CHARLES DICKENS, Oliver Twist (1837-1838), Chapter II

Analysis

The extra starts with Oliver’s description, both physical and psychological. Adjectives from the field of the little are used for his physics, instead the one from the strong’s one for his psyche. As regards his physics he is “small, diminutive, pale and thin” due to the few food, and on the other hand his spirit is “good and sturdy”. Then, it’s his ninth birthday, but he won’t celebrate it because he has to work.

Secondly, the description moves to the meal-room. It is huge and the master with his assistances is near the container, giving the daily  food ration to the boys: gruel.  They would have had more if it had been an occasion of great public rejoicing. So, because of the poor food, the boys are always hungry. In particular, there’s one who comes from a cook-shop, and he isn’t able to fit the situation.  For this reason he threatens his mates to eat his bed-neighbor unless he’ll receive some more food.

All the boys meets each other and  decide that Oliver Twist has to ask for another portion of food. So, the next day this happens. The master was shocked like his assistances, and calls the beadle. According to them, Oliver’s request has been so offensive that he’ll be hung.

Let’s focus on Dickens’ use of the language. Right from the beginning the reader finds the two Victorian typical narrative techniques, that is pathos and grotesque.

With reference to the first one, the plot itself shows it: it’s Oliver’s ninth birthday, so he’s a child, but he won’t celebrate because he has to work. Then Dickens is underling it as much as possible. For instance, when Oliver is asking for some more, he tells that “Child as he was reckless with misery” putting the connotation “child” at the beginning of the sentence emphasizing more.

As regards the grotesque, you can find it in the characters: they’re exaggerated in their positive or in their negative aspects.  As an example, the hungry boy appears are too hungry! Indeed he’s even too tall for his age and even his eyes are hungry too. Furthermore, he could even kill one of his mates and eat his meat. Another example is the master: he’s too mean because he is used to giving a little food portion to children and to not wash their “plates”. And physical approach with them is terrible in particular with Oliver, that is pinioning him.

These two techniques mixed together creates realism. So the text appears true and authentic and a Victorian reader compares himself with the characters. And a children work-house’s master who read an episode like this would have thought “I’m not so mean!”. Therefore the text would have had his alibi’s function.

Another point is the Victorian reality and its contradiction. The first one is explained by the references to the raw materials, that is to Industrial Revolution’s products. For instance, Oliver passes his birthday in the coal-cellar so in an underground room used for storing coal and the food copper is made by metal. Instead, the Victorian contradiction is dealt with the characters themselves. The hungry boy is an exaggeration of cruelest due to his appetite, because he would even have eaten one of the friends. But, he nudges Oliver, that is pushing him gently, so he’s even kind with his friends. And the master appears fat and healthy, which isn’t a normal approach.