OLIVER TWIST 168 YEARS OF A CLASSIC TALE

Charles Dickens, the author

Dickens’ Short Biography Born in the south of England in 1812; Born in the south of England in 1812; Had a poor childhood; Had a poor childhood; His father was arrested when he was 12, which led him to work in a factory for a small pay; His father was arrested when he was 12, which led him to work in a factory for a small pay; He had to label bottles in a shoe polish factory and he worked for many hours a day. He had to label bottles in a shoe polish factory and he worked for many hours a day.

Dickens’ Short Biography When he was 15, he started working in an office. The payment was still short but he had many friends there; When he was 15, he started working in an office. The payment was still short but he had many friends there; In 1833, he started writing stories and became famous and rich; In 1833, he started writing stories and became famous and rich; He died in 1870, at the age of 58. He died in 1870, at the age of 58.

HIS WORK His most famous books are: Oliver Twist (1838), Oliver Twist (1838), A Christmas Carol (1843), A Christmas Carol (1843), Bleak House (1853), Bleak House (1853), A Tale of Two Cities (1859), A Tale of Two Cities (1859), Great Expectations (1861), and Great Expectations (1861), and Our Mutual Friend (1864). Our Mutual Friend (1864).

A View of England in the 19th Century Industrial Revolution; Industrial Revolution; People leaving the country in search of jobs and richness in the city; People leaving the country in search of jobs and richness in the city;

A View of England in the 19th Century Social problems: poverty, homelessness and hunger; Social problems: poverty, homelessness and hunger; Increasing number of working children; Increasing number of working children; Pickpocket gangs start to pop up; Pickpocket gangs start to pop up; Creation of workhouses. Creation of workhouses.

WORKHOUSES: Places where poor people could sleep and eat, but they had to work hard in exchange. They had no payment and the food was bad. In the workhouses there were Masters, Matrons and Beadles.

WORKHOUSES: Masters - men in charge of the house; Masters - men in charge of the house; Matrons - women responsible for other women and the children living in the workhouses; Matrons - women responsible for other women and the children living in the workhouses; Beadles – men who controled the boys, they usually carried a stick to punish them. Beadles – men who controled the boys, they usually carried a stick to punish them.

Main characters: Oliver Twist Oliver Twist Mr Bumble (the beadle of the workhouse) Mr Bumble (the beadle of the workhouse) Mr Sowerberry (the undertaker) Mr Sowerberry (the undertaker) Fagin (the gang's leader) Fagin (the gang's leader) Jack Dawkins (the Artful Dodger) Jack Dawkins (the Artful Dodger) Charley Bates (Jack's best friend) Charley Bates (Jack's best friend) Bill Sikes (a violent thief) Bill Sikes (a violent thief) Nancy (Bill's girlfriend) Nancy (Bill's girlfriend) Mr Brownlow (a good man who helps Oliver ) Mr Brownlow (a good man who helps Oliver ) Rose Maylie and her aunt, Mrs Maylie Rose Maylie and her aunt, Mrs Maylie Monks (Oliver's half brother) Monks (Oliver's half brother)

OLIVER TWIST’S SUMMARY Oliver Twist is a Victorian novel with the following plot: Oliver is born in a workhouse; Oliver is born in a workhouse; He becomes an orphan at birth; He becomes an orphan at birth; Leads an unhappy life at the workhouse until the day he asks for more food; Leads an unhappy life at the workhouse until the day he asks for more food; The Master decides to sell him as an apprentice; The Master decides to sell him as an apprentice; He runs away to London where he joins Fagin’s gang. He runs away to London where he joins Fagin’s gang. Oliver meets Mr Brownlow who adopts him; Oliver meets Mr Brownlow who adopts him; He starts leading a happy life, like all children deserve. He starts leading a happy life, like all children deserve.

THE CORE The book shows the absurd situations created by poverty and social injustice, and the matter of child abuse in the Victorian society; The book shows the absurd situations created by poverty and social injustice, and the matter of child abuse in the Victorian society; It also shows that there is good and evil everywhere; It also shows that there is good and evil everywhere; Despite all sufferings he lived and all bad situations he faced, Oliver remained pure at heart. Despite all sufferings he lived and all bad situations he faced, Oliver remained pure at heart.

Some Adaptations: About 20 theatrical, TV and movies performances; About 20 theatrical, TV and movies performances; The first one: 1909 (USA, black and white, silent movie); The first one: 1909 (USA, black and white, silent movie); The most famous: 1948 by David Lean (USA, black and white); The most famous: 1948 by David Lean (USA, black and white); 1960 – Oliver! - Musical play running for 6 years on London’s stages; 1960 – Oliver! - Musical play running for 6 years on London’s stages; Oliver! is adapted by Carol Reed for the big screen (USA, colored, musical) Oliver! is adapted by Carol Reed for the big screen (USA, colored, musical).

More adaptations: 1988 – Disney’s cartoon Oliver & Company – Oliver is an orphan cat who meets a dog called Dodger; 1988 – Disney’s cartoon Oliver & Company – Oliver is an orphan cat who meets a dog called Dodger; TV movie starring Richard Dreyfuss as Fagin and Elijah Wood as The Artful Dodger; TV movie starring Richard Dreyfuss as Fagin and Elijah Wood as The Artful Dodger; 2003 – Drugs and male prostitution in the plot (Canada); 2003 – Drugs and male prostitution in the plot (Canada); 2005 – Roman Polanski’s acclaimed version – Roman Polanski’s acclaimed version.

Roman Polanski Son of a Polish Jew with a Russian immigrant; Son of a Polish Jew with a Russian immigrant; Was born in Paris and moved to Poland before the beginning of the II World War, when he was still a child; Was born in Paris and moved to Poland before the beginning of the II World War, when he was still a child; His family was separated when the Germans invaded Poland; His family was separated when the Germans invaded Poland; His mother died in a nazi camp; His mother died in a nazi camp;

Roman Polanski He lived in a Jewish ghetto (Krokow Ghetto), in Poland; He lived in a Jewish ghetto (Krokow Ghetto), in Poland; He once described his escape from the ghetto, when he had to walk many miles with torn shoes and bleeding feet (painful passage shown in the movie scene when Oliver walks to London); He once described his escape from the ghetto, when he had to walk many miles with torn shoes and bleeding feet (painful passage shown in the movie scene when Oliver walks to London);

Roman Polanski He used the memories of his unhappy childhood to remake the movie; He used the memories of his unhappy childhood to remake the movie; He surely recognizes himself in Oliver Twist’s story; He surely recognizes himself in Oliver Twist’s story; He’s famous for the dark and mysterious atmosphere created in his movies. He’s famous for the dark and mysterious atmosphere created in his movies.

Differences between the book and the movie: The scene of the burglary at the Maylie’s house (Mr Brownlow's house in the movie); The scene of the burglary at the Maylie’s house (Mr Brownlow's house in the movie); The Maylies aren’t shown in the movie; The Maylies aren’t shown in the movie; The movie doesn’t mention Oliver’s half brother, Monks, and his plot. The movie doesn’t mention Oliver’s half brother, Monks, and his plot.

Curiosities: Oliver Twist meal time with the other boys at the workhouse versus Harry Potter meal time with the other students at Hogwarts School. Some say that Dicken’s scene may have inspired Harry Potter scene, but showing the contrary: an abundant meal in place of a scarce one.

Curiosities: Ebenezer Scrooge another Dickens’s character from the tale “A Christmas Carol” may have inspired the creation of Uncle Scrooge, Disney’s cartoon character.

Work presented by Lt Rosiméri in the II Literary Day, promoted by CMJF English Club on November 19, 2006.