Book Report 2

Dickens, Charles, Oliver Twist, IBC publishing, 2006, 111 pages.

Summary:
Oliver Twist was born in a workhouse. He had no relatives. He was mistreated by people in the workhouse, so he decided to go to London to escape from there. He reached London on foot, but he was very tired and needed a place to sleep. He accidentally met Fagin who was a criminal in London and Fagin provided Oliver a bed. Oliver appreciated him and he followed what Fagin said. Fagin said to Oliver that some children enjoyed a game which is generally called pickpocketing. Fagin made Oliver play the game, but Oliver was captured by the police when other children played the game. Fortunately his innocence was proven and he became the family member of an upper-class man whose name was Mr. Brownlow. However, the happy life did not last so long. Fagin ordered to kidnap him when he was asked to buy books. He had to come back to the house of Fagin. When he performed the job as a robber, he was shot by gun. Other robber thought that he would die, but he survived. He finally arrived at the house of Mr. Brownlow, and the fact that Oliver was the son of Mr. Brownlow’s niece was clear. He became a gentleman and was respected by everybody. In contrast, Fagin was arrested and hanged because of his criminal offenses.

Setting: London in the 19th century

Point of View: This story is told from third person.

Conflict: Oliver was in conflict with the crime. He was obliged to perform pickpocketing, but he refused to do it. Of course it is difficult for him to resist to evil adults.

Climax: Fagin tried to run away from the police, because His criminal offenses were revealed by Oliver. His crime which was to steal valuable things by using poor children was not allowed, so he was captured and hanged.

Symbol: A small golden locket is the symbol in the story. It truly connected Oliver with Mr. Brownlow because Mr. Brownlow could find that Oliver was his relative.

Irony: Oliver was thought of as a poor boy, but he was the relative of a rich man, Mr. Brownlow.

Theme: Sin and penalty are the theme in the story. Man should receive penalty if he sins. Fagin and other villains robbed valuable things of some people by using children. The criminal was the worst things as a human being. He was punished by the death penalty.

Evaluation: The story finished as a happy ending. Oliver escaped from his poor life, and he became a respectful man. However, he was like a devil thinking of the position of the villain. Of course the villain is the villain. I could not affirm the position, but when I thought the young children were with the villain, things were not simple. As for the children, they could not live, if they did not rob anything. If the rich existed, the poor did inevitably. Oliver became a rich and respectful man certainly, but the poor children were still poor and lived in the worst situation. They would be captured, if they were found. Moreover, they would live in jail for a long time. I thought they were not bad. The social system and adults were bad. Unfortunately, I am becoming an adult.