Dickens Oliver Twist Summary and Analysis

Oliver Twist is a well-known story, but the book is not quite as widely read as you might  imagine. In fact, Time Magazines list of the top 10 most popular Dickens novels put Oliver Twist in 10th place, even though it was a sensational success in 1837 when it was first serialized  and contributed the treacherous villain Fagin to English literature.  The novel has the vivid storytelling and unimpeachable literary skill that Dickens brings to all his novels, but it also has a raw, gritty quality that may drive some readers away. Oliver Twist was also influential in bringing to light the cruel treatment of paupers and orphans in Dickens time. The novel is not only a brilliant work of art  but an important social document. Oliver Twist: Indictment of the 19th-Century Workhouse Oliver, the protagonist, is born in a workhouse in the first half of the nineteenth century. His mother dies during his birth, and he is sent to an orphanage, where he is treated badly, beaten regularly, and poorly fed. In a famous episode, he walks up to the stern authoritarian, Mr. Bumble, and asks for a second helping of gruel. For this impertinence, he is put out of the workhouse. Please, Sir, Can I Have Some More? He then runs away from the family that takes him in. He wants to find his fortune in London. Instead, he falls in with a boy called Jack Dawkins, who is part of a child gang of thieves run by a man called Fagin. Oliver is brought into the gang and trained as a pickpocket. When he goes out on his first job, he runs away and is nearly sent to prison. However, the kind person he tries to rob saves him from the terrors of the city gaol (jail) and the boy is, instead, taken into the mans home. He believes he has escaped Fagin and his crafty gang, but Bill Sikes and Nancy, two members of the gang, force him back in. Oliver is sent out on another job—this time assisting Sikes on a burglary. Kindness Almost Saves Oliver  Time and Again The job goes wrong and Oliver is shot and left behind. Once more he is taken in, this time by the Maylies, the family he was sent to rob; with them,  his life changes dramatically for the better. But Fagins gang comes after him again. Nancy, who is worried about Oliver, tells the Maylies whats happening. When the gang finds out about Nancys treachery, they murder her. Meanwhile, the Maylies reunite Oliver with the gentleman who helped him out earlier and who—with the kind of coincidental plot turn typical of many Victorian novels—turns out to be Olivers uncle. Fagin is arrested and hanged for his crimes; and Oliver settles down to a normal life, reunited with his family. The Terrors Awaiting Children in Londons Underclass Oliver Twist is probably not the most psychologically complex of Dickens novels. Instead, Dickens uses the novel to give readers of the time a dramatic understanding of the deplorable social situation for Englands underclass and particularly its children. In this sense, it is more closely linked to Hogarthian satire than Dickens more romantic novels. Mr. Bumble, the beadle, is an excellent example of Dickens broad characterization at work. Bumble is a large, terrifying figure: a tin-pot Hitler, who is both frightening to the boys under his control, and also slightly pathetic in his need to maintain his power over them. Fagin: A Controversial Villain Fagin, too, is a wonderful example of Dickens ability to draw a caricature and still place it in a convincingly realistic story. There is a streak of cruelty in Dickens Fagin, but also a sly charisma that has made him one of literatures most compelling villains. Among many film and television productions of the novel, Alec Guinnesss portrayal of Fagin remains, perhaps,  the most admired. Unfortunately, Guinesss makeup incorporated stereotypical aspects of portrayals of Jewish villains. Along with Shakespeares Shylock, Fagin remains one of the most controversial and arguably antisemitic creations in the English literary canon. The Importance of Oliver Twist Oliver Twist is important  as a crusading work of art, although it did not result in the dramatic changes in the English workhouse system that Dickens may have hoped. Nevertheless, Dickens researched that system extensively before writing the novel and his views undoubtedly had a cumulative effect. Two English reform acts addressing the system actually preceded the publication of Oliver Twist, but several more followed, including the influential reforms of 1870.  Oliver Twist  remains  a powerful indictment of English society in the early 19th Century.

A Comparison of Grendel in Beowulf and John Gardners...

In both works, Beowulf and Grendel, Grendel himself is generally given the same connotations. He is given kennings, called names, referred to as the evil spawn of Cain, and even viewed as a monster; but why? Why in both books is he a wicked, horrible, person who is harshly excluded from everyone? After stumbling upon John Gardners book, it was halfway expected that some excuse would be made for Grendel; that he wasnt really the inexorable monster the thanes in Beowulf portrayed him as. But all it really did was make him worse. What is the message we are being sent about Grendel? In Beowulf, we hardly know anything about Grendel. His name is barely mentioned and instead he is given an abundant amount of kennings. In Grendel, we learn†¦show more content†¦They hammer this vision of Asgard and what you will get if you die in an act of bravery so that their people will idolize the great Beowulf and want to do heroic things such as he did. That is the only reason he was even ment ioned at all. However, in John Gardners book, we are given knowledge about Grendel, exposed to his existentialism, and provided many different examples of theories that the Anglo-Saxons would violently shriek upon hearing. Yet he still portrays him as a monster? One philosophy we are exposed to in Grendel is Platos Allegory of the Cave. In this philosophic viewpoint, a man is chained to the ground all of his life facing nothing but a cave wall. The only things he will ever see are the shadows of the objects people walk by the fire with. If a vase were to be held, how would he know what it was besides knowing what the shadow looked like? If he were let out into the real world he wouldnt recognize anything because he would be ignorant to everything but shadows. In Gardners book, Grendel himself was kept in a cave representing ignorance for most of his childhood. When he finally came out he did nothing but terrorize and eat the people. Is ignorance really such a bad thing under certain circumstances? John Gardner wrote his book with a purpose, to exploit Grendel in every way and to give readers an understanding about the way he has become. The Anglo-Saxons didnt want their loyalShow MoreRelated A Comparison of Nihilistic and Christian Archetypes in Beowulf and John Gardners Grendel2146 Words   |  9 PagesGrendel, Beowulf and the Relationship Between Nihilistic and Christian Archetypes The Wisdom god, Woden, went out to the king of trolls†¦and demanded to know how order might triumph over chaos. â€Å"Give me your left eye,† said the king of trolls, â€Å"and I’ll tell you.† Without hesitation, Woden gave up his left eye. â€Å"Now tell me.† The troll said, â€Å"The secret is, Watch with both eyes!† Woden’s left eye was the last sure hope of gods and men in their kingdom of light surrounded by darkness. AllRead MoreThe Sonnet Form: William Shakespeare6305 Words   |  26 Pagesimportant sonnet sequences of this period.) Sonnets were also written during the height of classical English verse, by Dryden and Pope, among others, and written again during the heyday of English Romanticism, when Wordsworth, Shelley, and particularly John Keats created wonderful sonnets. Today, the sonnet remains the most influential and important verse form in the history of English poetry. Two kinds of sonnets have been most common in English poetry, and they take their names from the greatest poets

The renaissance period and ideologies Free Essays

The renaissance period was highly influenced by artists who promoted religious ideologies. The word Renaissance in itself is means ‘rebirth’ or ‘reconstruction’. It refers specifically to the revitalization of the early renaissance in Italy in the fourteenth century, which eventually spread to England in the sixteenth and further north in the seventeenth. We will write a custom essay sample on The renaissance period and ideologies or any similar topic only for you Order Now Christianity was the leading religion at that period of time, artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael were part of the high renaissance period that spread between 1475 to 1525, Michelangelo painted the Sistine chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512, it was requested by pope Julius the second that Michelangelo would paint the ceiling of the chapel to help Rome rebuild its self to its former glory. One off the most famous sections of the Sistine chapel is the creation of Adam’ it is thought to illustrate the narrative from the biblical book genesis in which god breaths life into Adam. This is an example of religious, and political ideologies, because the Pope Julius wanted the ceiling to promote Rome at that time and also to promote his own name, to make the rest of the world believe that he was superior to his rival Pope Alexander. It also promoted religious Ideologies by depicting one of the most Important scenes from Christianity; In painting this ceiling they were effectively advertising their own religious beliefs making others aware of their religion. During the renaissance period Musicians and artists were servants of the rich and would be employed by the church or a rich noble to glorify god, their religion or themselves. The church and the rich wanted these artists and musicians who earned their living through people like this to promote their Faith and to demonstrate how Important their religion was. This Is an example of how the church and the rich anted to use art to document or portray their Ideologies to the rest of society. Leonardo Dad Vine’s Last Super This Is a late 15th century mural by Dad Vulcan; the church commissioned him as part of their renovations to depict scenes from the bible. It depicts ‘The last super’ one of the most Important and key scenes from Charlatanry. I believe that this Is a way that the church have used art to promote their religious beliefs, which Is In a way an Ideology of how they want everyone to believe the world came to existence. By philanthropy that he was superior to his rival Pope Alexander. It also promoted religious ideologies by depicting one of the most important scenes from Christianity; in painting this important their religion was. This is an example of how the church and the rich wanted to use art to document or portray their ideologies to the rest of society. This is a late 1 5th century mural by Dad Vinci; the church commissioned him as part the most important and key scenes from Christianity. I believe that this is a way that the church have used art to promote their religious beliefs, which is in a way an ideology of how they want everyone to believe the world came to existence. How to cite The renaissance period and ideologies, Papers The renaissance period and ideologies Free Essays The renaissance period and ideologies The renaissance period was highly influenced by artists who promoted religious ideologies. The word Renaissance in itself is meaner ‘rebirth’ or ‘reconstruction’. It refers specifically to the revitalization of the early renaissance in Italy in the fourteenth century, which eventually spread to England in the sixteenth and further north in the seventeenth. We will write a custom essay sample on The renaissance period and ideologies or any similar topic only for you Order Now Christianity was the leading religion at that period of time, artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael were part of the high renaissance period that spread between 1475 to 1525, Michelangelo painted the Sistine chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512, it was requested by pope Julius the second that Michelangelo would paint the ceiling of the chapel to help Rome rebuild its self to its former glory. One off the most famous sections of the Sistine chapel is the creation of Adam’ it is thought to illustrate the narrative from the biblical book genesis in which god breaths life into Adam. This is an example of religious, and political ideologies, because the Pope Julius wanted the ceiling to promote Rome at that time and also to promote his own name, to make the rest of the world believe hat he was superior to his rival Pope Alexander. It also promoted religious ideologies by depicting one of the most important scenes from Christianity; in painting this ceiling they were effectively advertising their own religious beliefs making others aware of their religion. During the renaissance period Musicians and artists were servants of the rich and would be employed by the church or a rich noble to glorify god, their religion or themselves. The church and the rich wanted these artists and musicians who earned their living through people like this to promote their Faith and to demonstrate how important their religion was. This is an example of how the church and the rich wanted to use art to document or portray their ideologies to the rest of society. Leonardo Ad Vine’s Last Super This is a late 15th century mural by Ad Vinci; the church commissioned him as part of their renovations to depict scenes from the bible. It depicts ‘The last super’ one of the most important and key scenes from Christianity. I believe that this is a way that the church have used art to promote their religious beliefs, which is in a way an ideology of how they want everyone to believe the world came to existence. By philanthropy How to cite The renaissance period and ideologies, Papers

Innovation And Entrepreneurship

Question: Discuss about theInnovation And Entrepreneurship. Answer: Introduction Innovation refers to the process of converting a unique idea or invention into a service or a product that is of value to customers who are willing to pay for it. While ideas are many, for them to qualify to become an invention, they must be replicable at an economical value that being able to satisfy the specific needs of the end customers (Pisano, 2015). Incremental advances of technology results in evolutionary innovations. This is in direct contrast to revolutionary innovations that are disruptive and abrupt in nature (Corona-Trevino, 2016). We can therefore conclude that while innovation leads to profits; it is also synonymous with risk taking. An in-depth understanding of the end user, his needs and the ability to satisfy these needs are intrinsic to successful innovation. Need For Innovation Unfortunately, despite the huge investments of efforts, time and money, many organizations are unable to capitalize on the opportunities that are presented to them (Pisano, 2015). Innovation is essential to shaping the success of any new venture. However, the innovative processes need to be managed in a proper manner in order for the organization to reap the benefits of the process. We can see several interesting examples of innovation that captured the minds of consumers and lead to a significant boost to the profitability of the organization. This includes the introduction of ATMs by Citibank; the Walkman from Sony; the introduction of radial tires by Michelin and even the introduction of text processors that have contributed to the demise of the humble typewriter. Conversely all unresolved problems are lost opportunities for organizations which tend to suffer financial losses as a result of the inability to capitalize on the opportunity presented to them. The very concept of open innovation aims at creating inflows as well as outflows of knowledge so as to initiate and contribute to internal innovation (Corona-Trevino, 2016). Relationship Between Innovation and Entrepreneurship A combination of innovation, pro-activeness and risk taking are necessary for any entrepreneurship to kick off (Pisano, 2015). Conversely, entrepreneurship may be defined as the willingness of an organization to support risk while encouraging creativity and being flexible. This process helps ensure the renewal of the organization. While there are many who argue that any change that occurs externally necessitates an internal change merely because it insists on the organizations change so as to ensure its survival. Needless to say, successful companies tend to initiate changes in not just technology or marketing; but also in the organization as a whole in response to changes in the external environment (Rosenbusch, Brinckmann, Bausch, 2011). The emphasis here is on proactive, innovative strategies that include an element of risk taking for the organization (Pisano, 2015). We can, in fact, state that corporate entrepreneurship is known to contribute to the survival of the firm and its consistent performance (Barringer Bluedorn, 1999). Innovation is known to have a positive effect on the performance of all organizations involved in the process including SMEs (Rosenbusch, Brinckmann, Bausch, 2011). Identifying Niches, Target Audiences and Innovation Innovation is all about identifying the needs of or creating needs in end consumers. In other words, we can say that need is the single component that drives innovation across industries. The need may be through the identification of consumers wants (demand pull approach) or the creation of a need in the market (a supply-push approach). For instance the introduction of ATM cards can be considered a supply-push approach, while the introduction of the word processor may be classified as a demand-pull approach. The key element to be concerned is that entrepreneurs tend to argue that the idea under discussion is unique and offers a completive edge over their rivals (Rosenbusch, Brinckmann, Bausch, 2011). Smaller industries can capitalize on their advantages of quick implementation and innovative practices to pose a threat to larger and more established firms (Rosenbusch, Brinckmann, Bausch, 2011). Innovative Entrepreneuership and Differential Thinking We an see that innovative entrepreneurs tend to think and react differently when compared to their peers who are more laidback. Some the key traits that distinguish innovative entrepreneurs are (Bessant Todd, 2007) The ability to identify potential innovations ahead of their peers Being lazy as it provides incentive to complete a task with lesser efforts and higher efficiency Constant note takers who tend to jot down minute details The ability to strike a balance between perfection and practice Channelize fear to achieve innovation Enjoy disruptive as well as evolutionary innovation Are multi-faceted and able to think out of the box Thus, entrepreneurs are self-motivated and feel the need to constantly innovate processes and goods (Huszar, Pronay, Buzas, 2016). In fact, it would be accurate to state that successful innovations exploit change for the benefit of the concerned persons. It is essential that organizations are ready to abandon the familiar and embrace change for the success of the entrepreneurship. Emerging Technologies andEntrepreneuership Systematic innovation involves an organized and purposeful approach to changes, which we couple with a systematic analysis of the impact of these changes on the economy and society. We can clearly see that innovation is intrinsic to economic growth (Corona-Trevino, 2016). In other words, the introduction of innovative products and services, through innovative technologies are essential for the continued growth of any organization (Arafeh, 2016). Thus the seeds of innovation are needed for organizations to capitalize on them so as to generate profits for the organization as a whole (Pisano, 2015). However, while innovation is essential for technology based organizations, it is not a guarantee for success (Martin, 1994). The financial constraints and the global economic forces have contributed to the need for innovation based firms in the present economic situation. Innovation starts with a strategy that cuts across all departments and hierarchy levels in an organization (Pisano, 2015) . It can also be argued that innovation and performance are closely linked with each other (Rosenbusch, Brinckmann, Bausch, 2011). We therefore observe the existence of two predominant approaches to the manner in which emerging technologies impact entrepreneurship, viz., the supply-push approach d the demand pull approach. While the supply push approach is a more aggressive approach; the demand pull approach tends to be more proactive. As the names suggest, the demand-pull approach is identifying a need among the end consumers and being able to cater to them though the implementation f an emerging technology. A supply-push approach however means finding a product that is found to be economically viable and then creating market for the same using aggressive marketing technologies. This tends to involve a more aggressive marketing effort for creating he need for product or service as opposed to the former approach of merely catering to an existing demand (Pisano, 2015). Steps in Creatung and Implementing an Innovative Strategy Innovation needs to be conceptualized within his organization (Corona-Trevino, 2016). We have identified four steps in creating and maintaining an innovative strategy. The first step is identifying the need for innovation so as to create value for customer and the company. The second step involves the creation of a strategic plan for resource allocation in order to encourage innovation and innovative thinking. The third step is a more economic related initiative and is concerned with creating trade off between the needs of the consumer and the company. This step involves a significant amount of customer involvement. The final step is the need to recognize and identify those strategies that need to evolve so as to continue to be innovative for the consumer and the company, thereby generating benefits for the organization a whole (Pisano, 2015). The strategy highlights the need for simple initiatives like being prepared for contingencies, providing new insights into the process, and influencing the performance of the persons involved in the innovation (Rosenbusch, Brinckmann, Bausch, 2011). The question that is always faced by entrepreneurs is the extent to which entrepreneurs need be concerned about the impact of innovation on existing processes as well as the need for internal innovation in the organization. We can observe that while there continues to be a constant influx of young risk takers looking at a challenging existing processes, innovation that is both economical as well as viable is needed for the success of the organization (Zimmerer Scarborough, 2008). Conclusion All organizations that work across borders tend to be overwhelmed by the cross cultural environment in which they operate. They tend to be exposed to interesting challenges, opportunities and threats that have no precedent. The present day entrepreneur is not only concerned about profits, but is also keen on contributing to society. Therefore, we now see a new breed of innovative entrepreneurs who look at innovation as a means of contributing to society in general as compared to the vastly different nature of their counterparts roughly a decade ago. Innovation is thus a tool to exploit change, which we can achieve though a disciplined approach. Innovation has thus evolved as an adaptation of the changing business, and economic environment. We can thus safely conclude that the longevity of an enterprise is dependent on the level of innovation it is willing to embrace. References Arafeh, L. (2016). An entrepreneurial key competencies model. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Barringer, B. R., Bluedorn, A. C. (1999). The Relationship Between Corporate Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management. Strategic Management Journal, 421-444. Bessant, J. 4., Todd, J. (2007). Innovation and Entrepreneurship. West Sussex: John Wiley Sons. Corona-Trevino, L. (2016). Entrepreneurship in an open national innovation system (ONIS): a proposal for Mexico. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Huszar, S., Pronay, S., Buzas, N. (2016). Examining the differences between the motivations of traditional and entrepreneurial scientists. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Martin, M. J. (1994). Managing Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Technology-Based Firms. Canada: Joh Wiley and Sons , Inc. Pisano, G. P. (2015). You Need an Innovation Strategy. harvard Business Review, 44-54. Rosenbusch, N., Brinckmann, J., Bausch, A. (2011). Is innovation always beneà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cial? A meta-analysis of the relationship between innovation and performance in SMEs. Journal of Business Venturing, 441-457. Zimmerer, T., Scarborough, N. (2008). Essential of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management. Pearson Prentice Hall: Pearson Prentice Hall.