Are Dickens messages relevant today?
In the book “Oliver Twist” Charles Dickens puts forward some very strong messages about racism, child labour, domestic violence and child abuse. My aim in this piece of text is to research and answer the question “Are Dickens messages relevant today?”
The point that Dickens makes about racism is not that he is against it but almost as if he supports it. In the book “Oliver Twist” he refers to Fagin one of the main characters as “a shrived, old Jew” and continues to call him the Jew through out the book. He also puts Fagin forward as a criminal, which in the book he is, and a generally un-pleasant person. Today racism is still around but from the book it seems like everyone is racist, whereas today they are not.
Dickens also puts forward the point about child labour of which from the book, the book I will be referring to through out this text is Oliver twist, we can tell that he completely disagrees with. He doesn’t like the conditions they were kept in and the work they had to do. Today again child labour still exists, but is just not as well known about, in some less developed countries in Africa, Asia and South America.
Today things are still being done to try and prevent it and more people are against it.
The message of domestic violence Dickens puts forwards in the character of Nancy who is being abused by her boy friend Bill. Domestic violence is still around today and from what I can tell might even be more common.
Lastly he puts forward the idea of child abuse this is put forward by Dogger and Charley being beaten by Fagin if they did not provide goods at the end of the day.
Child abuse is still around today but something is being done to stop it and as a result is less common.
In conclusion yes Dickens messages are relevant today.