Religion in Oliver Twist

Religion in Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens was published as a serial in 1838 . This novel was not an exception in comparison to his other works and also draws the public attention to social evils like workhouses or child labor . The author manages to apply to serious and important themes at the same time using his sarcasm and dark humor

There are several major themes highlighted in the novel : charity individualism , purity , but the novel mostly studies the exposition of Christian doctrines during the Victorian age . The author uses Christian

br sense and language for workhouse , for the criminals ' world , and finally bourgeois , checking their ability to keep the Christian values . He wants to show the pretence and contradictions of his society . The distortion of Christian senses is presented through the different worlds in the novel . There are strong boarders between the world of poor houses , of the criminal world of Fagin and the world where people like Maylie or Mr . Brownlow live , their comparison would be the basic element of presentation of Christian doctrines in Oliver Twist

Some critics even call the novel Good Samaritan Tale , in reality it could serve as presentation of the famous Biblical tale about Good Samaritan but in Victorian age

There is an example with Mr . Bumble , the beadle , of pretence of Church regarding its own principles . In the fourth chapter Mr . Sowerberry pays attention to a huge button worn by beadle : Yes , I think it is rather pretty ' said the beadle , glancing proudly downwards at the large brass buttons which embellished his coat 'The die is the same as the porochial seal-- The Good Samaritan healing the sick and bruised man I put it on , I remember , for the first time , to attend the inquest on that reduced tradesman , who died in a doorway at midnight (48 . Here the author shows us how much is Mr . Bumble admired his own Samaritan buttons , although he received them on a night , when a man was not allowed in and had to die in the street . But for workhouse , Samaritanism lost its value and became more of ornament , and real fulfillment of it would be considered by Mr . Bumble absolute nonsense . Mr . Bumble considers the buttons to be pretty and nice , but little attention does he pay to their real meaning

The Board of warehouse is very careful about Christian language . They asked Oliver if he prayed , meaning voicing of religion . But nevertheless their demands of prayers are not connected with education - they don 't teach their pupils to pray , but to pick oakum . Mr . Bumble , a deeply biblical persons says about Oliver : a dead-weight a millstone as I may say round the parochial throat , thus misinterpreting the text from Bible "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believes in me , it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck , and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea (Matt 18 :6 . Thus , he has...