Dorian Gray Theme Essay - 690 Words

Josh Nitz April 16, 2012 Professor Anders Response #7 Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde’s fictional piece The Picture of Dorian Gray is a wonderful story that provides insight on the effect that sin has on the soul. In the beginning of the story Dorian is a kind hearted man, but by the end he becomes a cold blooded murderer who thinks only about himself. The ending is also very interesting in the sense that although Oscar Wilde escaped suspicion, revenge from James and those who could put his pursuit of pleasure in jeopardy, Dorian could not escape himself. This is the theme that really stuck with me. Dorian pursued pleasure with complete disregard for his soul or his conscience and in the end it led to his lack of pleasure and death.†¦show more content†¦Rather this strategic silence allows the author to move on with the story while still impacting the reader in the way he wants. In Hop Frog and Dorian Gray, the author’s vague description of wrong doing enables the reader to presume the worst from the antagonists and justi fy the antagonist’s grisly end. After Dorian murder’s Basil, Dorian begins to feel guilty and he swears he will start a new and wholesome life. Despite his efforts and his fortunate luck (James who was going to kill him died is a bizarre accident) Dorian cannot escape himself. The portrait of himself will always remind him of what he truly is inside. No matter what he does Dorian cannot escape the past or his wrong doings. This situation applies to most readers, as most people have gotten away with a sin. Although no one else knows about the wrong doing, the individual cannot escape the guilt or memory of what they have done. This is what happens to Dorian and the only way to escape his guilt is through suicide (unintentional). The Picture of Dorian Gray provides many good moral lessons that should be observed by anyone who reads the book. Morals that come to mind are â€Å"Beware your sin will find you out,† and selfishness will only bring you pain. Dorian Gra y tried to find individual pleasure, but pleasures are not found in the individual. Rather pleasure is found in love, God andShow MoreRelatedThe Dark Themes of The Picture of Dorian Gray and Dracula2593 Words   |  11 PagesThe concerns of Victorian England about the status of faith and manhood have left a deep mark in the literature of the period. The Picture of Dorian Gray and Dracula are good examples of this concern. In both books there is an emphasis in the corruption of the body and of the soul as maladies that haunt the greatness of England. The aristocracy is pointed as the social strata from where this decadence will spread. These books show a population of youth that lacks the guidance of parents and areRead MoreThemes, Motifs and Symbols in Oscar Wilde’s the Picture of Dorian Gray1436 Words   |  6 PagesThemes, motifs and symbols in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray The only published novel by Oscar Wilde, which appeared in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in 1890, was seen as immoral and scandalous, so the editors of the magazine censored about five hundred words without Wilde’s knowledge. Even with that, the novel was not received very well. Disappointed with this, Wilde revised his novel, added a preface, where he explains his philosophy of art, and six new chapters. Since Wilde was devotedRead MoreCompare the Presentation of the Themes Obsession and Control Found in The Collector, Othello and The Picture of Dorian Gray2681 Words   |  11 Pagesthe themes obsession and control found in The Collector, Othello and The Picture of Dorian Gray Shakespeare employs obsession as a thematic device extensively in Othello with many characters exhibiting complexes which come into direct conflict with the fixations of others, highlighting the self-destructive and all-consuming nature of obsession. This is reinforced by the climax of the play, the deaths of Othello, Desdemona and Emilia and Iago’s subsequent arrest and torture. Similarly, Dorian GrayRead MoreTheme Of Morality In The Picture Of Dorian Gray789 Words   |  4 PagesPicture of Dorian Gray, Dorian Gray’s morals are ambiguous. Dorian Gray’s moral ambiguity stems from his actions only benefiting himself due to the influence of Lord Henry and Basil and parallels the dangers of engrossing yourself in Aesthetics. A widely expressed idea in The Picture of Dorian Gray is that becoming too absorbed in the Aesthetics movement is dangerous. When one becomes engrossed in the beauty of everything, especially themselves, they lose sight of your outward effect. For Dorian, he beganRead MoreTheme Of Sexual Dissonance In The Picture Of Dorian Gray1641 Words   |  7 Pagesfind any reason to overthrow those who are cognizant enough to see and react to said dissonance. What are best known as the Wilde trials, consisted of using completely fictional literature as evidence to real events. Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray was a tool used to undermine Wilde’s authority and testimony about his personal romantic encounters. While the book may hold status as a revolutionary novel about exploring ideas, the Victorians did not think as much once they took a closer lookRead More Essay on Picture of Dorian Gray: The Character of Lord Henry Wotten1670 Words   |  7 PagesWotten of The Pictu re of Dorian Gray  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The purpose of this essay is to explore the character of Lord Henry Wotten, from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde once said: I only know that Dorian Gray is a classic and deservedly. With this in mind, this essay is aimed at looking at how Lord Henry Wotton manipulates various conversations and how he effects the story with his challenging speeches, which is the reason The Picture of Dorian Gray is a classic. HenryRead MoreOscar Wide s The Picture Of Dorian Gray914 Words   |  4 PagesOscar Wide’s The Picture of Dorian Gray illustrates Basil Hallward’s portrait as a primary catalyst for the fluctuating personality of Dorian Gray. As Dorian gazes at the portrait of himself, he is upset that even though he will continue to age and wrinkle, the portrait will always remain young, beautiful and unaltered. Upon multiple readings of The Picture of Dorian Gray deconstructive textual analysis suggests that there are always new interpretations of the image of the painting. â€Å"UltimatelyRead MoreModern Society as a Reflection of the Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde1460 Words   |  6 Pagesgothic fiction that was most attractive to the Victorian audience was the way human fears and societal tensions were reflected in the deliberately fictionalised literary works. Themes such as the human greed for immortality and eternal beauty that underlie key gothic texts such as Oscar Wilde’s only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray have incited modern adaptations and the appropriation of these texts into modern culture. This text display cultural and literary disciplines entrenched in superficial conceptsRead MoreMann And Wildes The Picture Of Dorian Gray1490 Words   |  6 PagesTadzio. Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray symbolises the aristocratic aesthete in Victorian society’s glorification of beauty, as the character of Dorian retains his beauty through the degradation of his own soul. Despite being published only 22 years apart, the novels are set in very different societies. Both texts highlight the consequences of the idealization of beauty, with both books having tragic repercussions for the beauty the characters pursue. The themes of Greek mythology, indulgencyRead MoreOscar Wilde s The Picture Of Dorian Gray1049 Words   |  5 PagesMcElroyIn The Picture of Dorian Gray, the author Oscar Wilde relays the message to the reader that youth decays with age but value and beauty does not. The character Dorian Gray mourned his stage of youth through the portrait instead of having cherished the times he experienced. This use of symbolism through the portrait is Wilde s way of expressing this theme. This main symbol is the portrait itself as the author uses it to gradually reveal Dorian’s true identity. Dorian Gray is an attractive figure

Censorship Censorship And Censorship Essay - 1513 Words

In the modern sense, political correctness has become a form of censorship. With protestors forcing students to find alternate routes to school or pushing the administration to cancel guest speakers in fear of triggering students, the modern-day university is no longer a place of free, critical, thinking, but a place of censorship. Political correctness (is used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended primarily not to offend or disadvantage any group of people in society. In Juan William’s essay, ‘Defying the PC Police’, he discusses censorship, PC culture, and excessive political correctness. For William, excessive political correctness was the basis of his argument against the â€Å"PC police† and was defined as political correctness that goes beyond being respect to the point at which it becomes censorship. Competitively, the United States of America has very minimal censorship as compared to North Korea, Burma, Turkmenistan, Equato rial Guinea, Libya, Eritrea, Cuba, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, the nations that have the highest levels of censorship. As displayed in books such as 1984, Fahrenheit 451, The Giver and Go Ask Alice, censorship is a very controversial topic. Where the line between freedom of speech and the press are often questioned by politicians and parents alike, in the recent years, censorship has become an idea that is no longer protecting people, but an idea that is taking people’s freedom on a skewed claim of protection. In September 2015Show MoreRelatedCensorship And Censorship Of Music1544 Words   |  7 Pagestoday’s music, otherwise known as, censorships. A crisis has emerged concerning the issue of censorship. This argument consists of two possible stances: one, supporting the continuation of censorship, and two, eliminating the status quo of censorships in the music industry. There have been countless debates and arguments regarding the issues of censorship ever since the U.S. Congress passed the Radio Act in 1927 (The History). The time has arrived for censorship to be brought to an end. The governmentRead MoreCensorship And Censorship Of The Internet985 Words   |  4 Pagestruth.. This influenced freedom of the press rights and embracing those rights to the constitution (Linder). Recently the issue of Censorship of the Internet in America has become a trending topic. The internet has been commonly censored to comply with the Digital Millennium Rights Act, but in recent times our go vernment has been requesting more aggressive censorship in order to provide a safer cyberspace. If the American government began to censor the internet, the restriction will result in suppressionRead MoreThe Censorship Of Internet Censorship3057 Words   |  13 Pages Internet Censorship Student’s Name: Institution Name: Internet Censorship Internet censorship refers to the suppression and control of what people can access, publish, or view on the cyberspace (Reynolds, 2014). It may be done by regimes or private firms at the command of the government. It can be a government’s initiative is or carried out by regulators. Organizations and individuals may practice self-censorship for religious, business or moral reasons to comply with societal normsRead MoreCensorship And Censorship Of The Internet1754 Words   |  8 PagesCensorship of the Internet is on the rise in highly populated states today. Although the Internet is considered as one of the most significant tools for the public sphere, many users have decried the Internet’s benefits and seen the Internet as a ‘double-edged sword’. Even as the Internet connects most of the world and gives valuable access to information, the same tool allows access to material that may be considered dangerous or harmful. The recent increase in discussion on the act of censorshipRead MoreThe Importance Of Censorship1640 Words   |  7 PagesHow is Censorship Beneficial? How is censorship used? Is it good or was it bad? Censorship is a good thing because people do not want kids looking at bad pictures. Censorship stops them from seeing that because it makes it to where there are books being banned and movies being rated. Also, censorship allows the government to control and limit exposure to several different types of things. Censorship is well known and was even used in the past. Censorship should be allowed in schools to prevent kidsRead MoreCensorship Essay1325 Words   |  6 PagesCensorship â€Å"Congress shall make no law†¦prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right to petition the government for a redress of government.†(Ravitch, 118) As stated in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, the people of this nation have the right to exercise their beliefs out loud, or in writing. With this in mind, does the government have the right to undermine the foundation of our nation, and censor what we readRead More The Censorship Debate795 Words   |  4 Pages The Censorship Debate nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Do words such as nigger, bitch, or ass offend you?nbsp; The answer may seem clear cut, but our nation has been struggling with the issue of censorship almost since its conception.nbsp; To many, the aforementioned words are a part of their everyday vocabulary; to others, they are vulgar and unacceptable.nbsp; The issue of censorship is much more than just words.nbsp; There have been huge controversies over the negative ideas andRead MoreThe Power of Censorship2509 Words   |  11 PagesRewriting History: The Power of Censorship The history of the world has undoubtedly been dominated by an endless struggle for power. However, after a brief glimpse into the pages of history it should not take long to realize that the trick to maintaining power lies in the control of information. Even the most fearsome military generals of the past acknowledge the power of the mind and ideas over lethal force. Former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin once said â€Å"†¦ [Ideas] are more powerful than gunsRead MoreEssay Censorship2029 Words   |  9 PagesEnglish 111 October 27, 2013 Censorship Have you ever been listening to the radio and heard a â€Å"beeeeep† in some parts of the song you’re listening to? You know, the annoying sound that interrupts the song? The sound is a familiar one among those of us that listen to the radio, in particular Rap/hip-hop music stations. This noise is heard because it’s used to bleep out/censor the word that was previously there; the word was most likely ‘bad’ or offensive. Censorship is a growing concern for ourRead More Censorship Essay1002 Words   |  5 PagesCensorship The Columbia Encyclopedia defines censorship as the official prohibition or restriction of any type of expression believed to threaten the political, social, or moral order. It is necessarily broad definition. Any type of expression in fact, covers just about everything from clothing to print to movements and even to simply being. George Bernard Shaw described assassination as an extreme form of censorship. It is now omnipresent in society and has been as long as society has existed

Pluralistic Approach to Moral Theory †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Pluralistic Approach to Moral Theory. Answer: Introduction: Kants philosophy is basedon the aspect that the actions performed by the individuals are morally good. The main focus of Kantian Philosophy is that the individuals need to comply with the legal obligations for creating a good image within the workplace. In view of this perspective, discriminations should not be allowed in the workplace. This is because it results in the destruction of the workplace decorum (Harris, 2017). If the discriminations come from the employees, then they are violating the rules and regulations management. Moreover, this violation can be considered as deliberate, reflecting the deviation from the moral values. Attaching the case, engaging the employees into the workplace issues generates workplace diversity. Therefore, it is the duty of the managers to conduct group discussions for averting the instances of conflicts, discriminations and harassments in the workplace premises (Johnson, 2015). According to the Utilitarian view, the directions of the people should be based on exposing kind attitude to the people. This relates with the enhancement of social status through catering to the needs, demands and requirements of the clients. Based on this aspect, discriminations should not allowed in the workplace. This is because it does not ensure the wellbeing of the employees. The statements of Rachel expose the disinterest of the employees towards the recruitment and selection process. The adoption of new processes in the workplace issues and systems is good in terms of attracting the candidates (Vaughn, 2015). On the other hand, if this innovation brings biasness among the employees, it proves harmful for the productivity management. In this section, the centre of discussion would be the stakeholder theory under the utilitarian approach. The ethical decisions in the organizations are sometimes made under the influence of utilitarianism. The experts have debated that the companies or the service providers must have a proper relationship of trust among them. Only then the companies can take the competitive advantage properly (Waller, 2013)The case of the utilitarianism in the fighter workers has been really effective in this matter. If the companies can keep a better relationship with the stakeholders, this will help them to earn a better spot in the industry and have better financial outcomes. Trust is a very important, valuable and rare source that is very hard to achieve. As per the utilitarian sources, this will bring the best competitive advantage for the organizations (Hinman, 2012). The case of the fighter workers will have to be discussed in this section. The terrible consequences might take place because of the closing of the doors by the nations for all the outsiders (Waller, 2013).The immigration facilities have been misused and the most important stakeholder in this section is the government. Some of the major impacts or influences that can be caused in this context are the economic inefficiencies;the economic inequality is also one very gruesome factor in this issue (Reamer, 2013).The utilitarian approach in this matter is not at all acceptable since laws and rules of the country are violated. As the principle stakeholders, the government will have to adjust the immigration policies properly but not following the utilitarian approach. The political tyranny can increase because of taking the utilitarian approach indeed (Hinman, 2012). The case of the fighter workers might fall on the different people like the immigrants of one country, the native workers, and the national culture of the countries, labor markets of the concerned countries, capital flight, and entrepreneurship of the new businesses. There are other kinds of views as well. If the utilitarian approach is followed for the fighter workers, the security of the people will be in great distress (Reamer, 2013).It has been believed that the illegal immigration in the countries disturbs the natural peace of the country. Thus the people of the various countries are affected by illegal immigration and activity of fight workers who help to mitigate the problems. If the fight workers do not respond to the serious problems, the entire nation will be in a pool of trouble. Utilitarian view of the discriminations at the workplace One of the most important things to be addressed here is the discriminations in the workplace for the employees. The companies have to take some decisions for the employees that would make them happy (Hinman, 2012). The company has to identify the reasons for the general happiness of the employees. The pains and pleasures will have to be discussed in the various ways for the employees in the workplaces. If the employees are deprived of the self-development opportunities in the workplace, they will feel the pain management. The stresses that are caused during the sorrowful events at the workplace can be called as the reasons for the sorrow. If the employees get the proper job satisfaction this can cause them the pleasure and lead them to the general happiness (Hinman, 2012). It is very interesting to highlight on the facts of utility on the various aspects of utility. It means the human beings should have the ideas about the persons, actions and the institutions to get the happiness in the world order. The human motivation can be given from the aspects of the various sorts of the happiness among the human beings. Bentham and Mill both have the idea that the only aim of the human beings is to reach their happiness. Bentham has been very much hedonist in his approach to the human happiness (Trevino Nelson, 2016). The two sovereign components of the human nature are the pain and pleasure. Bentham has always insisted that happiness for the human beings is completely based on the pleasure of the human beings. The psychological hedonism can be attributed to the concepts of Bentham. Mill has treated this issue of hedonism to be axiomatic (Trevino Nelson, 2016). The psychological egoism and hedonism are the two most important elements of the entire scenario ab out the human happiness and motivation. The utilitarian view determines the fact about the utility of the agent and the happiness of the human beings. References Crane, A. Matten, D., 2016.Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press. Davey, M. (2018). We dont want positive discrimination,' say female firefighters.the Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jan/29/we-dont-want-positive-discrimination-say-female-firefighter Harris, H., 2017. Human Dignity and Business Ethics. InEncyclopedia of Business and Professional Ethics(pp. 1-6). Springer International Publishing. Hinman, L. (2012).Ethics: A pluralistic approach to moral theory. Nelson Education. Johnson, M., 2015.Morality for humans: Ethical understanding from the perspective of cognitive science. University of Chicago Press. Kant, I., 2017.Kant: The metaphysics of morals. Cambridge University Press. Reamer, F. G. (2013).Social work values and ethics. Columbia University Press. Trevino, L.K. Nelson, K.A., 2016.Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right. John Wiley Sons. Vaughn, L., 2015.Doing ethics: Moral reasoning and contemporary issues. WW Norton Company. Waller, B. N. (2013).Consider Ethics: Pearson New International Edition: Theory, Readings, and Contemporary Issues. Pearson Higher Ed.

Children Being Exploited in Dickensian Times Essay Example For Students

Children Being Exploited in Dickensian Times Essay All through the ages children have been exploited. Children are easy prey they are innocent, feeble and trustworthy. Charles Dickens portrays children in a vivid and descriptive manner of hardship and death in Dickensian times.  Dickens felt strongly that industrial life in the cities was creating unfair class divisions which would lead in the end to violence. Other novels such as Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickelby, ( the novels I shall be exploring ) in particular show how keenly Dickens felt the wrongs done by adults to children. In the 1840s and 50s there was a fashion for looking at everything as if it was part of one logical system, where children were seen as imperfect adults and childhood itself a process called upbringing or schooling. Behind this attitude lay a philosophy called utilitarianism which stresses the practical usefulness of things. This meant that art and imagination, play and entertainment were not valued because they had no practical use. Dickens feared that all those things which made human beings diverse and interesting, free and creative, happy and warm hearted, were being driven out by the values of a factory system geared to only productivity and profit.  This leads me to the first novel I shall explore as the basis of how Dickens portrays the difficult lives of children in 19th Century England Nicholas Nickelby. I chose this novel as it shows how the abuse of children extended into the school system. The Principal of the school to which Nicholas attended was a man called Mr. Squeers. I believe that Mr. Squeers managed the school on the principle and philosophy that cost must be avoided. We see this with the condition of the school, bare windows, dirty rooms, long old rickety desks, inked and damaged in every possible way.  Dickens really comes into his own when he describes the condition of the children with such passion and graphic detail Pale, haggard, lank, bony, facial expressions of old men, deformities, stunted, meagre, stooping bodies, bleary-eyed, hare-lipped and every ugliness or distortion from their horrible endurance of cruelty. Mr. Squeers was teaching the children on what he called the practical mode of teaching, This means when a boy has learnt how to spell clean and winder, ( Mr. Squeers spelling of window), the boy goes and cleans the window! This is clearly exploiting children and as they are too weak or powerless they cannot object. Also, we see by Squeers ability to spell that children are receiving a bad education from this man. Dickens makes known, in no uncertain terms, his feelings on the matter of children and how the school system that Mr. Squeers runs is exploiting and cheating the children through Nicholas Nickelbys final paragraph. It uses such emotive language that you can clearly empathise with children. Led him ( Nicholas ) to be the aider and abettor of a system which filled him with honest disgust and indignation, he loathed himself and felt for the moment as though the mere consciousness of his present situation must, through all time come, prevent his raising his head in Society again.  The second novel I shall deal with is probably one of Dickens most famous novels, Oliver Twist. It is the tale of a young boy who is left in a workhouse as an orphan, without a friend in the world. He quickly finds himself in the middle of the seedy underworld of crime in London. The main ways in which children are exploited in this novel are by their being uneducated and innocent as Oliver has no idea of the outside world. The workhouse is where Oliver encounters Mr. Bumble, a cruel and evil task master who forces the children to work. Before this, Oliver was brought up unhappily in a foster home, run by a woman who cares more for the money she gets than for the children she looks after. When aged nine he was sent to live in the poorhouse. Dickens shows us how officials like Mr. Bumble had no feelings for children but only love for the power that they brought them. .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9 , .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9 .postImageUrl , .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9 , .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9:hover , .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9:visited , .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9:active { border:0!important; } .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9:active , .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9 .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u69862fef12a01199c337f042190a1ea9:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Literary Techniques Poetry Analysis EssayI think when Mr. Bumble goes and collects Oliver to bring him to the poorhouse, he says, Will you go along with me, Oliver?  Oliver replies, Will she go with me ? indicating to the woman who looked after him. He was hoping she would not as he disliked her and he wanted to go to the workhouse, unknowing what this entailed.  Dickens yet again shows his true cynical feelings on exploitation of the poor and helpless by using great descriptions to show how underfed the boys were. The bowls never wanted washing, as the boys polished them with their spoons till they shone again. They looked at the copper with such eager eyes as if t hey could have devoured the very bricks of which it was composed. This gives us a good idea of how children were treated. The novel gives us no real indication of how hard Oliver worked or what his work involved except when it said, So, youll begin to pick oakum tomorrow morning at six oclock. Apart from being an early start, from investigation I found out that pick oakum meant pull old rope apart for recycling a dirty, laborious job given usually to convicts.  Oliver runs away to London and is befriended by The Artful Dodger, who sees Olivers naivety and brings him to a villainous old man named Fagin.   I know a spectable old gentleman as lives in London, wotll give you lodgings for nothink, and never ask for the change. Oliver is yet again taken advantage of as he has never met this kind of friendship where someone such as the Dodger and Fagin are friends with Oliver because they can use him to further their own gains. Oliver is oblivious to the fact that what Fagin and his gang are doing is wrong. He is laughed at but doesnt see it, like when he makes innocent comments about wanting to learn the trade of making hankerchiefs.