How can I compare Oliver Twist and Jane Eyre?
In comparing Oliver Twist to Jane Eyre, it might be a good idea to list their common themes and then explore those themes in greater depth.
Life is hard for orphans. Both Oliver and Jane are orphans and have to grow up in a harsh, unforgiving environment. They live at a time when there was no little or no government help or support for the poorest members of society, including children. And so they're pretty much at the mercy of adult authority figures, who proceed to treat them abominably. Which leads us on to our next theme.
Adults can be so cruel. Poor little Jane is treated abominably by Mrs. Reed and her vile progeny. Deprived of love and care, Jane is forced to live a cold, lonely existence in Gateshead. Things don't get much better when she heads off to Lowood School, where she's also singled out for...
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mistreatment.
Oliver is born and raised in a workhouse, a horrible place where he's overworked and never given enough to eat. Adult authority figures like Mr. Bumble treat him with contempt, and even when Oliver finally leaves the workhouse, he continues to be exploited. As well as the disgraceful treatment meted out to him by Noah Claypole, Oliver has to endure being used by criminals like Fagin and Bill Sikes to steal other people's property. As a result, Oliver is shot and almost killed in a burglary in which he's forced to participate by the unspeakable Sikes.
There's always hope. Despite their many adversities, both Oliver and Jane experience a happy ending. Jane marries the man she loves, Mr. Rochester, and Oliver ends up in the loving bosom of his late mother's family. The message in both cases seems to be that the prospect of entering into a strong, loving family provides hope for those who've had to endure such miserable childhoods as Oliver and Jane.
How can I compare the characters Oliver Twist and Jane Eyre?
Both Jane Eyre and Oliver Twist are characters from classic works of literature that are frequently referred to as examples of the cruel treatment of orphaned children during the Victorian era. Both Jane and Oliver are orphans who are subjected to abusive and cruel treatment as children in the orphanages where they are raised. Specific incidents of cruelty occur when both of these children attempt to stand up for themselves, or behave in ways that are seen as being insubordinate. For example, when Oliver Twist asks for more gruel because he is hungry, he is ridiculed and punished. He doesn't understand why he should be punished for this, and Oliver has a deep streak of compassion that seems strengthened by his own suffering. The same can be said for Jane Eyre, whose compassion is partly due to her suffering unfair treatment.
Jane Eyre is punished for having wavy hair, as well as for trying to spend time at the bedside of her friend Helen, who is dying of consumption. The cruel treatment she receives as a child strikes Jane as unfair, and she becomes quite outspoken when she sees unfair or cruel treatment of others. She does not allow herself to be treated unfairly when she reaches adulthood: she speaks firmly to Rochester when she thinks he is disregarding her feelings for him, and she refuses to live as his wife while Bertha is still alive, knowing she deserves better treatment.