NHA TRANG UNIVERSITY

BRITISH LITERATURE
THE CRITICISM – OLIVER TWIST
CHAPTER 4
Group 3:
1. Trần Thị Xuân Hương 5. Trần Ngọc Minh
2. Lê Thị Bích Dung 6. Lê Hiếu Thùy Anh
3. Ưng Quỳnh Hằng 7. Trương Quang Sang
4. Phạm Bảo Uyên 8. Trần Thị Diệu Sương
 Diệu Sương
BIOGRAPHY
Charles Dickens
(Charles John Huffam Dickens)
(1812 - 1870)
- Unhappy childhood: he had to work
in a factory at the age of 12 (his
father went to prison for debts).
- From 1830 he worked as a
shorthand reporter in the courts and
afterwards as a parliamentary and
newspaper reporter.
- In 1833, Dickens published his first
story: A Dinner at Popular Walk
- He still was a newspaper reporter
with the pen name Boz.
- In 1836 Dickens published his first
book, a collection of stories titled
Sketches by Boz.
 BIOGRAPHY Diệu Sương

- In 1836, Dickens married Catherine Hogarth, daughter of

the editor of Evening Chronicle. Together they had 10
children before they separated in 1858.
- Dickens's literary success began with the 1836 serial
publication of The Pickwick Papers.

- He died of a stroke in 1870. He is buried at Westminster

Abbey.
 BIOGRAPHY Ngọc Minh

- Oliver Twist is Charles Dickens's second novel, and

was first published as a serial from 1837 to 1839.

- The novel was the first of the author’s works to

realistically depict the impoverished London underworld
and to illustrate his belief that poverty leads to crime.
 Ngọc Minh

(1838-39) (1840-41) (1843)

(1848) (1849-50) (1857) (1861)

Bích Dung
SUMMARY: Oliver Twist - Chapter 4 Xuân Hương

The board and the

beadle decide that they will
try to send Oliver to sea.
On his way back to the
workhouse, the beadle
encounters Mr.Sowerberry,
a coffin-maker, who
complains that the
workhouse pays him very
little for his coffins.
SUMMARY: Oliver Twist - Chapter 4 Xuân Hương

Sowerberry also compliments

the beadle on his "button," a
medal he received from the
church of the Good Samaritan
for healing a sick man.
Sowerberry reminds the beadle
that the tradesman died
because he was locked out of
the workhouse late at night,
and froze to death just outside
the door.
 SUMMARY: Oliver Twist - Chapter 4 Quang Sang

The board approves this apprenticeship. Later that evening,

Oliver becomes quiet and frightened.
Oliver begins to cry again, and the beadle starts to yell at
Oliver. But Oliver pleads that he is merely lonely at the
workhouse and afraid of what will become of him.
 SUMMARY: Oliver Twist - Chapter 4 Quang Sang

Mrs. Sowerberry offers Oliver small bits of meat that their

dog had neglected. Oliver was down in the basement,
clutched at the dainty viands and tore the bits asunder
with all the ferocity of famine. then shows Oliver upstairs,
to the attic containing the coffins, where Oliver is to sleep.
 DISCUSSION 1 Diệu Sương

1. How were the characters described in the

story (Oliver Twist, Mr. Bumble and the buttons
on his coat, Mrs. Sowerberry)?
 DISCUSSION 1 Diệu Sương

Oliver Twist - The novel's protagonist. Oliver is an

(1)
……….… born in a ………………. (2) Though treated
with cruelty and surrounded by coarseness for
(3) innocent child, and
most of his life, he is a ……....,
his charms draw the attention of several wealthy
benefactors.
Mr. Bumble - The ………………,(4) self-important
(5)
beadle—a ………….. ……..….. …………..—for the
workhouse where Oliver is born. Though Mr.
Bumble preaches Christian morality, he behaves
without ……………………(6) toward the paupers
under his care.
 DISCUSSION 1 Diệu Sương

Bumble has been given an award for his

"Samaritanship," meaning his willingness to
(7) others when they are in need, but of
…………
course Bumble cares not a jot for the needs of
anyone but himself.

Mrs. Sowerberry - Sowerberry's wife. Mrs.

(8)
Sowerberry is a mean, ………………….., squeezed-
up, vixenish and short woman who henpecks
her husband.
 ANSWER: DISCUSSION 1 Diệu Sương

1. Orphan
2. Workhouse
3. Pious
4. Pompous
5. Minor church official
6. Compassion
7. Help
8. Judgmental
 DISCUSSION 2 Bảo Uyên

2. How does Oliver prove himself to be?

Why did he try to do so?
Oliver proved his disappointment after
hearing the statement of the broad and
then he cried, pleaded and talked to Mr.
Bumble that he would be a good child.
After all, Oliver was afraid of what would
become of him and desired not be taken
to Mr. Sowerberry (Page 76 & 77)
 DISCUSSION 3 Thùy Anh

3. Whose portion of meal is given to Olive?

What is Oliver's reaction when he learns
about it? What does that detail suggest to
readers?
Oliver Twist clutched at the dainty viands
that the dog had neglected (Page 78)
When he learns about his meal,
he received it with equanimity. Oliver,
whose eyes had glistened at the mention of
meat, and who was trembling with
eagerness to devour it. (Page 78)
 DISCUSSION 3 Thùy Anh

What does that detail suggest to readers?

That detail suggest to readers found that the

extreme injustice towards the poor made
Oliver not even mind his meal is a meal that
the dog had neglected.
 DISCUSSION 4 Xuân Hương

4. What kind of point of view is used here to narrate the story?

What is its effect?
- Third person point of view

What is its effect?

* The audience is able to know and see everything about

each character. Because of this, we are able to see into the
minds of multiple characters and create a stronger
relationship and bond with them.
* We are also able to see the reaction of multiple
characters, which will help us interpret the plot of the story.
* It allows the author to have multiple voices in the story. He
can write in the voice of an adult, child, man, or woman.
 DISCUSSION 4 Xuân Hương

* By experiencing a story through different voices, we can

see the story in another depth.
* We are also able to have a more objective interpretation
of the events, meaning the interpretation is not influenced
by personal feelings, as opposed to a more personal,
subjective interpretation.
* It allows for better storytelling. Because there are
multiple characters, there can be several plot lines and
many different interpretations to the same event.
 DISCUSSION 5 Quang Sang

5. In what way is it a social criticism?

Charles Dickens pointed out especially the
issue of poor children who treated terribly
and fed very little by the power of devils as
Mr. Bumble.
 CONCLUSION Bích Dung

Dickens began writing Oliver Twist after the

adoption of the Poor Law of 1834, which
halted government payments to the able-
bodied poor unless they entered workhouses.
Thus, Oliver Twist became a vehicle for social
criticism aimed directly at the problem of
poverty in 19th-century London.
Thank you
for your
cooperation
 DISCUSSION: Oliver Twist - Chapter 4
Oliver Twist - The novel's protagonist. Oliver is
orphan born in a workhouse
an ……….… ………………. Though treated
with cruelty and surrounded by coarseness for
pious
most of his life, he is a ……...., innocent child, and
his charms draw the attention of several wealthy
benefactors.
Mr. Bumble - The ………………,pompous self-important
minor ……..…..
beadle—a ………….. church …………..—for
official the
workhouse where Oliver is born. Though Mr.
Bumble preaches Christian morality, he
behaves without ……………………compassion toward the
paupers under his care.
 DISCUSSION: Oliver Twist - Chapter 4

Bumble has been given an award for his

"Samaritanship," meaning his willingness to
help others when they are in need, but of
…………
course Bumble cares not a jot for the needs of
anyone but himself.

Mrs. Sowerberry - Sowerberry's wife. Mrs.

judgmental squeezed-
Sowerberry is a mean, …………………..,
up, vixenish and short woman who henpecks
her husband.