Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens, a nineteenth century writer, tells a story about a
young boy in England and the adventures that happen to him. In reading
the book the reader becomes entwined in the plot by Dickens^ÃÂs expert
writing and style. Using different scenes and scenarios, Dickens
displays his characters' personality in a way the few other writers
could. In the book Oliver Twist, Dickens uses different events that
happen around Oliver instead letting Oliver decide his own fate. In the
book, other characters determine Oliver^ÃÂs path in life, and Oliver is
the subject around which the story revolves. The accidents in the story
give depth to Oliver and add depth to the story that increases elements
of mystery and suspense.
In the beginning of the book, Mrs. Thingummy is helping Oliver^ÃÂs mother
give birth to the young child. Mrs. Thingummy takes charge of Oliver^ÃÂs
life just as he is born by stealing Oliver^ÃÂs only link with his father,
his mother^ÃÂs husband.
Detail of an original George Cruikshank engraving ...
"Please, sir, I want some more." From Oliver Twist...
English: Frontispiece first edition "Oliver Twist"...Stealing the mother^ÃÂs ring also commits Oliver to
a life of lower social status because of his supposed illegitimacy.
Oliver moves to the dark forces in the book when he starts with
absolutely nothing from his very birth. The sides of good and evil,
light and dark respectively, are also devices used by Dickens to display
different sides of the social coin in England. Accidents tie in closely
with this device because it is by accident that Oliver transferres to
one side or another. After spending time in the dark forces, Oliver
then switches back to the light side by a run in with Mr. Brownlow, a
compassionate citizen who pities Oliver and later takes care of him. Of
all the people that Oliver could run into Mr. Brownlow happens to be one
of those people...