.
Dickens language is very effective and it shows us how the children were drawn up into the world of crime “crime like death is not confined to the old and the writhered one . The youngest and the fairest are too often its victims.”- adjectives like”old”,”youngest and fairsest” makes the line appealing and this stirs up our understanding for the young orphans as they are deprived of their childhood and forced into a world of crime . Orphans are illtreated ,harasses and cursed in society so these young orphans resort to crime in order to survive and also have the basic necessities of life like food and clothing .Another line which shows that the young orphans are drawn up into the world of crime is “SEATED AROUND THE TABLE WEREFOUR TO FIVE BOYS NONE OLDER THAN THE DODGER ,SMOKING LONG CLAY PIPES AND DRINKING SPIRITS WITH THE AIR OF MIDDLE AGED MEN.” This shows that the children are often robbed of their childhood and innocence.This line shows us the misery of the young orphans. These children don’t have anyone to guide them on the right path . I feel that crime is not the solution as it is futile . Crime is also regarded as the “voluntary associate of the worst outcast of society .Fagin and Sikes were negative influences on children .
Dickens also uses satire to mock the orphanage system . The language he has used is very effective and tells us that he did not approve of how the orphans were treated .
“the floor all day without inconvenience of too much food”-unlimited supply of water and with a corn factor to supply periodically small quantities of oat meal
this shows that they were deprived of the basic necessities of life . “Mr Bumble was a fat man”- this is a contrast that has been used by Dickens to compare him to the orphans who all starved for food.The orphans had to sleep on “rough ,hard bed” – adjectives has been used by Dickens to mock the orphanage system . Dickens uses characters to mock the orphanage system. Mrs sowerberry –was the wife of the undertaker . She said to Oliver : “You don’t mind sleeping among the coffins”.
The attitude of the London society is full of contempt towards the orphans. Most of the people pass insulting remarks to the orphans . They abuse them as they feel they are the lower classes of society . The orphans never received the love of the society ,instead they were always hated and cursed by them. There are many characters in the novel who pass insulting remarks. One of them is Mr Bumble . He had a rigid attitude and abused the orphans if they did anything wrong . “MIND WHAT I TOLD YOU , YOU YOUNG RASCAL!”.Mrs Sowerberry also abused Oliver and called him different names as they feel they deserve it “THERE !GET DOWN STAIRS ,LITTLE BAB O’BONES When Oliver was going to London , the people called him “YOUNG RUFFIAN ,” “IDLE YOUNG DOG “. Even the police man did not spare him .He told him “will you stand up , you young evil’. The policeman also did not take care of Oliver but called him names.
However there were people who took care of him and helped him out . The first character is Mr.Brownlow. . He permitted him to stay in the house . He was a contrast to the other people of London society who harassed orphans and ill treated them. But in fact Mr Brownlow was affectionate towards Oliver although he was an orphan.
Dickens tells us from the novel that not only the London society harassed the orphans but orphans also mocked each other . The author has also used forceful imagery to show how ruthlessly the orphans were treated . He also warns Claypole not to say anything against his mother . “Don’t say anything more to me about her:you’d better not !”. This shows that he is loyal to his mother and defending her ,even though he hasn’t seen her or experienced her love.
Noah claypole used to taunt Oliver . One day he told Oliver “work us ,yer mother was a regular right –down bad’un” – This made Oliver angry and he roused into action and gave Claypole a heavy blow . The words “hard” and “blow” depicts me that the blow was hard and brutal. Oliver was very courageous .By reacting to what Noah said it shows that he is loyal to his mother and defends her name .Oliver is quiet and humble at times but he can also uses violence where necessary . From this I got a vivid idea that orphans also mocked each other mocking their dead parents.
The next situation which shows that he is courageous is when he asked for more . Orphans were deprived of the basic necessities of life like food ,shelter ,etc. The orphans always had to starve for food. Oliver Twist and his companions suffered the torture of slow starvation.Then they decided that something must be done . Oliver was desperate with hunger and reckless with misery . He rose from the table and asked the master “please sir I want some more”This shows his courage that he could go and speak up and also show his innocence to ask for more food. This again depicts their hunger which is one of the miseries of the orphans.
We can almost notice Dicken’s voice in the novel. The phrase “poor boy” is repeated throughout the novel and is intension to arouse sympathy towards the orphans is often repeated. “the bowls never wanted washing .” Oliver Twist and his companions suffered the tortures of slow starvation. His hunger represents the hunger of all orphans.
Sleep has been given a contradictory idea in this novel. Sleep is considered to be resting but Oliver Twist never got a proper sleep. He always slept on hard and rough beds and Mrs. Sowerberry told him, “You don’t mind sleeping among the coffins I suppose ?” this shows how hard-hearted people are. They couldn’t understand the feelings of another people.
Dicken’s emotional and evocative language arouses are sympathy throughout the novel.
“Oliver fell on his knees and clasping his hands together and prayed that they would order him back to the darkroom –That they would starve him , beat him if they pleased rather than send him with that dreadful man”
I got a vivid picture from these lines and this stirs up more of my understanding towards the orphans . No one supported the orphans ,not even the society . So the orphans usually prayed to God for support.
Nancy who was an orphan had been forced into the criminal world.She had been beaten throughout her life by Bill Sikes “ she pointed hastily to some livid bruises on her necks and arms” He uses other characters like Nancy to portray the misery of orphans . Nancy always supported “ I have saved you from being ill-used once and I will again and I do now .If I had not , it would have been far rough than me . Nancy bursts out her anger and says to Fagin “ Cunning ferocity and drunkness in all it’s stages were there in the strongest aspects and women, some with the last lingering tinge of their early freshness almost fading as you looked, others with every mark and stamp of their sex utterly beaten out and presenting but one loathsome blank profligacy and crime, some mere girls others but young women and none passed the crime of life formed the darkest and sadest portion of this dreary picture .” Nancy poignantly tells what the underworld has done to these people they have become steep in their crimes . her guilty feelings are aroused and does not want Oliver to face the same humiliation “ I can’t bear to have him about me”
There is a new character introduced in the latter part of Oliver Twist that is Rose. “the girls life had been squandered in the streets and among the most noisome of the dense in London . I am the infamous creature that lives among the thieves and that never from the first moment I can recollect my eyes and senses opening on London streets have known any life or kinder words than they have given me”. Nancy says to Rose . She tells about her own experiences how she was persuaded in the criminal world and this represents all the orphans “ the alley and gutters are mine “ the language used is very effective and arouses our sympathy not only for Nancy but for all the orphans. Orphans had their lives full of misery and never received any kindness “ Lady ; cried the girl sinking on her knees, “dear, sweet, angel lady, you are the first that ever blessed me with such words as these and if I had heard them years ago they might have turned me form a life of sin and sorrow but it is too late too late.” There is a contrast between Nancy and Rose . Rose was a young good and a beautiful lady who had home friends other admirers and everything to fill in. Rose was understanding because she had a proper bringing .The words “sin and sorrow” emphasizes on the misery faced by the orphans and we began to understand the feelings of the orphans.
. The author , Charles Dickens gives me a vivid picture of the life of the orphans in the 19 th century . I don’t agree with the unhygienic conditions in which the orphans are kept. The London Society does not show any compassion towards the orphans . From this novel I have understood that orphans in the 19 the century were treated as animals. The orphans are deprived of basic necessities . I have also noticed that the orphans are mentally very strong as they have the courage to withstand the sorrow.
The 19th century orphans were treated differently from 21 st century orphans, who are not deprived of the basic necessities that is food and shelter . they are also shown respect, compassion and love. The orphanages in the 21 st century are properly maintained and orphans live in hygienic conditions.the language in Oliver Twist has beautifully portrayed the misery of orphans. I think Charles has done a successful in punching the message that we should understand their feelings and what troubles they are facing
Done by: Amit Mukhi
