Essay on The Portrayal of the Under Classes in Oliver Twist

The Portrayal of the Under Classes in Oliver Twist During the early 1800s a great number of people were living in extreme poverty. Dickens had grown up in a poor family. As his childhood was so awful he wrote the novel Oliver twist as a protest towards the way the poorer community were treated. This period of time was torrid for the underclass population, particularly the children. Orphaned children had only two choices. They could both live and work in workhouses or to live a life of crime. As the poor law was introduced most children were forced into workhouses. Dickens was strongly opposed to this routine. Conditions were abysmal, children were punished severely, for a week after the†¦show more content†¦The to options available to children in the early 1800s were not ideal. But it seems that crime was the lesser of two evils. Orphaned children would have better lives if they could get away with crime, but punishments for getting caught could be crippling. Dickens character, Fagin is described as a stereotypical criminal of this time. He is a wicked criminal dresses in a greasy flannel gown with his throat bare. For a master criminal it is ironic that he gets children to do his work for him. Children guard his hideout and a password is required to get in. Fagins safety and the success of his business depend on how well children of about ten or twelve do their jobs. Despite having a hideout with a password and a large gang working for him, he is very vulnerable considering the line of work he is in. A master criminal he is not, maybe he is just a poor Jew, dependant on poor children. Although Fagin is not an upper-class citizen, he is neither poor. The success of his business does pay off he sat down; and took from it a magnificent gold watch, sparkling with jewels. As a result Fagin is able to live life pretty much as he wants to. Although Fagin is a higher class than the children, including Oliver, he doesnt abuse his power for th e sakes of it. The workhouse master Mr Bumble imposed rules to emotionally harm the children Show MoreRelatedOliver Twist: A Look At Social And Economic Classes. .1741 Words   |  7 Pages Oliver Twist: A Look at Social and Economic Classes Ricas Jones English IV Ms. McQuirk 22 March 2017 Oliver Twist: A Look at Social and Economic Classes Charles Dickens’ uses Oliver Twist as a means of informing the masses of his views on the differences in the treatment of social and economic classes, while focusing primarily on the unfavorable treatment of the poor. 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