Assignment: Paper E-C-204 . The Victorian Literature

Topic: Art of characterization is an estate Dickens has in a bundle. – Explain.

Student’s name: Payal G patel

Roll no: 18

M.A. Sem- II

Batch: 2010-‘11

Submitted to – Miss. Ruchira Dudhrejiya

Department of English

Bhavnagar University

Bhavnagar.

Art of Characterization is an estate Dickens has in a Bundle. Explain.

It is truly said that characters are the representation of society whether it may be the society of Neo-Classical Age or of Victorian Age or any other Age. Similarly, Charles Dickens has made well-prepared bundle of characters. Like the bundle of notes, Dickens ‘ bundle of characters is like an estate, For example in bicycle each of the rods connecting to the center of a wheel to its rim, similarly all the characters in Dickens’ famous novel “ Oliver Twist”, are directly or indirectly connected with the protagonist named Oliver. This is Dickens ‘art to bring all the characters together.

 All the characters are connected with Oliver through whom Dickens makes Oliver the center while other characters are like its rods or spokes which are connected to Oliver, the center. Another thing which should be noted down about the characteristics of Dickens’ art of characterization is his representation of society during his time through various types of characters. For example; Oliver presents the events of exploitation which was in vogue during the Victorian Age.

“Oliver Twist” gives us an impression of the social situation at the time, it was written. Story telling of Dickens if filled with humor and pathos of the characters. This is his moral purpose of writings. He has given his views on poverty and class distinction through characters.

Dickens uses lots of symbolism in this novel “Oliver Twist”, through characters. For example,

Oliver Twist:

              Dickens’ choice of Oliver’s name is very revealing because this boy’s story is full of “twists and turns”. Through Oliver Dickens has presented the pathos of innocent childhood, and protest against the abuses of power, especially on the part of governmental institutions. The sentence spoken by Oliver,

 “Please sir! I want some more.”

Symbolizes the condition of the orphans, and the poor children at that time. They were given less food to be eaten, so as they can work without being lazy and hard work was virtue at that time. His story demonstrates the hypocrisy of the petty middle-class. The society was divided into two classes like “Haves” and “Haves not”. And Oliver’s weaknesses are the limitations of the young children. These young children are not expected to organize orphans to protest against evils of work houses. A boy like Oliver naturally lacks courage to contact police and to get Fagin and his gang arrested. There is also a possibility behind Oliver’s character that Dickens’ own childhood experiences, and life of the poor condition has been portrayed through Oliver’s life.

Mr. Bumble:

                       He is the beadle in the town where Oliver is born. Mr. Bumble likes power, and he likes to use it upon the lower class people or the laborers of the workhouse. This symbolizes people’s love for power; love to become master through the character of Bumble. The very word Bumble suggests the bumbling characters. They are getting the things but they can’t digest the beliefs.

When Oliver pours his heart out to him on the way to Mr. Sowerberry’s and says, “ I feel  as if I had been cut here, sir, and it was all bleeding away, and the child beat his hand upon his heart, and looked into his companion’s face with tears of real agony” (4.45) Mr. Bumble, here, is actually moved. He has a heart but the trouble is that he does not act on his pity; he seems to feel like it’s a weakness, and he does not want to lose face. He seems to think that he will not be respected if he shows pity to anyone. Here, we have the notions of the society that people will not show pity because they want respect. Also suggests that the people cannot live real life, they have to wear masks to survive or for survival.  Dickens has, through Mr. Bumble’s character, shown the weaknesses of the people. Mr. Bumble is considered to be round character, as he behaves differently in various situations. He gets married with Miss. Corney to become the master of the workhouse. But situations are different here, Mrs. Bumble beats him and humiliates him, and we almost pity him but then we are reminded how much he used to enjoy beating and humiliating the paupers and orphans. Dickens, here, seems to symbolize the poetic justice through Bumble’s character that,

“As you sow, so shall you reap.”

Mrs.Corney:

                        She is very cruel, distrustful and power-hungry. Dickens uses her to satirize the workhouse system that was run by people who are more interested in taking care of themselves than of the poor. This character is flat, remains the same, the cruel throughout the novel.  This character also symbolizes power struggle at that time.

The Sowerberrys:

                               Dickens has very cleverly used the names of different characters which are related to their nature and life. Here, the name Sowerberry symbolizes the sour berries like Mr. And Mrs. Sowerberry. Mr. Sowerberry is the undertaker to whom Oliver is apprenticed. Dickens, through this character, suggests how the undertakers deal with death. For them death needs to be unending. Their lives are in others death. It was a part of their day to day activity, their profession. Death is the livelihood for them. They are not attached with the lives of others but they are different from other class, suggest class discrimination. Here, Dickens, from these, raises the question like “do the Victorian people have the life in real sense?”

People have become just money- minded, power hungers. Dickens seems to deal with just LIFE and nothing else.

Noah Claypole:

                         He is a typical minor character but signifies a sharp point of society. In this novel he is a grotesque, absurd and exaggerated character. Noah is a pretty fun character. He starts out the novel as an apprentice in Mr.Sowerberry’s  shop. He was a charity boy, and other kids made fun of him. So, as soon as Oliver arrives, Noah is pretty happy about having someone ever lower on the social ladder than he is. This incident or idea suggest the concept of,

“Slaves become the masters.”

Noah wants to master Oliver, suggest the cycle of exploitation. Oppression systems are working. They exploit the people who have no strength, power, money. It is all about,

“The struggle for power.”

The Artful Dodger:

                                 This character is also known as jack Dowkings, which is actually his real name. He is one of the most famous and memorable characters in the novel. He cannot be more than twelve, but he acts like a full grown man, and even wears men’s cloths. He talks and walks like a man and the contrast between his size and his attitude is quite funny. The question again raised why does he do such things? And the answer repeats itself is; for power, wants to become master like Fagin.

Fagin:

           Fagin in real sense a bad person. Dickens often refers to him only as “the Jew”, and a lot of traditional racial stereotypes against Jewish people are used: he’s miserly, has red hair, and is a corrupter of children. This clearly shows that Dickens was an anti-Semite. Fagin is the flat character because throughout the novel he is the same.

Mr. Brownlow:

                       He is Oliver’s first friend; he has faith in people, though he has seen the cruelty of society. He is kind of a book warm, the first time we see him, he is so absorbed in reading a book at a bookseller’s stand in the street that does not notice the Dodger and Charley trying to pick up his pocket. He is also loyal friend. This incident suggests that there are also some people who do not notice such cruelties in the society. To be excessive kind is also curse during that time as he suffers the things in his life. There is also another possible interpretation that during that time, there are also some people who are well-read and well- mannered. His character is concerned to be flat character.

Bill Sikes:

                  He seeks power as usual the tendency of the Victorian people. Is there anything at all likable about Sikes? The very first question rises here, because we all know how cruel his character is portrayed. Sikes is brave and strong. He is stubborn, distrustful and has some anger management issues. Another question raised is “ where did Dickens get the idea for such a character?” where there was actually a historical criminal named James Sikes who lived (and was  hanged) in the 1720s- a period of criminal history that Dickens was particularly interested in. And from this, we may say that, perhaps, Dickens might be impressed by the issue of him at that time in his novel. Human beings as well as animal afraid of him, symbolizes his pitilessness. He is a flat character.

Nancy:

            Nancy might be the most complicated character of the novel. Thus, she is a round character. Despite being a relatively minor character, she has a very important role to play. The question like why does she help Oliver? What the turning point of her? Arise.

She seems to be reminded of her own lost innocence when she looks at Oliver. In one of the chapters Nancy seems to think that, she says,

“I am chained to my old life.  I loathe and hate it now, but I can not leave it. I must have hated it now, but I can not leave it. I must have gone too far to turn back [...]” (46.74)

This idea of having gone too far to turn back” seems very much in keeping with the rest of the novel. Once you turn down the wrong path, there is no turning back; perhaps Dickens seems to show this reality, even if it means returning to your violent and menacing lover only to be brutally murdered. This novel seems to take a pretty bleak view of forgiveness and redemption.

Those who may be considered prosperous enough to be reasonably well fed give a symbolic contrast to poverty and under-nourishment. For example, the parish board is made up of “ eight or ten fat gentlemen” ; the workhouse master is a “ fat, healthy man”; Mr. Bumble is a “ portly person” ;  Gilles is fat and Brittle by no means of a slim figure ; Mr. Loseberne is “ a fat gentleman” , and one of the Bow street runners is “ a portly man”. Other users are how evil people are described as dangerous animals or as typical stage villains. The weather is usually cold and rainy when bad things happen. Which symbolize many things regarding the events and reality of different technique by the novelist. For example Dickens has used symbolic settings, like, night scenes are more in this novel.

 There are also many other characters, who have been described poignantly by Dickens like Mrs. Mann who has not any quality of woman but a man. She lacks the maternal affection. Toby Crackit, who creaks into houses. Then Miss Rose Maylie symbolizes the qualities like flower, is as fresh, delicate, pure and natural as a rose.

Conclusion:

 To the conclusion, we may say clearly that Charles Dickens has presented the burning issues of his time in a different way. The novel “Oliver Twist”, in this sense appeals to the universal level. In this novel the Victorian English culture is presented. Individual Freedom, here, comes at the center. The impact of industrial revolution can be felt.  Industrial advancement created social unrest and economic distress among the masses. It divided society into two “Haves” and “Haves not”. There developed slums in which people, particularly working class people were living like worms in mud. Exploitation and materialistic outlook towards life gave birth to crimes. And these social evils were severely criticized by Charles Dickens in his novel s through different characters.

Thus, this novel, “Oliver Twist” is a well prepared bundle of characters, events and realities presented through imagination.