Book Review on Oliver Twist

Running head: BOOK REVIEW ON OLIVER TWIST
Book Review on Oliver Twist
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1BOOK REVIEW ON OLIVER TWIST
Oliver Twist is the name of second book of Charles Dickens that was at the outset
published as serial in between 1837-39. The book talks about the orphan called Oliver Twist
who was born in workhouse and was sold into the apprenticeship. The book is famous for the
unromantic portrayal of the criminals by Dickens along with their sordid lives. It exposes
cruel treatment of the poor orphans that was prevalent in London in mid-19th century (Powell
and Smith 2017). The essay discusses about the philosophical along with the sociological
critique in relation to the plot. The essay also talks about class and the rights of the children.
The essay also elaborates about the role of the adult and the rights of the children within the
early years setting.
The book talks about how Dickens has challenged discrepancies of the society within
the novel. Story of the book unfolded in England in the 19th century at the time of Industrial
Revolution. Charles Dickens was social reformer and he have thrown light on prevailing
issues of the time in the book. The book talks about the class differences along with the issue
of child labour. Childhood refers to time when the children engage themselves in play and
grow so that they can become productive members of society (Wright 2014). There exist
various children characters in book but the primary focus is on the protagonist called Oliver
Twist who is shown as having harsh childhood experience. Contemporary trends in relation
to sociology focus on significance of narratives of children that is slowly emerging in the
present age (Devarakonda 2012). Childhood lays stress on general state in being child and it
talks about the existence of a separate social group. The children of the Victorian age was
expected to be dutiful and they were taught of not complaining in any kind of a situation. The
book at the initial phase shows Oliver to be feeble and when he escapes to the London he
starts exhibiting excessive amounts of the emotion. In the event of Oliver Twist being shown
to Board, natural reaction of gentle child within unknown environment would be of crying.
Oliver Twist is called a fool and the outburst of his emotions prevents him from being

2BOOK REVIEW ON OLIVER TWIST
adopted by the chimney sweep master (Smith 2018). The book portrays how the poor
children were vulnerable in the Victorian age that subjugated them to lead a tortuous life.
The book reveals how the Victorian children were exploited in factories, workhouses
along with the mines. The book shows that Victorians felt affection for the fictional orphans
along with the ailing infants (Powell and Smith 2017). Mr Brownlow was a victim of
pickpockets and he regarded Oliver as the child and it was later on followed by the Maylies.
He starts to worry regarding the condition owing to fact that boy was beaten by the pursuers
and he became ill within the jail. The witness arrived so that his innocence can be proved that
prevented Oliver from being sentenced to three months of the hard labour (Millar and Ball
2017). Towards the end of the novel, Dickens went along with Mr. Brownlow for speaking
with Fagin when it was stated by the police officer that “it’s not sight for children”
(Ebooks.adelaide.edu.a 2019). The book thus highlights the sociological concept that the
children were weak and would not be able to tolerate violence and painful events.
Oliver Twist belonged to middle class family and the novel bears testimony to the
class differences existing within the Victorian society. It shows that children who were from
the affluent family were meted out different treatment as compared to those people who came
from the poor families (Blundell 2012). Differences pertaining to treatment of the children
was evident in the words of the nurse who stated that, “They would have treated him better, if
they had known it all” (Ebooks.adelaide.edu.a 2019). She was proclaiming this while she
was on deathbed and it means that Oliver would have been treated in a different manner if the
people had known that he was no ordinary orphan.
The book shows that that prison system meted out harsh treatment to the children. The
book shows this with the help of remark of Rose when she says that, “before you let them
drag this sick child to a prison, which in any case must be the grave of all his chances of