oliver twist

BOOK REPORT Airi Sakai

1) MLA CITATION
Author: Charles Dickens (Retold by Richard Rogers)
Book Title: Oliver Twist
City of Publication: London, England
Publisher: Oxford University Press Date: 1838 Number of Pages: 102

2) RESPONDING TO THE PLOT
If I were Oliver, I would try to tell the police what Fagin told me to do while I was made to be out robbing. I think Oliver was a little too late to escape from Fagin. If I were the author, I would add a story after Oliver succeeds in his business in the future. The man of kindness Oliver would support the workhouse with money even though he was not treated right there.
Sikes’ girl Nancy told Rose everything Oliver was made to do by Fagin and other robbers, and Fagin found out about that and told Sikes what Nancy had done. “ ‘ You know what.’ Sikes took out his gun, but realizing, even in his madness, that a shot might be heard, he beat her twice across the face with it as hard as he could. She fell, with a low cry of pain and terror, almost blind by the blood that flowed from the cut on her forehead. The murderer staggered to a corner, seized a heavy stick and struck her down.”
I chose this part on page 86 because the description was so shocking that I had to read it over and over again. This was the most unforgettable part of the story in a way.

3) ANALYZING 7 LITERARY TERMS
Setting: an unnamed town England in early times.
Point of View: This story is told from the third person.
Conflict: Oliver was always in conflict with evils. He always had justice in his heart even though he was caught in a gang of pickpockets.
Climax: Oliver was charged with a pickpocket as a mistake. However, then the victim Mr. Brownlow found out Oliver was actually a good kind boy, and he hid Oliver in his house from the gang.
Symbol: “Conflict between good and evil” is the symbol of this story. As Oliver struggled against evils through his hardships, I believe the author wants to tell us justice always beats evils, and evils end in being destroyed.
Irony: The irony of this book is when Oliver got kidnapped by the gang again after Mr. Brownlow sent Oliver on an errand. Mr. Brownlow, who believed Oliver to be a really good boy, had to suspect that Oliver had cheated on him.
Theme: “Hardships in poverty” is the theme of this story. As the author had a very hard time working hard in his childhood because of the debt his father made, the author is telling us however hard poverty is, there will be the bright future after struggling hard.

4) REFLECTING ON THE STORY
I found it shocking that a terrible stranger Monks was actually Oliver’s brother born of a different mother. I do not understand how Monks could do so much harm to his own brother Oliver. My life is completely different from Oliver’s. I have never experienced such a hardship like being in a workhouse and made to rob in a gang. This is a story of early times in England. Therefore, the environment is absolutely different from my country. Here orphans do not get into workhouses or work hard. I know this story has been made in to a film, but unfortunately, I have not watched it yet. I would like to watch it sometime since I like this book.
Dickens himself was also sent to work in a factory when he was twenty because of his father’s money problems. Through his own hardships, I think he wanted to tell us how hard life could be. I agree with Dickens’ view of people and life. As Dickens insisted on Oliver’s goodness and tenderness, I believe justice can always destroy evils. I learned that people must not see the bad side of things even if it seems easier. Oliver always fought against evils with justice. I am now changed from before I read this book. I used to think that there must be something I cannot manage at all, but now I believe there is nothing I cannot reach if I deal with it hard. I expected Oliver to stay happy ever after Mr. Brownlow took Oliver in his house, but the happy times did not last long, and Oliver soon got kidnapped into Fagin’s house again.