Oliver Twist: The Life Of an Orphan Child During Victorian England

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Recommended: Childhood for orphans in the victorian era

Depending on wealth or social class, children's lives during the Victorian era greatly differ from children's lives today. Some greatly distinct examples include: child labor, health and safety, and overall living conditions. The novel Oliver Twist written by Charles Dickens, provides evidence as well as support to the statements above regarding children during the Victorian era.
“I shall begin with the foundling hero, whose illegitimate birth in a workhouse many Victorians evidently read as a prelude to the boy's almost certain misfortune and descent into crime” (Paroissien). Oliver Twist's birth was a rather tragic one, as his mother passed away almost immediately after. Oliver 's father was also no where to be found, therefore was labeled an orphan and was sent to live in a workhouse, where many orphans during Victorian England grew up.
“"Please, sir, I want some more."
... "What!" said the master at length, in a faint voice.
"Please, sir," replied Oliver, "I want some more." (Dickens 10)
Oliver's request reveals the material neglect (abuse, hunger, and poverty) of children in
Dickens's time, when so many went wanting. In Oliver's world of deprivation, labour, and illiteracy, a world where he is often simply trying to survive, adults can be ridiculous, pompous figures” (Gibson).
Children, especially orphans, were viewed more as objects rather than actual human beings. Evidence of this is prominent in the book when Mr. Bumble was constantly trying to push Oliver into apprenticeship with strange people, completely disregarding safety or any thought to what Oliver himself wanted. Eventually Oliver was adopted into apprentic...

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...tears” (Dickens 534). This establishes more evidence towards Oliver being somewhat emotionally attached to Fagin, despite the older man's many flaws and previous behavior towards the young boy.
In conclusion, children's lives during Victorian England greatly differ from children's lives today, depending on wealth and social class. The novel Oliver Twist written by Charles Dickens accurately represents poor or orphaned children's lives during this time by providing evidence as well as support to the statement above. From growing up into working at the workhouses at a young age, to abuse, starvation and unsafe living conditions, to finally running away and going into a life of crime. Of course, all child lives greatly varied, however Dickens wrote about the social and political situations happening around him at the time he was alive, which included children's lives.

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