Oliver Twist Essay

The Presentation of Bill Sykes in Oliver Twist TASK: Analyse the presentation of Bill Sykes in the novel `Oliver Twist`. You should refer to aspects such as the author's viewpoint, language and the social and historical context.

When Charles Dickens' wrote his novel `Oliver Twist` he first put pen to paper around 1830's and eventually completed the classic towards the later end of the decade.

The resulting book was compiled from chapters produced as instalments in one or more magazines. This proved to provide a more constant and reliable source of income due to the fact that he would be paid for every story, no-matter how many

It also allows Dickens to push the idea that it is partly the aforesaid poverty that drives people to breaking the law.

Dickens also tells that the heartless piece of work as being in an intimate sexual relationship with the "fallen lady" Nancy. These two core characters' bleakly contrasting personalities serve to emphasise the evil in the heart of "The robber".

The use of simple language in Sykes' speech not only appeals to a wide audience by allowing relatively uneducated children and indeed adults to enjoy the stories, but the style of discussion also builds on Sykes' simple and brutal personality

Dickens wrote many of his books and stories from the standpoint of a social observer, and in particular "Oliver Twist" serves as a bitter and indicting social commentary on the London of the period. Dickens' style of writing in "Oliver" was highly critical of the way women were unjustly treated and cheated in Victorian England. He illustrates this through writing with brutal honesty, portraying events in such away that shocked the almost naïve upper class. The now commonplace practice of exemplifying the real life of the criminal underworld

Nancy and Sykes are greatly contrasting characters. "fdsafd"One is belligerent and the other malignant. One tries to help Oliver, while the other only looks to use him for his own gains. This is another deep contrast, contrived to not only uncover more of Sykes personality, but also to act as another example of sexism in Victorian England. When Sykes completely disregards Nancy's views we see that he holds no respect for her, and as she is in love with him, he therefore must hold no respect for any woman, as Dickens manages to so expressively articulate this in the short discussion about Nancy going to the police station to find out about Oliver; "`She'll go, Fagin,` said Sykes. `No, she won't, Fagin,` said Nancy. `Yes, she will, Fagin,` said Sykes. This demonstration of masculine terrorism is just one of the ways that the unjust anti-suffragette feeling of the 1800s is brought out into the open.

Nancy murder is the pivotal event in Sykes meagre life. Once he decides to go through with this dreadful act he is forever lost. He must subconsciously no that this action will break all chances of