Assignment
Child Labour in Oliver Twist with reference to Indian Cinema
Name: Asha R. Dhedhi
Roll no: 02 (Two)
Semester: 02 (Part-1)
Year: 2019-2020
Paper No.: 6
Paper: Victorian Literature
Topic: Child Labour in 'Oliver Twist'
with reference to Indian Cinema
Enrollment No: 2069108420200010
Email ID: ashadhedhi1806@gmail.com
Submitted to: Smt. S.B.Gardi
Department of English
(MKBU)
Introduction
"It is in Literature true life can be found. It is under the mask of fiction that you can tell the truth."
As we all know, Literature is a lens through which we can see the real society. Literature is always concerned about highlighting the social issues and problems which are prevailing in society. Literature is concerned about Social, Economic, Political, Religious as well as Historical growth and development in society and on the other sider it puts a mirror towards the Social vices and evils which are rooted in Human society.
'Oliver Twist' is a story of a Parish Boy's Progress predominantly concerned with 19th century England and Social world of that time. The Industrial Revolution led a drastic change in Humans life and its impact on society can be considered as horrible. People become unemployed, children are forced to work, women are marginalized and exploited by male dominated society and crimes are also slowly and steadily increasing because of unemployment.
So, Here in this particular assignment I am going to deal with the issues of Child Labour which is very harshaly examined by Charles Dickens in his novel Oliver Twist. Child Labour is black spot on the history of England during Industrial Revolution. Some of the objectives of my Assignment are as follows…
- Analysis the different forms of Child Labour which are highlighted in Oliver Twist by Dickens
- Examine the Social and Economic condition of 19th century England
- Effects of Child Labour on Society and as well as on Children's growth during 19th century
- How Indian Cinema used to highlight Child Labour with reference to Slumdog Millionaire movie
Impact of Industrial Revolution on Victorian Society
England in the nineteenth century had a very horrible history because of the Industrial revolution. Industrial revolution leads to rapid urbanization, unemployment, increased issues of crimes and oppression of women as well as children. There are three classes in society...
- Upper Class
- Middle Class
- Lower Class
Because of the Industrial Revolution, the poor became more poor and unbalanced conditions drag away the rights of children and poor people. Workhouses are created by the government in order to reduce the social problems which prevailed during that time, but it resulted in a call of death for the people who are working there. Establishment of Poor Law 1834 concerned about unemployed people. Under the new Poor Law, parishes were grouped into unions and each union had to build a workhouse if they did not already have one.
About 'Oliver Twist'
Oliver Twist is a second novel by Dickens first published as a serial form under the Pseudonym 'Boz' from 1837 to 1839. The novel realistically depicts the Underworld life of London and also emphasizes that Poverty leads to crimes.
Oliver Twist is very popular when it was first published and classed as 'Newgate Novel' and on the other hand it also criticised a lot because of it opens tge real situation of London like Thievery, Prostitution, Child Abuse and Murders and Crimes prevailing in London. Some critics considered it as an 'Immoral Novel.' Dickens wants to look at the reality of London…
"In all their deformity,
In all their wretchedness,
In all the squalid misery of their lives."
Oliver Twist is a story of an Orphan child, whose mother died just after his birth and he was sent to Orphanage for growth where he was treated badly, and after that he was forced to work in a Workhouse. From the workhouse he ran away in London and there he fell in the trap of Fagin, who trained him as Pick-Pocketing and Thievery but Oliver's inner morality doesn't accept it. And he remains a good child. And at last the story ends happily, Maylies reunite Oliver with Old Gentlemen and his family and Oliver settles down to normal life.
Definition of Child Labour
The term Child Labour refers to the exploitation of children through any kind of work. It also interferes with their childhood, their growth and development and also with their education. Children who are human beings come under the age of 18. According to International Trade Union Corporation(ITUC) the definition for Child Labour is following…
"Child Labour is often defined as work that deprives children, thwir childhood, their potential and their dignity and that is harmful to physical and mental development."
This definition refers that Child labour is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful for children. Also it makes interference in their schooling. And stop them from attending school and getting knowledge. Child Labour forced them to leave school at very early age.
Oppression of Children
Children are exploited in many ways during industrial revolution in England. Orphans have become figures of injustice, there is always inhuman behaviour with orphans and are forced to work against their willingness. They also never got their rights. We can see the struggle of poor orphan children who lived in a workhouse in Oliver Twist. They are oppressed in many ways like….
1)Exploitation - Oppression of one group by another group. In Oliver Twist we can see oppression of children or women by Managers of the workhouse. Fagin also captain of the group of Thieves exploits children and Nancy also.
2) Marginalization - Marginalization stands for the material deprivation. On the basis of wealth one group is superior and another is Inferior. Here in Oliver Twist childrens are marginalized because they have nothing. Even some children who make money by thievery are also forcefully taken by fagin and after a lot of work they have not a proper food to feed their hunger.
3) Powerlessness - Powerlessness can be defined as lack of authority, status and sense of self. In Oliver Twist all children are powerless. They do not have permission to raise their voice and speak for their rights. If they try to raise their voice then their voices are compressed and also punished by authority or people with high power.
4) Violence - Violence stands for random and unprovoked attack on a person or their property. Violence generally doesn't have any motive,but it only damages, destroys or sometimes humiliates a person. We can see in Oliver Twist that Oliver is hit many times without any strong reason. Wherever he goes, he is hit by people which shows violence.
Child Labour in Oliver Twist
Throughout the book we can observed the child labour is at center. It is a major theme of the novel through which Dickens wants to highlight the oppression of children in London during the Industrial Revolution. Child Labour is forced labour due to poverty and this book written against the New Poor Amendment act in 1834, which allows workhouses to exploit children who were born in poor condition. Let's see how child labour is portryed in novel…
Domestic Work
Domestic work is to work at home or outside the home for household work. It is common kind of work which found on ground level in Child Labour. When children go outside the home for domestic work then it isolates them from home as well from school also. Because most of the hours a child spends in domestic work. In domestic work we also find issues of paying. Sometimes they pay or sometimes there is no pay. Risk and exploitation is also at a higher level in domestic work. Child abuse emerges as the result of domestic work because we don't know that what will happen with child behind closed doors.
"So, you'll begin to pick Oakum at six O'clock"
(Chapter-2/Page no-15)
Oliver was sent to workhouse for work. Where one manager asked Oliver to wake up early in the morning at 6 O'clock and go to assemble the Oakum. So, to pick Oakum is comes under the domestic work. And 6 o'clock indicates that Oliver has no time to attend school. Because he had to spend more hours of his day picking Oakum.
Working In Industries
Because of the Industrial revolution during the Victorian age, the crisis of Children's working in industries rapidly increased. Industrial work can be legal or illegal both. It is a kind of regular or casual work during that era as well as in contemporary situations also that children are working in fire crackers companies.
"You fell sleepy, don't you my dear? Tomorrow morning you must go up to chimney-sweeping."
(Chapter-3/Page no-24)
This dialogue spoken by Old Gentleman refers that Oliver is employed as chimney-sweeping. Mr. Bumble forced Gentleman to send Oliver to clean the chimneys. And Chimney-Sweeping can be included in Industrial work. Chimney sweeping is to clean the ash and garbage in chimneys. And it is dangerous for the health of children. Oliver and Other children are also working in the Workhouse and it is also kind of Industrial Work. So this is how we can also find the glimpse of Industrial work in Oliver Twist.
Slavery and Forced Labour
Slavery is where authority one person is on another person's hand. And the Master of the slave forced their slave to work for him without any earnings. Slaves don't get any kind of money or reward for their work or sometimes they do not even get food to feed their hunger. Forced labour is also a kind of work in which there is pressure of work on a person, and they are pressured to work against their will or wishes.
There is an Expression of melancholy in his face, my dear - resumed Mr. Sowerberry, "Which is very interesting. He would make a delightful mute, my love."
(Chapter-5/Page no-35)
The above quotation denotes how Mr. Sowerberry forced Oliver to do work. Melancholy on his face indicates that Oliver doesn't want to work but he should because Mr. Sowerberry is his master and he can't deny the order of his Master. 'Delightful Mute' also indicate slavery that a person who is slave must keep mute, slaver ultimately silencing the voice of people. They have no right to speak even for their rights also. As here Oliver keeps mute and not allowed to speak against their master. Even Oliver is not able to show his dislikeness towards the slavery.
Child Trafficking
Child Trafficking is an illegal trading of children for labour work, sexual exploitation or nowadays to sell body parts like kidneys, liver and other organs. Child Trafficking stands for selling or buying movement of children. Kidnapping of children also comes under child trafficking. Children are kidnapped for getting labour work from them, prostitution, to make their recruitment as child soldiers, begging purpose and also sell their body parts to earn money.
"Oliver was ordered into instant confinement, and a bill was next morning pasted on the outside of the gate, offering a reward of five pounds to anybody who would take Oliver Twist off the hands of parish."
(Chapter-2/Page no-17)
The above quotation shows that there is a bill passed that who wants Oliver Twist, anyone who is ready to buy Oliver also get Five pound as a reward. This shows child trafficking in Oliver Twist. The master of Oliver Twist intended to sell him because he asked For some more food. And his master is not able to feed him and he doesn't want any child to raise their voice against him.
Effects of Child Labour
Physical Injuries
Oliver Twist is time and again hiten by Mr Bumble. There is perpetual mental and physical punishment which causes physical injuries to children. There is world famous dialogue…
"Sir, I want some more?"
Oliver is hungry and he just asked for some more porridge, and his punishment for this is hit by Mr. Bumble. It creates a tingling sensation throughout his body and at court also he faints down because of continuous torcher. Because of lack of food, perpetual torcher and hits Children suffered sickness and physical weakness.
Growth Deficiency
In Oliver Twist children are forced to work which are heavy above their strength. Exploitation and forced to do heavy work make interference in their overall growth as a healthy child.
"Oliver Twist's ninth birthday found him a pale thin child, somewhat
diminutive in stature, and decidedly small in circumference"
This quotation shows that on his 9th birthday Oliver doesn't look like a boy of 9. Because he is very thin, his body is pale and his wrist is also very thin. Which shows that because of exploitation he is not able to grow like a healthy kid. This all happens because of not eating healthy food. So, it shows growth deficiency because of Child Labour.
Exhaustion, Malnutrition and Famine
Children who work in workhouses suffer from Exhaustion, malnutrition and famine because they don't get enough food to develop their body. Malnutrition or Famine is the result of underdeveloped children doing heavy work for long hours. And after long efforts they are not even getting enough food.
Oliver Twist and his companions suffered the tortures of slow
starvation for three months:at last they got so voracious and wild with
hunger.
(Chapter-2/Page no-16)
This quote from Oliver Twist shows that children who are working in workhouse are suffering from starvation. They have not been getting proper food for three month. Only got a bowl of porridge and not allowed to take another time. So, these are some of the effects of Child Labour.
Child Labour in Indian Cinema
Generally Indian cinema dealing with the primal scene of child labour. There are very few movies which deeply highlighting the condition of children because of Child Labour. There are some movie who try to picturise the harsh reality of Indian Slum areas and Child Labour pervading there like…
- Boot Polish (1954)
- Salam Bombay (1988)
- Traffic Signal (2007)
- I am Kalam (2011)
- Chillar Party (2011)
- Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
These are some of the movies which deal with social issues of India. These all movie talk about child abuse and child labour in cinematic manner.
Boot Polish (1954)
Directed by: Prakash Arora
Produced by: Raj Kapoor
Written by: Bhanu P.
Awards:Filmfare Award for Best Film
Filmfare Award for best
Cinematography
It is the story of two orphan siblings, named Bhola and Belu sent to his aunt Kamala by their father after their mother dies. Her forced them to beg throughout the day in streets and and collect whole money at the end of the day. John Chacha a bootlegger teaches them to live respectful lives rather than begging and also suggests to work rather than beg. They both children started saving from their money which we begged and bought a kit of bootpolish and started work on shining shoes. When their aunt came to know about this she kicked them out.
Bothe children faced many difficulties and her aunt also brutally beat them. The story ends happily, both children are adopted by wealthy families. There is one famous dialogue which shows how both children are starving for food…
"Kidhar hai ye nayi duniya? Hum kal bhi bhookha marta tha aur aaj bhi bhookha marta hai."
So, this movie try to highlight the child labour as a part of Domestic work. Both children work for their own survival and they are also forced by their aunt to work rather than study. So this is first Indian movie portryed child labour and also get noteworthy awarfs for it.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
"Reflecting a larger context of global cultural flows, which implicates issues of labour, status, achievements and poverty in Urban India."
-D. Parthasarathy
Director: Danny Boyle
Produced by: Christian Colson
Based on: Q&A by Vikas Swarup
Slumdog Millionaire deals with the children dwelling in slum areas of Mumbai. Children are kidnapped by gangsters and trained under their guidance for how to beg and survive their life. This tale is about love and life of a boy who lives in slums of Mumbai, simultaneously showing the heartbreak and triumph of a boy who won the contest and earned thousands of money. It shows us the other side of India like Exploitation, child abuse, homelessness, begging, working and struggle of an Orphan children. About this movie Ann Hornaday States…
"This modern day 'rags to rajah fable won the audience award at the Toronto International film Festival, Slumdog Millionaire plays like Charles Dickens for the 21st Century."
So, these are some of the examples that how Indian cinema deal with the issues of child labour and child abuse.
Conclusion
To sum up, It can be said that Oliver Twist is a novel by Charles Dickens which deals with the formative years of an Orphan boy named Oliver. The novel centered around the issues of Child labour and its effects on children can be found as mental, physical, social, economical and social also. Oliver Twist as a Victorian novel deal with the social issues which are prevailing during 19th century in England such as Child Labour, Child Abuse, Prostitution, Thievery and many more Underworld crimes. So, This is how the Child labour is portryed in Oliver Twist by Dickens and as well in Slumdog Millionaire movie also.
Works Cited
- Boyle, Danny, director. Slumdog Millionaire. Fox SearchLight Pictures, 30 Aug. 2008.
- Dickens, Charles.2013. Oliver Twist
- Hornaday, Ann, "From 'Slumdog' to Riches In a Crowd-Pleasing Fable", 12 November 2008, The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 January 2009
- Jain, Pankaj, Virtue Ethics of Boot Polish and Dosti, as Compared with Slumdog Millionaire, 2010, Visual Anthropology. 23. 44-50. 10.1080/08949460903368911
- Jumiati, Sri, Oppression Reflected In Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist Novel (1837): A Sociological Approach, 2015, Skripsi thesis, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta.
- Long, William J. English Literature:Its History and Its Significance for the Life of the English Speaking World. AITBS Publishers, India, 2018.
- Nurhidayari, Evi, Children Abuse in Oliver Twist: A Genetic Structuralism, 2001, Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta. Research Paper.
- Parthasarathy, D, “Of Slumdogs, Doxosophers, and the (In)Dignity of Labour(ers)", 30 September 2009, SSRN: 14. SSRN 2096954
- Prakash, Arora, director. Boot Polish. Raj Kapoor, 1954.
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