Charles Dickens Oliver Twist or Hard Times
Charles Dickens Oliver Twist or Hard Times
Charles Dickens Oliver Twist or Hard Times
PUBLICATION ARTICLE
By:
SRI JUMIATI
A320110035
Sri Jumiati
Dewi Candraningrum
Titis Setyabudi
ABSTRACT
On the contrary, Fagin and his gang are becoming the working class.
In order to defend their life, those people are doing crime in a form of picking
pocket. Bites, Jack Dawkins and other childern are participated in crime in
order to avoid the death in hunger.
“Oliver Twist was an companions suffered the tortures of slow starvation
for three months, at last they got so voracious and wild with hunger, that
one boy, who was tall for his age, and hadn’t been used to that sort of
thing (for his father had kept a small cook-shop), hinted darkly to his
companions, that unless he had another basin of gruel per diem, he was
affraid he might some night happen to eat the boy who slept next him ...
(Dickens, 1837: 14).
‘He was badged and ticketed, and fell into his place at once—a
parishchild—the orphan of workhouse—the humble, half-starved
drudge—despised by all, and pitied by none’ (Dickens, 1837: 3).
Althought the poor people work hard, but they would not get the equal
salary. The owner of authority covertly corrupts that.
‘…To the workhouse, they found out at once, what ordinary folks
wouldnever have discovered—the poor people liked it! It was a regular
placeof public entertainment for the poorer classes; a tavern where there
wasnothing to pay; a public breakfast, dinner, tea, and supper all the
yearround; a brick and mortar elysium, where it was all play and no
work.’ (Dickens, 1837: 11)
Then tell me this, said the doctor, both of you! Both of you! Are you
going to take upon yourselves to swear that that boy upstairs is the boy
that was put through the little window last night! ” (Dickens, 1837:341).
It can be concluded that Mrs. Mann is the selfish woman, without giving
any care to the childern, although the childern are going died in hunger.
“this was no very great consolation to the child. Young as he was,
however, he had sense enough to make a freint of feeling great regret at
going away. It was no very difficult matter for the boy to call tears into
his eyes. Hunger and recent ill-usage are ggreat assistances if you want to
cry, and Oliver cried very naturally indeed“ (Dickens, 1837:14).
“He should seem too hungry when he got to workhouse. With the slice of
bread in his hand, and the little brown-cloth parish cap on his head
(Dickens, 1837:14).
The narration above shows to the reader that how hunger and poor cloth
are covered Oliver in Parrish. He seems too hunger to go to workhouse with
Mr. Bumble. Afterwards, other selfish is coming from London as reflected in
Oliver Twist novel. After Sikes killed Nancy, Fagin hates Sikes, because
actually Nancy can provide money for Fagin. In his selfish, Fagin always wants
to be the owner of everything include authorized the childern. But in that fact,
mostly Nancy is controlled by Sikes.
‘On Rose, sweet, gentle girl! My heart is set, as firmly as ever heart
ofman was set on woman. I have no thought, no view, no hope in
life,beyond her; and if you oppose me in this great stake, you take my
peaceand happiness in your hands, and cast them to the wind. Mother,
thinkbetter of this, and of me, and do not disregard the happiness of
which you seem to think so little” (Dickens, 1837: 248)
Rich people would marry with the people in the same classes. But in the
Oliver Twist novel, Dikens presents the opponent. The intermarriage between
Marry and Harry would become the example of the intermarriage.
5. Science And Technology
In Oliver Twist novel, Dickens mostly reveals the social problem in
England. Although some event draw the use of technology, but that is not too
much. For example, when Oliver is asked by Harry to write a message. In that
day, Harry would leave London and he asks Oliver to address that letter to
General office (Dickens, 1837:262).
The other product of technology is that when Oliver started his life as
labor. The use of coal cellar is revelad in Oliver Twist novel.
“So, you will begin to pick oakum tomorrow morning at six o’clock,
added the surly one in the white waistcoat ” (Dickens, 1837: 12).
“... and he was keeping it in the coal-cellar with a select party ” (Dickens,
1837: 5)
Young Oliver Twist becomes the picker oakum with all childern in a
workhouse. The result of the childern work would be sold to the ship-builders.
3. Oppression Analysis
a. Exploitation
The first exploitation is clearly presented by Dickens in the
beginning of the story. Covering by poverty, Oliver starts his life in a infarm
house with the cruel old woman. Afterwards, Mrs. Mann, the old woman
covertly corrupts the costs which is provided to that child by pretending that
all are going to be normal.
“... that oliver should be farmed or in other words, that he should
dispathced to a branch-workhouse some three miles-off, where twenty or
thirty other juvenile offeders againts the poor-laws, rolled about the floor
all day, without inconvenience of too much food or too much clooting,
under the parental superintendence of an eldery female, who recieved the
culprits at and for the consideration of seven pence-halfpenny per small
head per week (Dickens, 1837:4).
The childern must work by having very low wages and of course
their living without proper clotes and food. The second form of exploitation
is coming from Fagin. He takes care of the unlucky childern, he feeds them
kindly. Afterwards the childern must do all the Fagin’s command.
“Going to London? Said the strange boy, when Oliver had at length
concluded.
“Yes”.
“Got any Lodgings?”
“No”.
“Money?”
“No”.(Dickens, 1837:55).
Dickens depicts how pity Oliver Twist is. Homeless and hunger
become part of his now.
‘...I suppose you want some some place to sleep in tonight, don’t you?”
“I do. Indeed, answered Oliver “ I have not slept under roof since I left
the country” (Dickens, 1837:55).
“I’ve got to be in London tonight, and I know a’ specable old gentelmen
as lives there, won’ll give you lodgings for nothink, and never ask for the
change, that is, is any genelmen, he knows interduces you”” (Dickens,
1837:54).
“offering you something for nothing and never ask change ” (Dickens,
1837:54).
Oliver has nothing to defend his life. So, after Fagin lets him to
stay in his incredible house, unconsiously Oliver is becoming the part of
the master crime.
“it is my living, and the cold,wet, dirty street are my home, and you’re
the wretch that drove me to them long long ago, and that I’ll keep me
there, day and night, day and night,, till I die!” (Dickens, 1837:116).
Fagin creates a good image in order to steal the childern’s heart, then
all he has done seems that he is really kind man by helping them who are
homeless and powerless. But it would be harsh in the end. Fagin destroys
the youth age of childern. Putting them into crime and sending the girl
namely Nancy and Betsy in evil of prostitution.
b. Marginalization
In Oliver Twist novel, Dicken has been presenting the form
marginalization, when young Oliver Twist was born from poor family
which has no father. Even he is authorized by other people.
‘…Oliver should be “farmed”, or, in other words, that he should
bespatched to a branch-workhouse some three miles off, where twenty
orthirty other juvenile offenders against the poor laws, rolled about
floorall day, without the inconvenience of too much food or too
muchclothing…’ ! (Dickens, 1837: 4).
By declaring new regulation to the society that ten hours for childern
to work and the unequal wages are the prove that those people have been
marginalized. Even they are recognized as the citizen but the fact that they
have no right. It seems that they are not part of the society. all of the
working class also feel the same thing. Their existance and their affliction
seems never be seen by the goverment. They are people who live in the
society but the fact is that they do not belong in it.
c. Powerlessness
The first powerlessness in Oliver Twist is the moment when Oliver
would be sent in Mr. Sowerberry, a dreadful man. Because there is no
power on him, so Oliver Twist must follow and obey this horrible decission.
Oliver’s unwillingness can be found in this statement:
“Oliver fell on knees, and clasping his hands together, prayed that they
would order him back to the dark room- that they would strave him-beat
him-kill him if they pleased-rather than send him away with that dreadful
man” (Dickens, 1837:22).
Those who are having skill could be worked, but they have small
wages. In the other hand, human definitely need food and place to live.
However, poverty spreads inside the society quickly. some woman are
becoming the prostitute. “She is honour by her sex” (Dickens, 1837:46).
Dickens presents Nancy and Betsy as the prostitute. In order to defend their
life, they would do anything to avoid hunger and death. Injustice,
unemployment, poverty, creating new law, crime and changing of attitude
are the most serious problem that definitely bring the society into a
affliction or even death.
e. Violence
Firstly, it is coming Noah. Humilitaion of Oliver’s mother makes
Oliver does a horrible action by hiting Noah.
“Crimson with fury, Oliver start-up overthrew the chair and table,
seized Noah by the throat, shook him in the violence of his rage,
till his teeth chatered in his head, and collecting his whole force
into one heavy blow, felled him to the ground” (Dickens, 1837:43).
1) Indirect Violence
Indirect violence can be found when Noah humiliate Oliver.
Noah is arrogant boy who hate Oliver and he always humiliate Oliver.
“Yer know, continoued Noah emboldened by Oliver’s silence, ans
speaking in jeering tone of affected pity, of all tones are annoying,
“Yer know Work’us, it is can’t be helped now, and of course yer
couldn’t help it then, and I’m very sorry for it, and I’m really sure
we all are, and pity yer very much. But yer must know, work’us,
yer mother was a regular-down bad’un” (Dickens, 1873:43).
“What did you say?” (Dickens, 1837:43).
“A regular-down bad’un Work’us” said Noah (Dickens, 1837:57).
D. Conclusion
Having analysis in both chapter IV and V, the reseacher would like to
present the following conclusion. The first, the great author Charles Dickens
depicts the social condition of England society since the existance of indutrial
revolution in the late of ninetenth century as reflected in Oliver Twist novel
which is published in 1873. The issue such as injustice include oppression is
becoming the most important view which Dickens emphasizes. Secondly,
Secondly, Charles Dickens critizes the social condition inside the country which
reveal the social injustice such as oppression which is divided into five parts,
namely exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism and
the last is violence. It also reveals the needs of goverment to create justice in
order in creating peace and save childern. By having rapid technology especially
in a form of using machine so manual work which is done by hand, rapidly
changed by machine. So that’s why unemployment problem increases rapidly.
The oppression which is divided into five parts namely exploitation,
marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism and the last is violence.
The harness of the enviorement makes the poor people become powerless such
Dickens presents in the novel, in the major character namely Oliver Twist and
all childern inside Fagin’s house, so that’s way, because there is no power to
control theirself, poor people are being exploited. The exploitation leads the
violence and marginalization. And if those things are in a big number, the
cultural imperialism could not be avoided. For instance in England society, the
consequences of the harshness of the inviorement makes the poeple become
selfish. There is no respect on role anymore, in order to defend their life from
the death.
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