Montreal Dickens Fellowship Study Questions: “Oliver Twist”
Westmount Public Library
December 3, 2013 2:30-4:30
Chapters 17-24
- Do you agree with Dickens’ assertion that life is an ever-shifting mixture of comedy and tragedy?
- What is your reaction to little Dick’s tragic plea? How does Mr. Bumble and Mrs. Mann’s ridiculous behavior raise our emotions even further? How do you think Dickens’ reading public would have reacted? Discuss how Dickens’ use of pathos and humor side by side helped him raise the social conscience of his readers.
- Was Mr. Brownlow too quick to judge Oliver based on Mr. Bumble’s account?
- The Dodger claims they abandoned Oliver at the booksellers to protect Fagin. Do you believe in “honor among thieves”, or is Dickens showing that their credo is “everyman for himself”?
- Why does Nancy support Oliver’s involvement in the robbery?
- Comment on Dickens’ amazing description of London, as Oliver and Sykes make their way to the scene of the crime.
- Oliver maintains his naiveté about the goal of their journey right up until they reach the Chertsey house, when he realizes they are going to rob and even possibly kill. Only then does he become hysterical in his fear of sinning. Remember that he had read in Fagin’s book (when did he learn to read?) about the frightening fates of evildoers and he had prayed (when did he learn to pray?) fervently that he might never become evil. Discuss his purity.
- Mr. Bumble and Mrs. Corney (indeed all the workhouse staff), showed a marked callousness toward the dead and dying. Dickens heightens this by juxtaposing this cruel indifference with the humor of their romance. Comment.
- Discuss how Dickens masterfully manipulates our emotions. He leaves us in suspense, at the edges of our chairs, wondering if Oliver will live or die. He makes us laugh and cry simultaneously over Mr. Bumble and Mrs. Corney’s outrageous cruelty and ridiculous love scenes. Finally, in the death of Sally, he heightens the mystery and our anxiety about discovering Oliver’s true origins. It is a roller coaster of a read, keeping the reader hooked and anxious to read more! Comment.