Scarica Victorian Age; contesto storico + parole chiave + approfondimenti semplificati e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! CONTESTO SOCIALE: The Victorian age (1837-1901) was a period of change but also of contradictions. In fact, on the one hand there was the enthusiasm of the bourgeoisie for industrial progress, on the other hand there was the poverty of the working class because it must get in step with the industrial system. For this reason, there were negative aspects between the poor people like: the bad hygienic conditions, the increase of diseases, the houses were overcrowded, children were used for cleaning the machine or the chimneys and most people lived in miserable conditions. This social background separated the poor from the rich. The poor were victims of the injustices of the rich. _ Oliver Twist is the second novel written by Charles Dickens to denounce: children exploitation, the degradation of poor neighborhoods, the social injustice and the use of violence by English institutions. This novel is set during the Industrial Revolution in Victorian England. _ O.T CAPITOLO 2: The main strength of Dickens’ style is his humour, through which he makes in light the strong points of his novels, as the text “Oliver wants some more”. This extract is taken from the second chapter of Oliver Twist. The story is set in a London workhouse, where Oliver Twist is living. He is presented as a nine years old boy, thin and pale to his life conditions but with great willpower. In the description the narrator uses irony in order to underline Oliver’s condition and to say that he is hungry for a lack of food in the workhouse diet (in this way, Dickens criticize his contemporary society). The narration starts with the description of the room where the boys are having supper with voracity. Then, for a game, Oliver is obligated to ask the fat master (Dickens highlights the physical difference between the workhouse’s boys and master) to another portion of food. At the moment of his fatal question, his master appears shocked and surprised and violently hits Oliver. His master, Mr. Bumble immediately addresses by Mr. Limbkins and both discuss about this. Initially, Oliver is held in a cell then his person is reduced to a price for anyone who wanted him. In this last part, appears the power of the English institutions in front of poor people that are forced to suffer these injustices. _ ES. 5 POLITICAL ACTION. This extract reveals the cruel treatment who suffer many orphans in workhouses of London during the Victorian Era. Dickens underline the differences between rich and poor with irony. An example of richness is the master’s figure, because Dickens describes him as a “fat” and “healthy” man. While, the Oliver’s figure is a symbol of poverty because is described as a “pale” and “thin” boy, as all orphans. Another critic point in the text is underline by sentences as “large grace” and “short commons”; with these sentences, Dickens criticized the approach that the orphans must have in front of the power, because they must be “infinitely grateful” for “the small portion of food” offered by this institution (these are the values that the Church wanted to pass into the
