论《雾都孤儿》中的善良 --毕业论文

【标题】论《雾都孤儿》中的善良

【作者】舒艳

【关键词】《雾都孤儿》；善良；人物形象；影响

【指导老师】Charles Dickens is one of the greatest critical writers of Victorian Age. Particularly, he is good at describing the life and condition in mid-nineteenth century London. In his early works, Dickens expresses his belief of kindness. Oliver Twist is one of

【专业】英语

【正文】

I. Introduction

A. Introduction of the Author and the Novel

Charles Dickens was a realistic writer in English literature. He was born on February 7, 1812 in England. In his early years, he worked as a reporter and this experience gave him a good knowledge of the political life of England at that time and it had a far reaching effect on his lifelong contempt for all the political institutions as practice in England. As the result of his ability to notice things of London life, a volume of stories and sketches of London street scenes, Sketches of Boz, was published. In 1837, his first novel Pickwick Papers appeared and established his reputation as an important writer of the time. This success was repeated again and again during the rest of his life, with the publication of some 15 novels as well as volumes of stories, travelogues and countless sketches and essays. In his very early literary period, Dickens attacked one or more specific evils in Victorian England: debtors’ prison, workhouse, Yorkshire schools, capital punishment and so on.1

Oliver Twist, written in 1837-1838, told the story of an orphan boy, whose adventures provided a description of the lower depths of London. Oliver Twist was born in a workhouse in 1830s, England. His mother, whose name no one knew was found on the street and died just after Oliver’s birth. He was brought up in the workhouse where he and other orphans were maltreated and constantly starved. One day, because Oliver asked for more gruel, he was sent to an undertaker to work as an apprentice, Noah Claypole, made disparaging comments about Oliver’s mother. Unable to bear it, Oliver attacked him and ran away to London. There he fell into the hands of a gang of thieves headed by old Jew Fagin. In the thieves’ den Oliver was taught the skill of pocking and stealing and was forced to steal. He was rescued for a time by the kind-hearted Mr. Brownlow. But Nancy and other gang members found him and brought him back. It finally turned out that a mysterious man

Monks wanted to make the boy a criminal.

Oliver was once forced to help a burglar, Bill Sikes, in a burglary. In the course of it, Oliver was shot and badly wounded, the kind care from Mrs. Maylie and her beautiful adopted niece Rose brought him back to health. Nancy, who repented for what she had done, tried to help Oliver. She told Rose and Mr. Brownlow of the mystery about Oliver’s origin and was found out by the gang and brutally murdered by Bill Sikes. Persuaded by his guilty conscience and an angry mob, he inadvertently hanged himself while trying to escape. Fagin was arrested and executed .It was known that Monks was the half -brother of Oliver and he did all this for the purpose of seizing the whole of their father’s property. Rose was revealed in the end to be the sister of Oliver’s dead mother. Oliver was finally adopted by Mr. Brownlow. Monks was exiled and died in prison. Bumble, the self-important beadle of the workhouse who had conspired with Monk, became an inmate of the workhouse over which he formerly ruled.

B. The Background of Oliver Twist

At the beginning of 19th century, England was rapidly undergoing a transformation from agricultural, rural economy to an industrial, urban nation. The economy of this country was developing rapidly; the gap between the rich and the poor was bigger and bigger. A new class-middle-class emerged. In the stratified English class structure, the highest social class belonged to the “gentlemen,” an aristocrat who did not have to work for his living. The middle class was the class who had to work. In order to alleviate the stigma attached to the wealthy middle class, they promoted work as a moral virtue. Because the middle class felt insecurity about their own social legitimacy, many of them were anxious to be differentiated from the lower class, while the poor was suffering the cruel treatment and was stigmatized as a class which was lazy and good-for-nothings. Earning wealth was a sign of moral virtue in the eyes of middle class; the condition of poverty was a sign of the weakness of the poor individual.

The sentiment behind the Poor Law of 1834 reflected these beliefs mentioned above. The Law allowed the poor to receive public assistance only if they lived and worked in established workhouses. Begging carried the punishment of imprisonment. For the conditions of the workhouses were deliberately made to be as miserable as possible, the poor would rather die quickly than be starved by a gradual process in the house. Therefore many poor people were starved in the streets.

II. Kindness

A. Definition of Kindness

Kindness is described as the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic.2 It is what gives the world warm. It brings a touch of beauty to every day they live.

Kindness is the oil that takes the friction out of life. Kindness is loved expressed in little things. It is respect for the feelings of others.