The Social Significance of Dickens’s Oliver Twist.doc

The Social Significance of Dickens’s Oliver Twist Thesis statement: This thesis is to analyze the social significance of Dickens’s Oliver Twist. 1．Introduction 1.1 Biography of Charles Dickens 1.2 Summary of Oliver Twist 2．Background of the novel 2.1 Definition of the first Industrial Revolution 2.2 The reflect of the first Industrial Revolution 3．Hopes of Charles Dickens 4．Conclusion Abstract: In the novel of Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens takes us to the dark underworld of London in Victorian age. He shows us the rotten and absurd of upper strata organization in the United Kingdom#. Meanwhile, he was filled with a kind of hope that people will live a wonderful life. Key words: Charles Dickens； Bourgeoisie； low class people； the first Industrial Revolution The Social Significance of Dickens’s Oliver Twist 1. Introduction Oliver Twist, one of the most famous works of Charles Dickens’s, is a novel reflecting the tragic fact of the life in Britain in 18th century. The author who himself was born in a poor family wrote this novel in his twenties with a view to reveal the ugly masks of those cruel criminals and to expose the horror and violence hidden underneath the narrow and dirty streets in London. 1.1 Biography of Charles Dickens Charles Dickens, the son of John and Elizabeth Dickens, was born in Landport on February 7, 1812. John Dickens worked as a clerk at the Navy pay office in Portsmouth. He later found work in Chatham and Charles, the second of seven children, went to the local school. John Dickens found it difficult to provide for his growing family on his meager income. In 1822 the family moved to Camden Town in London John. Dickens debts had become so severe that all the household goods were sold. Still unable to satisfy his creditors, John Dickens was arrested and sent to Marshalsea Prison. Charles, now aged twelve, found work at Warrens Blacking Factory, where he was paid six shillings a week wrapping shoe-black bottles. Six months after being sen