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d-k
d-k
Student
High School - 10th Grade

What do you learn about Dicken's attitude towards children in this extract from "Oliver Twist"? (Chapter 2)

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Posted by d-k on Wednesday July 16, 2008 at 11:15 AM and tagged with authors attitude, children, oliver twist.

Answers:

  1. missrice
    missrice Teacher
    Community / Jr. College

    It's clear that he finds the theories about raising children in his day were foolish.  Because this passage is full of sarcasm, one can read the underlying tone (and attitude about children) by looking at the superlatives that he uses: for example, the sentence "Everybody knows the story of another experimental philosopher who had a great theory about a horse being able to live without eating," immediately highlights that the theory is pure drivel and extremely unsuccessful (far from great!).  Therefore, Dickens implies, anyone who applies the same theory to children would be quite idiotic.  We can then assume that Dickens feels children should be treated in a manner far from this method.

    Another phrase to look at is "He was brought up by hand." (second sentence).  This has a double meaning.  An animal "brought up by hand" is one that has been cared for by the hands and extra attention of the owner.  However, in this context it is highly ironic, because the only hands that touch Oliver are raised in cruelty.  Dickens uses this specific phrase to show his disapproval of cruel treatment of children and implies that they don't even get the care given to farm animals. 

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/oliver-twist-text/chapter-ii

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    Posted by missrice on Wednesday August 13, 2008 at 9:21 PM