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Questions and Answers
What is the complication in Dickens's argument?
What does Mr. Sowerberry enlist Oliver to serve in?
What does Toby Crackit note about Oliver's face?
What does Mr. Brownlow see in Oliver's face?
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What does Dickens protest against?
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What does Oliver's face not give him immunity against?
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What does Mr. Bumble name Oliver as a child born of?
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What does Mr. Bumble show Mr. Brownlow?
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What does Oliver have to back up his word?
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What is required for Oliver to have a legal existence?
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Study Notes
Oliver Twist: Corruption and Identity
- Dickens argues that corruption is bred by horrible living conditions, not innate characteristics, but Oliver's face suggests morality can be born into character.
- Oliver's innocent-looking face is worth money to the thieves, and Mr. Brownlow sees a resemblance between Oliver and the woman in the portrait, hinting at Oliver's hidden identity.
Poverty and Identity
- Dickens protests the idea that the poor are born with an affinity for vice and crime, as stated by Mr. Bumble.
- Bumble stereotypes the poor as inheriting a criminal nature, citing Oliver's attack on Noah Claypole as evidence.
- Oliver's attempt to define his identity on his own terms is seen as "low and vicious" by Bumble.
Power Dynamics
- As the middle-class beadle for a workhouse, Bumble has the power of the state to define Oliver's identity and speak for him.
- Oliver, on the other hand, only has his own word to back up his identity.
- The poor have no legal existence outside of the workhouse unless they commit a crime and enter the courtroom.
Society's Perception of the Poor
- The poor are reduced to a public existence as criminals, corpses, and "idle, lazy" paupers living on state charity.
- The state chooses to recognize their existence only when they commit crimes, die, or enter the workhouses.
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