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Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was a renowned English novelist and social critic, best known for his works such as 'Oliver Twist', 'A Christmas Carol', and 'David Copperfield'. 'Oliver Twist' follows the harrowing journey of an orphan who escapes a workhouse, encounters a gang of juvenile criminals, and ultimately finds kindness and a new family. The novel critiques social issues like poverty, child labor, and the harsh realities of 19th-century England, culminating in a story of redemption and justice.

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6 views12 pages

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was a renowned English novelist and social critic, best known for his works such as 'Oliver Twist', 'A Christmas Carol', and 'David Copperfield'. 'Oliver Twist' follows the harrowing journey of an orphan who escapes a workhouse, encounters a gang of juvenile criminals, and ultimately finds kindness and a new family. The novel critiques social issues like poverty, child labor, and the harsh realities of 19th-century England, culminating in a story of redemption and justice.

Uploaded by

Mihaela
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Charles Dickens

Oliver Twist
Charles John Huffam Dickens
(7 February 1812 - 9 June 1870)
Charles Dickens was an English novelist
and a social critic who created some of the
world's best-known fictional characters. He
is regarded by many as the greatest
novelist of the Victorian era. His novels and
short stories are widely read today. His
literary work was inspired by his own life
experiences and his characters by people
he had known in real life.
• Dickens’s family moved almost constantly throughout his
childhood
• He received little formal education, and in 1824, at the age
of 12, he was sent to work in a shoe blacking factory after
his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison, along with
his mother and most of his siblings
• This childhood poverty and feelings of abandonment,
although unknown to his readers until after his death, would
heavily influence his later views on social reform and forever
haunt the world he would create through his fiction
• At the age of 15 he returned to school, before he began his
literary career as a journalist
• Dickens's literary success began in 1836 and within a few
years, he had become an international literary celebrity,
famous for his humour, satire and keen observation of
character and society.
Among his most famous novels…
• Oliver Twist
• A Christmas Carol
• David Copperfield
• Hard Times
• A Tale of Two Cities
• Great Expectations
Oliver Twist
• The story follows an orphan, who, after being raised in a workhouse,
escapes to London, where he meets a gang of juvenile pickpockets
led by the elderly criminal Fagin, discovers the secrets of his
parentage, and reconnects with his remaining family.
• The sordid lives of criminals and the cruel treatment of the many
orphans in London in the mid-19th century are exposed in the novel
• Dickens satirises child labour, domestic violence, the recruitment of
children as criminals, and the presence of street children
The main characters
• Oliver Twist – an orphan child whose mother died at his birth
• Fagin – fence and boss of a criminal gang of young boys and girls
• Bill Sikes – a professional burglar
• Nancy – one of Fagin's gang, now living with Bill Sikes
• Mr Brownlow – a kind gentleman who takes Oliver in, his first
benefactor
Major themes and symbols
• poverty and social class
• the effects of industrialism on 19th-century England
• criticism on the harsh new Poor Laws
• corruption and degradation
• child labour
• juvenile delinquency
Short summary
• Oliver Twist, an orphan with an unknown father, is adopted under harsh
conditions in a workhouse. He is underfed, malnourished, and exposed to
various dangers. At the age of nine, Oliver starts working, picking oakum,
and still receives very little food. After requesting more food, Oliver is
punished and considered a troublemaker, leading to his placement with
Mr. Sowerberry, a coffin maker and undertaker.
• At Mr. Sowerberry's, Oliver becomes an apprentice and later a professional
mourner. However, jealousy from fellow apprentice Noah leads to false
accusations against Oliver, resulting in more beatings. Eventually, Oliver
decides to run away and head for London.
• Upon arriving in London, Oliver is taken in by Jack and
introduced to Fagin and his gang of pickpockets. Oliver is
unaware of their criminal activities and believes they are
hardworking boys. Eventually, he inadvertently gets involved in
their criminal endeavors and is kidnapped back to Fagin after
escaping.
• Oliver’s journey changes when he encounters Mr. Brownlow, a
compassionate man whose kindness alters Oliver's life
trajectory. This shows how Dickens demonstrates the impact of
one's environment and benevolent intervention on a person's
fate.
• Oliver receives his inheritance and is eventually adopted by Mr.
Brownlow. Fagin and his gang receive their due punishment. The
story has a happy ending, it concludes with happiness and
justice and reveals the continuous triumph of good over evil.

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