Podcast
Questions and Answers
Why do people who stay outside the workhouses often turn to crime?
Why do people who stay outside the workhouses often turn to crime?
- Because they are lazy
- To seek revenge against the wealthy
- To survive due to the lack of other options (correct)
- Because they are inherently criminal
What is the symbolic meaning of Oliver's inability to speak at his trial?
What is the symbolic meaning of Oliver's inability to speak at his trial?
- The lower class's lack of political power (correct)
- His guilt in the crime
- His lack of education
- His fear of the law
What was the basis of the right to vote in 1830s England?
What was the basis of the right to vote in 1830s England?
- Education
- Wealth (correct)
- Social status
- Age
What is the symbolic significance of Oliver being given false names?
What is the symbolic significance of Oliver being given false names?
What is the value system of the English legal system and the workhouses?
What is the value system of the English legal system and the workhouses?
What is the contrast between the Brownlow household and the English legal system?
What is the contrast between the Brownlow household and the English legal system?
What is the significance of Oliver finding a portrait of a woman he resembles?
What is the significance of Oliver finding a portrait of a woman he resembles?
What is the symbolic significance of Mr. Fang's character?
What is the symbolic significance of Mr. Fang's character?
What is one of the uncomfortable aspects of Oliver Twist from today's perspective?
What is one of the uncomfortable aspects of Oliver Twist from today's perspective?
How does Dickens describe Fagin's face?
How does Dickens describe Fagin's face?
What is Fagin's wealth obtained by?
What is Fagin's wealth obtained by?
Why does Dickens continually refer to Fagin as 'the Jew'?
Why does Dickens continually refer to Fagin as 'the Jew'?
What does Fagin's 'stern morality' manifest itself as?
What does Fagin's 'stern morality' manifest itself as?
What is the result of the 'stern morality' of charitable institutions?
What is the result of the 'stern morality' of charitable institutions?
What is Oliver's motivation to be actively employed?
What is Oliver's motivation to be actively employed?
What is Dickens's response to criticisms of his portrayal of Fagin?
What is Dickens's response to criticisms of his portrayal of Fagin?
Study Notes
Characterization of Fagin in Oliver Twist
- Fagin is characterized using Jewish stereotypes, portrayed as a "very old shrivelled Jew" with a "villainous-looking and repulsive face".
- His eyes "glisten" as he takes out a "magnificent gold watch, sparkling with jewels", reinforcing the stereotype of Jews as avaricious gold worshippers.
- Fagin's wealth is ill-gotten, obtained through having others do the thieving for him, and some of those others have been hanged for doing his bidding.
- Dickens refers to Fagin as "the Jew" or "the old Jew", making him a representative for all Jews.
Fagin as a Parody of the Protestant Work Ethic
- Fagin represents a harsh parody of the Protestant work ethic, emphasizing the importance of being "actively employed" to avoid "misery of idle and lazy habits".
- He punishes Charley and the Dodger by denying them dinner when they return home empty-handed, exemplifying the punitive nature of the work ethic.
The Poor and the English Legal System
- Victorians castigated the poor for laziness, but the work ethic they preached was partly responsible for creating the perversion of that ethic that Fagin represents.
- Paupers had to choose between the harsh conditions of the workhouses and the harsh conditions of the streets.
- Begging was a punishable offense, forcing those who stayed outside the workhouses to turn to crime to survive.
- Oliver's experience in the courtroom highlights the precarious position of the poor in the eyes of the law.
Oliver's Identity and Powerlessness
- Oliver's inability to speak at his trial, caused by his exhaustion and sickness, metaphorically suggests the lower class's lack of political power and ability to voice its own concerns in a public forum.
- In 1830s England, the right to vote was based on wealth, so the poor had no say with respect to the law.
- The upper classes projected their own conceptions of the poor upon them, redefining poor people's identities with no regard for the truth.
- Oliver's identity has been determined by other, more powerful people throughout his life, including his false name "Tom White" given by a court officer.
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Description
Analyze the characterization of Fagin in Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, exploring the use of Jewish stereotypes in the Victorian era.