Dickens

1
Dickens use of Modish Fiction and Fictional
Modes in Oliver Twist

• Oliver Twist is a classic, a unique Novel in many
  ways especially in Dickens circumvention of and
  disregard for all the commonly held rules that
  segregate Novels into genres.

• Dickens novel is a Satire, Newgate, and Gothic
  novel all in one.
• As a result of this Oliver Twist has become a
  work in its own genre, an immortal testament
  perhaps to its writer.

2
Satire and Dickens Criticism of the Poor Laws

• Oliver Twist is a satire in that it ridicules
  government and its institutions that claimed to
  help the poor

3
Workhouses in London

• Workhouse abuses of children the deaths of some
  work house children in London - point out
  workhouse conditions and the state of the poor

• Oliver Twist begins as a sardonic account of a
  childs life as a ward of the Parish.

4
Satire

• Dickens having exhausted the workhouse theme,
  shifted the story to London in order to go on.
  The departure to London to seek ones fortune was
  an obvious move.
• It stopped being a satire when Oliver ends up in
  London where it ceases to focus on social
  institutions i.e. workhouses.

• Dickens effort to imitate, parody, and transcend
  modes of fiction begins as a grim tale of
  workhouse life, which transforms into an account
  of petty criminals and their doings.
• This part of the novel is where Oliver Twist
  turns into a Newgate novel

5
Drama and the Newgate Novel

• In the slums of London

6
The Influence of Cruikshank

• Renown illustrator that Dickens worked with on
  Sketches by Boz and Oliver Twist
• Claims to be originator of several characters
  including Fagin, Bumble, Artful Dodger

• Did in fact have layout for The life of a London
  Thief not sure if Dickens even knew about it.

7
The Newgate Drama

• The story line shifts when Oliver is introduced
  to Fagin
• Fagin is the dominating character in the Newgate
  portion of Oliver

• Dickens returns to the Newgate portion when he
  revisits Fagins gang.

8
The Newgate Drama contd.

• As the novel progresses, it loses the Newgate
  Novel feel
• Turns into a crime thriller
• Oliver does not become a thief or die which is an
  essential part of Newgate novels which tended to
  glorify thieves and criminals.

• He ends up with the Maylies.

9
Gothic Novel

• Type of novel that emphasizes distorted,
  mystical, and eerie aspects

10
Similarities

• Dark, confusing streets
• Has a feel of supernatural evil
• Monks tries to get Oliver to sin so that he
  will be able to inherit his fathers possessions
• Dispossessed heir

11
Differences

• Oliver is illegitimate
• Fleming is punished,
• but not condemned

12
Conclusion

• Dickens went through three novel types when
  writing Oliver Twist, he used The Satire novel,
  the Newgate novel, and the Gothic novel.
• Dickens uses satire to point out the conditions
  of workhouses and the state of the poor.

• Cruikshank claims to be the creator of the ideas
  that the Newgate section of Oliver Twist covers
• There are many similarities to a Gothic novel.
• Through the merging of the three different types
  of novels he effectively creates a new genre.

13
Citations

• The Old Story and Inside Stories Modish
  Fiction and Fictional Modes in Oliver Twist.
  Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. Ed. Fred Kaplan.
  New York Norton, 1993. 557-574