OLIVER WANTS SOME MORE – CAP.2

The text “Oliver wants some more” is the second chapter of “Oliver twist”, written by Charles Dickens.

The intelligent reader understands that Oliver, the main character, is passing a bad moment and he wants to search something that can make him happier.

The story develops into three parts: dialogue, narration and description; the second chapter id dedicated to describe social problems of Dickens’period.

The first part of chapter describes the sentimental condition of Oliver and his friends. One night one child threatened to eat the boy who slept near him because he was so hungry. A council was held: someone had to ask for more food, Oliver Twist had to do it. In the second part Dickens describes the moment of the dinner and describes the Oliver’s feelings. Finally, the last part of the chapter is characterized by the sentence “Child as he was, he was disperate with hunger, and reckless with misery”. The request made by Oliver paralyzed the master and the assistants and at the end the director of the workhouse, Mr. Libkins, decided to offer five pounds to “anybody who would take Oliver Twist off the hands of parish.”

Dickens wants to underline the bad conditions of life that the boys of the workhouses live and he makes a detailed description of them. The intentions of Dickens are to criticize high social classes and as results, the narrator, is pity for the children.

The reader notes that Dickens uses the external narrator, according to the role of commenting the events. Indeed, the narrator had to be external to the story if he wants to judge happenings.

Concluding, Dickens highlights that they don’t spend money for children’s food but at the same time they spend money for usless things.