Charles Dickens had an established reputation as a social critic which was someone who wrote to highlight and expose severe faults in society; which in this case was the criminal underworld of London in the 19th century. He was famous for his love of theft, acting and play writes and so many of his books have got similar techniques to dramatic moments. This novel concentrates on the involvement of children in theft and prostitution.

A way in which Dickens showed the plight of many young children in his novel “Oliver Twist” was to describe their local environment. Generally the images were all very poor and unhygienic.

I will begin with how he described the people of the city. He compares people to animals and to things which are not human several times . “Heaps of children” are an example of this as the word “heaps” is not normally used in relation to humans but is more commonly used to describe objects we would discard, similar to rubbish! This shows how the children are unimportant and are seen as being like rubbish, piled up waiting to be disposed of. It also suggests that the children are uncared for and unwanted.

This is highlighted when he describes the adults as “wallowing in the filth” which again suggests that the inhabitants are like animals, the word “wallowing” often associated with large beast like animals such as Hippos. The adults he is describing are all drunk, shown by “drunken men and women”, which I see as being irresponsible as the children are “crawling” around when they should be asleep. This shows that the poor people of London do not care about each other as long as they themselves are happy. The fact the children are described as “crawling”, is a way of comparing them to animals which links in with my previous point of them being less than human.

People are often referred to being “squalid” and “half doubled” which shows that the people had a poor diet and were prone to illnesses due to the poverty that they lived in which is surprising as London at this time was meant to be one of the leaders of civilisation. They also seem old and crippled before their time and are probably going to have a low life expectancy. I know from knowledge that the average of the time that this was the case.

In the same passage, Dickens refers to “the lowest orders of Irish” who in that period were moving to England in search of jobs and were despised for it due to the already high levels of unemployment. I know about the high levels of unemployment due to the quote “jostling with unemployment labourers of the lowest days” which basically says that they were unemployed, that they must be living in poverty and that they do not have the best skills. The statement “the lowest orders of Irish” is significant as someone who was Irish was considered bottom of the social ranking yet to be the “lowest order” was the worst you could be and Dickens is trying to show what kind of poor and deprived people live there. By modern standards this would be considered racist, yet in that period this would have been acceptable and it highlights the period it was written.

Later in the book, Dickens again refers to the people as rubbish when he writes, “the very raff and refuse of the river” which basically suggests that the people are rubbish dumped their by civilised society just waiting for them to drift away (move) or rot (die). This links back to the children who were less than human and like these people were linked to rubbish.

To describe these people, and other objects in his novel, Dickens uses a number of superlatives, which are terms such as “lowest” that refer to objects as not being able to be any worse or better. They are extremes.

As well as vividly describing the various types of people in London, Dickens refers on several occasions to the buildings around the same area.

The general view is that the buildings are neglected. He mentions how the “windows are broken and patched” which is a feature in houses which are either poorly looked after or abandoned. The quote “rooms so small, so filthy, so confined” ads to this picture of lack of pride or interest in the house you live in and also the actual rooms were small.

Dickens descriptions of the supports that are used to hold the houses up, “huge beams of wood reared against the wall”, shows that the houses are poorly built and that they have not been maintained. He refers to rotting foundations which is a sign of no hope as if a wall falls down it can easily be rebuilt, though if the foundations do the whole house will fall down. This is similar to the attitudes of the people who live in the house feeling both neglected and hopeless. The tenants are living in dangerous places.

Dickens says “houses on either side were high and large, but very old, and tenanted by people of the poorest class”. Not only does this include an example of a superlative, “poorest”, it suggest to us that the houses were so old, and thus of a bad standard, that the only people who would pay the rent was the poorer classes.

The areas around the river appear to be were the most neglected houses stand. “Where the buildings on the bank are the dirtiest and the vessels on the river blackest with the dust of colliers” is the quote where I got this view as due to the dust from the coal burners and mines the buildings are more filthy as the coal covers them. 

The third element of the environment which is described is the streets that the criminals live and work in. in a particular statement he portrays them as being, like the houses and people, dirty and not looked after. “The very rats, which there lay putrefying in its rottenness, were hideous with famine.” This quote shows this as even the rats were finding it hard to survive. This is surprising as rats are traditionally thought to be able to survive anywhere and it just shows are harsh and difficult it may have been to live in this period.

I know that in the time this was written, people regularly emptied rubbish and sanitation into the street. Dickens describes them as being “stagnant” and “filthy” which shows that, unlike today, they were not swept or cleaned and that people had little pride in the area that they lived. It must have also been unhygienic which is why the people may be “half-doubled” and “squalid”.

The air is described as being “impregnated with filthy odours” this paints a vivid picture which shows to us that the streets smelt, probably because they were open sewers, and that the atmosphere could be seen as a breeding ground for the odours which I am sure, like my previous point, would have affected the inhabitants health. This is an example of irony as becoming “impregnated” should be a sign of happiness whereas, in this case, it isn’t as the child is making the environment unpleasant and potentially killing people.

Finally, Dickens writes “every loathsome indication of filth, rot, garbage;-all these ornament the banks of folly ditch”. This is ironic as the word “ditch” is often used in association with a muddy, wet hole in the ground, whereas “ornament” is used to describe beautiful objects which are added to an area to improve its appearance. The “ornaments” in this case are “filth, rot, garbage;” which are unpleasant and so are ordinarily not used to improve a places appearance. Irony can shock the audience and so grabs its attention.  

Upon his arrival in London, Oliver is befriended by a Street child nicknamed the “Artful Dodger” he takes him to Fagin, who is an old Jew,  the leader of a criminal gang. He is a much despised character in the book and Dickens describes him so that people feel this way about him. In this section I am going to refer to the ways he is described and how this adds to him being a nasty person.

The significance of Fagin being a Jew, is that in this period there was a stereotype about all Jews being criminals. In the book he is often referred to as “the Jew” and he, like many Jews were said to be at that time, was a leader of a small criminal group of boys. Many people despised Jews and it seems natural for one of the nastiest characters in the book to be a Jew.

It can be inferred that Fagin is rather old and slightly disgusting. Dickens introduces him as “a very old shrivelled Jew” which makes Fagin appears bent, cripples and dirty. The word “shrivelled” suggests that, like an old piece of uneaten fruit, Fagin has lost much of his natural juices as if they have been drained away by the time he has spent living in the criminal world.

Fagin is described as having red hair when Dickens writes “matted red hair”. Having red hair has always been associated with evil and in particular danger! Warning signs are painted red; this may be Dickens trying to the reader that Fagin is danger, trouble and should be avoided. Red is also a colour which is traditionally associated with the devil. (This links in with further references later on)

The significance of Fagin’s hair being “matted” is that it shows Fagin looks after himself poorly and that he does not care about his appearance no matter how unkempt it is. This is supported by references to his “black nails” and “toothless gums” which are also problems associated with poor hygiene. The reason for Dickens portraying Fagin as such a “repulsive” being, is that it adds to his ambience of being so despicable and tangled in such evil thoughts he cannot even be bothered to keep himself clean. Also to be repulsed by someone is quite a strong emotion and it would have shocked readers when a character was so ugly you had to look away.

As I said before there are several references regarding Fagin being described as the devil including the mention of him having “red hair”. As well as this he is referred to as a “merry old gentlemen” which, as well as being an example of irony (He is really a “villainous” crook not a pleasant old man), is another term for the devil. In those days many people were very strict Christians and obviously very fearful of the devil. They would have refrained from saying his name directly as they feared him so much. The devil in those days was one of the most feared things and it is fitting for the most evil character to be named after him.

On our first meeting with Fagin he is described by Dickens as having a toasting fork. This again suggests that he is being compared to the Devil, who traditionally is depicted with a large pitching fork that he uses to drag his victims down to Hell. I know this as it says “with a toasting-fork in his hand”. This subtly suggests him to be as bad as the devil as he uses the same weapon as him.

This fork, like a saucepan he is also using, is “secured to the mantelshelf by a string” this highlights his lack of trust towards other criminals, mainly the boys in his gang. This was added in my opinion as even though Fagin himself is someone who should be, and is, mistrusted; he still himself feels the need to protect himself and his precious possessions from thieves. This is backed up in the next chapter, when Oliver finally wakes up to find Fagin hunched over a “magnificent gold watch” and other such “trinkets” which he has hidden from the criminal world, even his young apprentices, for fear that they be stolen. These treasures are so expensive that if they were sold he could come out of poverty and live a decent life. Fagin makes sure Oliver is asleep and the door is “fastened” before he gets out his treasure; this clearly suggests his mistrusting nature as he feels he needs to lock the doors before getting his things out in his own home.

Another reason maybe for the saucepan to be connected to the window sill is that if it is lost or broken (more likely stolen), Fagin will be unable to afford a new one to replace it. This highlights the poverty that he and his boys live in, with them sleeping on “rough beds, made from old sacks”. Despite the harsh conditions for the gang members they still live with Fagin as anything is better than the streets. It is hard to see why Fagin does not sell some of his precious treasures so that he and his “hopeful pupils” can live a decent life. He calls himself a “miser” who is a person who collects priceless objects and instead of using them for profit, merely gets a thrill from looking at them. This is an odd Characteristic to have yet it suits Fagin’s evil character as he would rather hoard the objects for himself, than share the profits with the children he looks after. This makes him selfish.

There are several references throughout the novel referring to Fagin as an animal or a beast. At one point he is described as a “loathsome reptile” which, as he is being described as an animal, makes him sound slightly less than human and beneath everyone else. “reptiles” are often associated with the devil who was often mentioned in the Bible taking on the form of a serpent. This links in with my previous point of Fagin being compared by Dickens to the devil. Reptiles are cold-blooded and this is commonly used to describe someone who has little compassion or feelings for other humans. We know that this is a feature of Fagin as previously he is overheard commenting on capital punishment saying it is a “fine thing for the trade” as fellow criminals who could inform on him are killed. This seems very thoughtless as these men could have been associates of Fagin for many years and to be pleased that they are dead just so they may not inform on you is, in my opinion, heartless. This lack of compassion was probably current throughout the criminal underworld.

 Later on in the novel, his house his called a “lair” which makes himself sound like a predator. This highlights his ruthlessness and, like a predator, his cunning.

In a chapter there are many comparisons of Fagin to an un-dead creature, mainly a vampire! His teeth are described by Dickens as being like “fangs”. These are associated with vampires who in my stories have them for sucking the life out of there victims. In a sense, this is what Fagin does. He takes advantage of the boys by training them to be mindless thieves and, whilst doing this, drains their youth from them, as a vampire does who drains his victims of life and blood. He also has characteristics of a zombie or other un-dead creature such as a “face so distorted and pale”, “eyes red and bloodshot” and he is described as looking “worried by an evil spirit”. The final quote is most significant with, what we know about his character and personality so closely resembling something without human compassion or feelings, a possession of an evil spirit would seem fitting.

On our first meeting with Fagin and his criminal gang, the young boys are described as “smoking long clay pipes” and “drinking spirits”. It is hard to believe that boys as young as nine and ten would be allowed to do so, yet Fagin seems to think they should be able to. This highlights his irresponsible attitude to being an adult and a carer of children. You do not expect Fagin to love the boys yet, you do expect him to exhibit a certain degree of responsibility towards him.

The lads are described as being like “middle-aged men” and this backs up my point referring to Fagin being like a vampire sucking the youth out of the children.

Fagin teaches his boys, who are often referred to as his “hopeful pupils”, to steal. He makes this dreadful dead seem like a game which is even worse than actually teaching them how to steal. I know that he does this as Dickens describes it as a “curious game”. Not only is he saying it is okay to steal, but he is actually making them enjoy it, as if it was a game. This suggests that he abuses his authority and that he does not care what the children turn out like in the future after his training. It also suggests his like of compassion as he is willing to lie to and deceive young children who are innocent and vulnerable. Previously, he lies to Oliver saying that the pocket handkerchiefs were being made “ready for the wash”, whereas they were actually stolen, which is alone quite bad. Next he laughs “Ha! ha! ha!” which shows that not only does he deceive young children he actually enjoys it and finds it amusing. This highlights his exploitation of children.

On the other hand, this game does highlight a positive skill that Fagin has. He is a very effective teacher and he can make learning fun despite the fact that what he is teaching is against the law. Dickens refers to Oliver having “laughed till the tears ran down his face” which shows that it was enjoyable to do. Later, Oliver had a private lesson with Fagin who, after Oliver had completed the exercise correctly, rewarded Oliver with a “shilling” whilst he patted him on the head. These techniques show that Fagin sees Oliver and the other boys as being like dogs that need to be treated after every exercise so that they are trained properly.

Fagin is a very suspicious person which is a trait that has formed from working with criminals for most of his life. There are constant references to him glancing around. My evidence for this comes from terms such as  “glancing around”. This apparent street-wise behaviour shows that he has been part of the criminal underworld for a long time and that he is used to being followed. Also, It could suggest that he is up to no good and that he knows he must be careful to remain alive and not to become “strung up in a row” like the criminals he mentions earlier in the novel. Two more characteristics suggested by this feature are his slyness and his secretiveness as he feels that he needs to protect and cover his identity even at this time of night when nobody is around.                                                             

       Another character that is vividly portrayed by Dickens and takes a major role in the book is the housebreaker, Bill Sikes. He is has a criminal connection with Fagin which involves Fagin handling the stolen goods; this is known as a “fence”. He is a different character to Fagin as, unlike Fagin who is sly and sneaky, Sikes is aggressive and a bully. His girlfriend can be inferred as being a prostitute and later in the novel she is murdered by Sikes.

The first verb used by Dickens to describe the way Sikes is talking is “growled” and this is usually used to refer to someone who is angry or an animal. Both are important, as they highlight how quick he is to anger and how, at times he can be animal-like and barbaric. These are both traits of a poorly behaved person. This links in with the overall picture of Sikes.

 The reason for his anger was that Fagin had accidentally thrown a pot at his head while he was throwing it at one of his boys. His reaction to this is to say “Its well it’s the beer, and not the pot, as hit me, or I’d have settled somebody” This is an example of his aggressive behaviour as he threatens to kill the person who threw it, if Fagin had actually hit him, which seems rather a drastic measure for what would have been an accident as Fagin was aiming for someone else. This lack of reason is similar to him being linked to an animal which would attack and kill before asking questions.

This aggressive trait is shown in the relationship between Sikes and his dog who after being given a “kick” across the room “coiled” up in the corner and “without uttering a sound” simply lay their as if this punishment was normal and that he was used to these random outbreaks of aggressive violence.

The description of the kick is an example of Dickens’s love of theatre and theatrical writing as this is slightly un-realistic and almost comical! This is a strange way to describe such a rough character. Another example of a moment is when during an argument Dodger “swinging himself, at one jerk, clean out of the big coat, which he left in the Jews hands”. This again seems comical and slightly unreal as such a complicated move would not come of so easy. 

The dog itself is a small pit-bull like dog, usually associated with violence,  which is described as having a face which is “scratched” and “torn in twenty places”. This could be from mistreatment by Bill Sikes or from other dogs who he had a fight with. It seems fitting that Sikes’s dog would be one who took place in fights as like his master he enjoys confrontation. I believe that the dog is another representation of Sikes in animal form as they are both very similar.

There is also a strange relationship between Sikes and Fagin in which, even though they are colleagues and both need each other for business, Fagin is sacred of him. At first he calls him “Mr Sikes”, which is a sign of respect, and he is also described as “trembling”. This suggests how the pure physical presence of Sikes can turn a man who normally gets respect, even though he himself is small, into showing “abject humility”. Despite this fear, Fagin is reminded by Sikes not to “poison it” when talking about a drink Fagin is fetching for Sikes. This is described in the book as being a phrase said in “jest” though Fagin hid an “evil leer”. It is though that Sikes knows that this respect is really fake and that, like most criminals of the time, Fagin would need little persuasion to kill Sikes or any other rival. There is no trust or friendship between them. This factor shows Bill Sikes knowledge of the criminal underworld which would be suspected from someone who has spent there life involved in crime.

The appearance of Sikes is generally poor. Dickens describes him as having a black eye which has come from a recent fight. I know this as one of his eyes were said to have “displayed various parti-coloured symptoms of having recently damaged by a blow”. This is significant as not only does it again suggest his aggressive and violent nature, it links with my theory that he is similar to his dog who has also recently had a fight. He lives a similar lifestyle to an animal which makes him seem sub-human and less important.

This paragraph also has a reference to the strength of Bill Sikes who is descried as having “large bulky legs” and “swelling calves” which is important as, unlike Fagin who is intelligent yet small and “shrivelled”, Sikes main attributes is his power and his intimidating attitude.

He is refereed to having “soiled drab breeches” and a “dirty belcher handkerchief”; these both show that he does not care about his appearance as they are both unwashed and have little colour. This also highlights the poverty he is living in as he can only afford a handkerchief with “long frayed ends”. All these factors lead us to believe that he has a rough, unkempt appearance with little respect for what he is wearing.

He is described as using the handkerchief to “smear” the beer from his face, despite the fact that the belcher handkerchief was used as a fashionable accessory by the lower classes. This is a poor habit to have and shows that he has little social grace and is quite thuggish.

The most defining moment in the novel for Sikes is the moment in which he kills his girlfriend Nancy. At this moment all of his past attributes are combined.

To begin with a combination of Fagin’s cunning and Sikes quick-temperament results to Sikes becoming angry. Fagin deliberately takes his time for full effect which, as Sikes is both less intelligent and aggressive, angers him. He insults Fagin by saying “you thundering old cur” and he threatens him by saying “it will be for want of breath”. This is a good example of how Sikes uses intimidation, violence and mainly aggression to get what he wants which is a poor trait to have.

It is in this chapter in which Sikes gruesome imagination is shown, with him saying “I’d grind his skull under the iron heel of my boot into as many grains as there are hairs upon his head” this is significant as it shows that pain and violence are never far from Sikes thoughts. It also may link with the fact that he has spent a lot of time in the criminal world, maybe from childhood, so these kinds of murderess events are normal for him.

Throughout the paragraphs in which he is told of Nancy’s supposed betrayal; Sikes stays surprisingly calm until the point in which Fagin says “she gave him a drink of laudanum”. This angered him greatly as the fact that he was outwitted by a woman who had spiked his drink with a drug so he would sleep heavily. To a man who was very proud of his manhood, the embarrassment of being made to look like a fool by a woman, before equal rights, would have sent him over the edge. This shows his sexism as he feels women are inferior, and it is that he has been outwitted by one that makes him truly angry despite the fact she has betrayed him.

During, and just before, the moments Nancy is killed, Sikes is very calculated and careful in the way in which he goes about the murder. He is described as opening the door “softly”, striding “lightly” upstairs and, upon arrival at his bedroom, “double-locked the door”. This shows that he is clever and maybe experienced in these matters as someone who is killing for the first time maybe less careful and so may be caught. Also it shows that, even though he is angry, he can exhibit some self control.

Nancy is called “The girl” and she is described by Dickens as being “half dressed”. This symbolise her being both venerable and innocent which makes Sikes crime seem worse as he still attacks and kills her despite the fact she is defenceless and clearly not in a position to fight. Also, he “rouses” her from her sleep which is generally when a person is at their weakest and least prepared. All of these factors hint that he feels little compassion or sympathy for his victim despite the fact that, in the past, he has loved her.

In Bill Sikes’s moment of complete fury when he hits Nancy for the first time he contemplates shooting her, yet even in this pressurised moment “the certainty of immediate detection” stops him from shooting and instead he hits her in the face twice with the end of his gun. This highlights his cautiousness and craftiness as well as his cruelness. Hitting someone in the face is painful and she is described as having a “deep gash in her forehead”. Also, she would have taken a long time to die whereas if he had shot her it would have been instant. This suggests that he would rather watch his girlfriend suffer than risk getting himself caught.

As you can see, Dickens successfully portrays a rather negative view of 19th century London and its inhabitants. It is dirty and unhygienic and the people show little compassion and are often described as being little better than animals.