In the opening chapters of Oliver Twist, Dickens attacks the New Poor Law enacted in 1834. Previously it had been the burden of the parishes to care for the poor through alms and taxes, for the poor to be put in a workhouse was more of a punishment than charity because they were treated with no respect. The new law banded parishes together into unions, each union had a workhouse, and all those seeking relief were required to become inmates in the workhouse. The new law made seeking relief as undesirable as possible. The workhouse was little more than a prison for the poor. Civil liberties were denied, families were separated, and human dignity was destroyed
Charles Dickens presents the workhouse as torture a place where feelings don't exist. Here Dickens is trying to show how bad people in poverty are treated. Dickens tells us how the workhouses starved children of food. All children were sad. It says, “Oliver Twist and his companions suffered the tortures of slow starvation for three months.”
This suggests that the poor orphans were fed so badly, they were fed watered- down gruel, which wasn’t very appetizing but that was all they got so they didn’t have a choice if they wanted to survive. He was being treated like a piece of luggage, being pushed around the system.
People who did not work in the workhouses saw asking for more food as a sin.
Oliver says, “Please Sir I want some more.” This means that Oliver was still hungry but there was no sympathy towards Oliver from the Beadle and Mrs. Mann. To them it showed that he was being ungrateful and ill-mannered. Mr. Bumble and Mrs. Mann are corrupt, because they do not show any love and care for the people in the workhouses. Dickens shows this by the actions Mr. Bumble used to discipline; he locked Oliver in a cupboard for asking for more food and Dick was locked in there too for being greedy for more gruel.
Oliver is branded a troublemaker and is offered as an apprentice to anyone willing to take him. After narrowly escaping being bound to a chimney sweep, a very dangerous business where small boys are routinely smothered being lowered into chimneys; Oliver is apprenticed to the undertaker, Mr Sowerberry for 5 shillings. Oliver fights with Noah Claypole, another of the undertaker's boys, after Noah mocks Oliver's dead mother. Oliver was treated badly by Noah Claypole and Mrs Sowerberry. It says, “... Mrs Sowerberry plunged into the kitchen, and assisted to hold him with one hand while she scratched his face with the other”
This emphasis the fact that Mrs Sowerberry is corrupt and unfair, because she didn’t show any consideration of what Noah had said about Oliver’s dead mother. She didn’t show any love towards Oliver to calm him down, as he was very hurt. This proves that society was cruel, corrupt and unfair because young innocent children like Oliver were physically abused. They couldn’t do anything about it, all they could do was hope that it would stop or they’d runaway. Oliver had to attend funerals with the Sowereberry’s, this was part of Oliver’s job this was a daily routine for him. He was to watch young children get buried; this was unfair, as Oliver is young and therefore shouldn’t have to be forced to do these jobs. Corruptness is shown when Oliver was made to sleep amongst other coffins, which is rather disturbing and very cruel. As some of the coffins may have had dead bodies still in the coffins waiting to get buried the next day. This was a very nasty thing to do to anybody especially young, naïve and gullible children. Oliver wasn’t any better off than other boys who became chimney sweeps. Because the boys who became chimney sweeps inhale smoke, this wasn’t very good for your health. However, he was better off than other orphans, who became chimney sweeps because this was very dangerous job particularly for young children.
Oliver is mistreated by the Sowerberrys and after having a fight with Noah Claypole he runs away to the dangerous place London, no place for young orphans like Oliver. It was a dangerous place because young orphans had no chance of surviving in the large city. A lot of intoxicated men and drug addicts were out in the open lose to do as they pleased, Oliver could have also got molested. On one of Jack Dawkins travels also known as the Artful Doger an employee of Fagin he caught his eye on Oliver. He takes Oliver to meet one of the worst characters Fagin. Fagin takes in children who are homeless and trains them to pick pocket for him in his den which has other young children living there including the Artful Doger. The Dodgers description is that “he had about him all the airs and manners of a man” this suggests that he was not allowed to be a child. He has had to grow up fast, because of what has happened to him in his life. He has been on the streets and had to learn how to survive, which has led to him becoming one of Fagin’s boys and making money from other peoples possessions. Fagin is a: criminal and corrupter of young children he teaches them to pick pock for him.
The two main corrupt characters in the novel “Oliver Twist” are Fagin and Bill Sykes. Fagin’s Den isn’t a very clean place and with the area his den is based in, has a lot of thieves and prostitutes roaming around in. This is not a place for young boys it has sick, twisted minded people like Fagin who is a prime example. He corrupts young children and shows them that stealing possessions from others isn’t a crime. Fagin shows Oliver some tricks he uses to make money. Jack and another of Fagin’s boys demonstrates to Oliver how the job is done, they pretend to steal a handkerchief and spectacle case from Fagin’s pocket without him noticing. Fagin tells Oliver to, ‘Make ‘em your models.’ Fagin wants Oliver to be just like the other boys he asks Oliver “You’d like to be able to make pocket-handkerchiefs as easy as Charley Bates, wouldn’t you, my dear? Not knowing the true meaning of what has been showed to him Oliver replies “very much indeed, if you’ll teach me sir” Dickens shows us the readers how innocent Oliver was and how corrupt he was too. Fagin tells Oliver his boys must be Oliver’s role models. Bill Sikes is introduced to Oliver and Oliver is sent to do a job with him. Oliver gets caught when trying to break in the house his then shoot and Bill leaves Oliver alone to defend for himself. This is not fair Oliver shouldn’t be treated like this for other peoples needs his treated like a slave. Bill Sikes is corrupt because he takes children to do his jobs for him; he uses and abuses them just like Nancy the prostitute. This is unfair because Oliver is being pushed about and should be treated with respect. Bill isn’t a committed person towards the boys, his selfish, and inconsiderate he was only out for himself. Bill is a violent man and a murderer he has no feelings for anyone.
Oliver doesn’t become corrupted because he realizes what Fagin is doing is wrong and causes people to suffer have unbearable feelings. Corruption can happen to anyone especially if you’re young and naive. We learn in this book how unfair and corrupt the society was through Oliver because a young boy was submitted to torture and pain. Corruption is an evil and devious thing that causes abhorrence and misery. England showed this by vital laws being brought in the society, to make people aware of what they were doing was it right or wrong. People were treated as prisoners and they were prohibited to have healthy food and have a spectacular life. If they were filled with self-esteem they would want to carry on, be determined in life and enjoy it; in today’s society they would be very appreciative.