Essay about ‘Twist’ed Outcomes - 1359 Words

Oliver Twist, a novel written by Charles Dickens during the Victorian Era, chronicles the life of a small young boy. Oliver, an orphan grows up in a workhouse in severe and harsh conditions. Placed under the subjugation of the upper class, Oliver is taken for granted to be corrupt and immoral because he is unlearned and poor. However, this stereotype is soon faulted when Oliver turns out to be an innocent and sympathetic boy whose fate is inadvertently tragic. Even with such disadvantages, it is Oliver’s looks of innocence and lack of evil inside him that enables him to rise out from poverty. His innocence is the tool that allows Oliver to escape life at the bottom of society. It is also the trait that brings many people to pity him and†¦show more content†¦Little Oliver Twist lay on his back on the pavement with his shirt unbuttoned and his temples bathed with water, his face a deadly white, and a cold tremble convulsing his whole frame. ‘Poor boy, poor boy!â⠂¬â„¢ said Mr. Brownlow, bending over him. ‘Call a coach, somebody, pray. Directly! ’ A coach was obtained, and Oliver, having been carefully laid on one seat, the old gentleman got in and sat himself on the other.† (107). When Mr. Brownlow first sees Oliver, he pities Oliver because he is a wretched child manipulated by the crime world. Unlike a criminal, Oliver has the look of innocence that forces others to pay sympathy toward him and treat him with gentleness and kindness. It is with this example that shows that Dickens is protesting that not everyone who is poor and helpless deserve what they receive. Instead he is saying that everyone should be allowed a second chance to redeem themselves. In this case, Oliver’s appearance has allowed him to be taken care by Brownlow himself. Instead of being left to die on the streets of London, Oliver is taken to the estate of a very wealthy man to be nursed back to health. With this occurrence, Dickens has shown foresight of Oliver beginning his journey to trace his family lineage and claim his family’s name and therefore rise up in society. After Oliver is nurtured back to health by Mr. Brownlow, he is sent to return books back to the library. When he accidentally makes a wrong turn, he encounters Bill and Nancy and they