To show how Charles Dickens presents Good and Evil characters Essay

To show how Charles Dickens presents Good and Evil characters In the beginning of the Victorian period many children (orphans) were forced to turn to crime mainly because the children in the workhouse were mistreated and abused. Another reason is many people were migrating, which resulted to a growth in the population, which left many children homeless. Charles Dickens has based his novel, 'Oliver Twist' on this. He compares Oliver with what life was like for boys in the 18th Century. Throughout the story Oliver encounters many evil characters and a few virtuous characters. The evil characters try to persuade him to lead the life of crime while as the good characters save him and enable Oliver and the reader to learn that a life of crime does not pay. Charles Dickens uses the novel to criticise how children during Victorian times were forced to turn to crime when laws did not protect them. Dickens main character, Oliver, is presented as the 'hero' of the story; he learns that goodness triumphs over evil. The incident in the story where Oliver's goodness is shown is when Bill Sikes forces him to rob Rose Maylie's house: "Despite the threat, Oliver decided to warn the people in the house" Even though Oliver is threatened to act out this evil deed, he chooses to do the right thing by warning the owners of the house and risking his own life. In doing so, Dickens shows that Oliver is a good character through the choices Oliver makes. Charles Dickens presents Mr Bumble as an evil character. At the start of the story Dickens describes him as a "fat healthy man". While as all the orphans are being starved, he is never going without. When Oliver asks for more food, Mr Bumble: "Aimed a blow at Oliver'... ...liver (Monks was another member of the gang) and began to weep saying: 'Please miss, don't come to any harm! I'd give my own life to save him. Honest I would!' Dickens has tried to emphasise the fact that in the Victorian Times there weren't very strict laws, which meant there were a lot of very bad people round at that time, but still some good left, and even though Nancy was around very dangerous people she was a good person at heart (that's why you have the proverb, 'don't judge a book by its cover!). It also illustrates how good Nancy was, for her to tell Rose everything, she must have been a very brave soul and must have loved Oliver dearly to do such a kind thing. She knew Oliver didn't deserved a better life ad didn't need to be pulled into a life as insecure as her own. Dickens presents Nancy as a good person through her emotions and actions.