The extract is taken from "Oliver Twist" written by Charles Dickens during the 1837 and the 1838. It is a Victorian novel and portrayed the ill-treatment of children in the workhouses.

Summary:
Oliver Twist and his mates were very hungry. One of his mates said that he was very hungry and he might eat one of them while they were sleeping. So they decided to ask more food to the their master and raffled Oliver to do it. During the dinner, Oliver went to his master, Mr. Bumble, saying that he wanted some more supper, and his master, angry about the request, ran screaming to his superior: Mr. Limbkins.

Analysis:
The extract is set in the dining hall of a workhouse during the dinner. The room is not directly described but the reader can understand how the room is made from the narration of the events. The writer, describing the little food portions that were served to the boys, tried to convey the conditions of children abuse and the suffering from hunger. For example he repeated more times words that refers to hunger: "starvation", "hunger", "basin", "gruel", "eat", "supper", "copper", "basin", "spoon" and "dietary"; and words that refers to ill-treatment: "suffered", "tender" and "fear".
The third person narrator is omniscient and intrusive because he reveals characters' thoughts and filters description with connotative devices. The scene is mainly portrayed with exaggerated and comic features that provoke laughter and weaken the tragic element. Even if the grotesque is exploited in characterizing the masters, hyperbole is also used in referring to the children: the decision they take in group is associated to a council, that is not an adequate lexical choice. The device emphasizes their great desire to change situation but also their naive optimism that attributes themselves more power than they actually have.
On the other side children's description is full of sad images about their hunger (pathos), underlined by the alliteration (suffered...slow starvation); in order to underline their bad condition, the novelist also resorts to a comic image (the cannibal children) and to the antithesis (long grace - short commons).
The master is characterized with grotesque features: his great body mass (stationed), his authoritarian attitude (uniform, exaggerated lexical choice to render his dress), his reaction (very pale). He seems to be an authority - and he also feels like that - but he actually depends on other men; however he is juxtaposed to the children (fat - small) and to the servants to convey the idea of his superior position.
The hyperbole used to introduce Mr Bumble (solemn conclave, high chair) recalls the lower middle class' attempt to enrich themselves and acquire a prestigious social position.
The overall effect on the reader is the absence of identification with the evil masters and a sense of pity towards the children.