Oliver Twist

Charles Dickens, one of Britain’s most famous writers, spent his childhood in London and had a difficult time. He witnessed and experienced the tragedy of life, but he considered them the inspiration for novels. In addition to Oliver Twist, Dickens wrote other famous books like A Tale of Two Cities, and A Christmas Carol. “Oliver Twist” is the name of a boy who was born in London in the nineteenth century, when the Industrial Revolution occurred. His parents were both dead after he was born, so he was then sent to an orphanage. While getting older, he had to make a living all by himself. He even had to rely on stealing to make a living. Most importantly, what happened in his teens made a big difference to his life. Oliver’s life was filled with twists and sorrow. Probably this is why Dickens gave this surname to the little boy. At the end of the story, Oliver eventually came across a kind-hearted man, Mr. Brownlow, who treated Oliver as his own child. Only then could Oliver be a normal kid. As a reader, it’s such a relief to see that there were still kind people around amid the misery.

The story vividly depicts the working environments in the Industrial Revolution era, and what touches me deeply is the problem of child labor. I think the reasons for that problem can be explained from the following three aspects. To begin with, as is known to everybody, the wage of a child is much lower than that of an adult. This makes me remember the news I read before, and it said that the child laborers earned all day for just 15 dollars. Second, compared to adults, because of their dainty figures, the children are more likely to be assigned to the pits and mines, which usually puts them in danger. I remember that a boy in Kampuchea lost his arm because it was stuck in the machine while working. Last, children are obedient even if they want to defy the authorities, which makes it easier for companies to manage their employees. In the story, Oliver rebelled against his boss for his poor meal. As a result, he was imprisoned and got an even worse meal. In my opinion, Oliver was at disadvantage for his age and status.

Nowadays, the problem of child labor is getting serious in some countries because of the outbreak of COVID-19. The outbreak leads to the closure of schools. In the lucky cases, the governments will use remote teaching techniques to keep students learning. In some developing countries without such techniques, the students lose their approaches to study and are forced to give up their study. According to the reports of the UN, there are at least 24 million children dropping out of schools during the outbreak, which means that there will be a large number of children having no choice but to stay at workplaces in order to support their families. What the children probably do in the working environments is unimaginable. For example, in the news I read on TV, it said that they might be asked to weed in fruit orchards or beg on streets. What’s worse, they may be the aim of human traffickers, being sold to somewhere. Those children can be in a similar or even more miserable situation as Dickens had described in Oliver Twist.

Although the era of the Industrial Revolution has passed, the harsh situations now present new challenges. I realize how blessed I am to live in Taiwan, where everyone spares no efforts to contain the outbreak. Every government and organization is struggling to think up the resolution to the problem of child labor, and so am I. The parliaments in the governments should take it more seriously, and set up laws about child labor. Developed countries like us can provide supplies that are in shortage, such as face masks and remote teaching facilities. In conclusion, everyone can be Mr. Brownlow by making a difference to the children in need around the world.