Oliver Twist and Christian Scripture

By: Tara, Chris, Tyler, and Keith

Janet Larson attempts to prove:

The time in which Dickens wrote had a direct correlation with the references and allusions to Christianity!

These correlations and relations can be found, portrayed both overtly and covertly.

Presences in the Novel include:

“The church”

Christian Works

Biblical Passages

Christian ideologies

Oliver Twist

Does not only explode with religious categories, but also demonstrates a parable of its own kind!

Christianity Overtly Portrayed

Mr. Bumble

Oliver himself

The Church itself

Mr. Bumble, even though he is an employee of the church, he abuses his power

Dickens uses this character to show what true Christianity is not.

Oliver prays, which shows that Dickens meant to portray a Christian character through Oliver.

Christianity Covertly Portrayed

Dickens’ allusion to Christian works:

•Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

•A Morality Play

Pilgrim’s Progress

Bunyan writes in parables like “his master” did.

Dickens announces from the beginning a similar intention with the title

Oliver Twist, A Parish boy’s Progress

Dickens also makes a reference from Bunyan’s work with the line:

Oliver was nearly “dead upon the king’s highway”

“…such robberies are done on the King’s highway.” was the original line from Bunyan.

Dickens invites us to read his story a little deeper in order to compare:

The struggles of good and evil in Pilgrim’s Progress and Oliver Twist.

Such as -

Christian’s Burdens toOliver’s illegitimacy and poverty

Hell toUrban crime and poverty

Heaven toPhysical survival and family identity

Both Heroes go through

“Sloughs of Despair”

“Valleys of the Shadow of Death”

“ Valleys of Humiliation

and in the end Oliver like Christians is saved!

A Morality Play

Oliver Twist is categorized in English morality plays and homiletic tales.

Although Dickens does not name his characters by their traits, such as “Doubt” in Everyman – still each of Dickens’ characters are given qualities which are then judged.

Christianity Covertly Portrayed

Dickens’ references to Biblical Passages

Concept of a Millstone (Matt. 18:6)

The Good Samaritan

The Good Samaritan

Oliver is like the man being beaten up

Fagin, Nancy, and Sikes are the people who stood by and watched

Mr. Brownlow is the Samaritan who saves the beaten man’s (Oliver) life

Oliver is beaten by his

Poverty

Social status/Family

The People who stood by

Fagin takes Oliver in, but does not solve the problems Oliver has!Nancy leads him back to Sikes, which shows here unwillingness to help Oliver until its too late, after which her own life is taken!Sikes even leaves Oliver in the ditch to Die, just as the parable.

The Samaritan

The Samaritan in Oliver’s story is Mr. Brownlow.

He saves Oliver from poverty and gives him a family.

This shows that the poverty resembles hell while Mr. Brownlow heaven!

In ConclusionBe it through

References to passages of Scripture

Allusions to works such as Pilgrim’s Progress

Or simply the presence of prayer in the novel -

Dickens makes it evident that:

He is – at the least – writing in a time full of “substantial pressure of the Christian sentiments and language which were the received culture of Dickens’ time.”

If Dickens was not trying to make a parabolic point as Larson attempts to prove -

Then at least we can see the Biblical references and concepts.

Questions?

What are the four presences Larson proposes Dickens has in his novel?

The church, Biblical Passages, Christian works, and Christian Ideology

Questions?

Who is the “Samaritan” in Oliver’s life?

Mr. Brownlow

Questions?

“Dead on the king’s highway” shows Dickens’ use of which book?

Pilgrim’s Progress

Any Questions?