THE NOBLE SOUL NEVER SINKS

----Book Review Of “Oliver Twist

“The noble soul is an ark of humanity that will never sink. It’ll keep its height however fiercely the vulgarism floods.”

I just recall this sentence which I learned in a Chinese passage 5 years ago after finishing the book Oliver Twist, which is a masterpiece of the great writer Charles Dickens. He is good at interpreting the truth of the human world from reality with wise and humorous words. In this book, Charles Dickens depicted the figure of the treacherous head of thieves Fagan and Monks who is Olive’s greedy and evil brother making a deal with Fagan to make Olive a thief and Bill Sikes who is a rough man and thinks of nothing of blood when he’s angry. But there’s good people, too---Nancy, Rose and Mr. Brownlow who make Oliver’s life much easier.

The story has a sad beginning but a happy ending---the justice defeats the evil. But I don’t want to talk too much about that for I’d like to highlight the noble heart of Oliver Twist. He was an orphan and was tortured by his fate at the beginning of his life. He was bullied by adults and was cheated by Fagan and was supposed to be made into a thief. However, with so much happening, he never changes his heart. He was determined to be good and run away from the “den” and the claws of the devils. Oliver has a noble soul, the

purest and most transparent in the world. Maybe some people was born to be good, we suppose. But Oliver really makes people moved , and again we started to believe the beauty existing in human’s heart. Perhaps we need to think of this---no matter how difficult life is, we should never change ourselves from good to bad for one day we’ll get our reward of being a good man.

第二篇：雾都孤儿南希人物性格分析英语论文

新疆财经大学本科毕业论文

题目： 雾都孤儿中南希的人物性格分析

学生姓名： 于 庆 雅

学 号： 2008102083

院 部： 外国语学院

专 业： 英 语

年 级： 2008 级

指导教师

姓名及职称： 王莹 （ ）

完成日期： 20xx年3月9日

An Analysis of Nancy’s character in Oliver

Twist

A Thesis Submitted

to School of Foreign Languages of

Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts

By

Yu Qingya

Supervisor：Wang Ying

March9th, 2012

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my gratitude to all those who helped me during the writing of this thesis.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Wang Ying who gives me considerable help suggestion, comments and criticism. His encouragement and unwavering support has sustained me through frustration and depression. Without his pushing me ahead, the completion of this thesis would be impossible.

I would also want to express my gratitude to Liu Xiaoling, Mr.C , Wang Fengxia, Zhao Weili and other teachers who have taught me during these years for their brilliant and enlightening lectures in literature, translation and linguistics.

In addition, I would like to express my gratitude to my parents and my friends who have been assisting, supporting me all of my life.

I

摘要

人类的性格是一种矛盾体，有许多色彩丑恶不堪，也有一些极其美丽。这是一种矛盾，一种异态，一种表面看来不可能的现象，然而这是真实。狄更斯在小说《雾都孤儿》中塑造的南希这一人物形象仅仅是小说中的一个次主要角色,但却是小说中一个极为典型的人物。她不像小说中的其他人物一样表现出或者好或者坏的某一面,而是在某些时刻表现出来的好的一面,某些时刻又表现出坏的一面。正因为这样,这个人物才更贴近于生活,这个人物性格之复杂才值得我们来探究。本文以英国批判现实主义大师查尔斯·狄更斯的小说《雾都孤儿》为主要研究资料。首先，本文从英国批判现实主义的定义及作者生平入手，再重点从她的一系列行动来分析她的双重性格及成因。无论环境多么恶劣，它都无法泯灭人类本性中的善良成分并由此引出作者对人类善良本性的呼唤及对现代教育体系的批判，这不但能引起读者对这位迷途知返的“女贼”的同情，更有助于我们认识她所处的那个社会的真 面目。

关键词：雾都孤儿；南希的双重性格；等级制度；批判主义

II

Abstract

Human personality is a contradiction, there are many colors ugly bear, there are some extremely beautiful. This is a contradiction, an anomaly, a seemingly impossible situation, but it is true. Nancy is only one of the secondary major roles in the novel—"Oliver Twist" which written by Charles Dickens but it is a very typical figure in the novel. She was not like the other characters just show good side or the bad, but at some point, shows the positive side, sometimes show the mean one. Because of this, this figure is more close to life, its complexity character worth us to study. This thesis takes Oliver Twist written by famous critical realist author Charles Dickens as major material. Firstly, this article will begin with the definition of critical realism and Dickens‘ life, then focus on a series of actions from her to analysis her character and factors. No matter how cruel the surrounding is, goodness will never be eliminated and the author wants to call for the nature of goodness and to criticize the education system in England. This can not only cause readers to sympathy with this ―Women Thief‖ who realize her errors and mend her ways, but also helps us to know the true features of that society.

Key words: Oliver Twist; Nancy's double character; Hierarchy; Criticism

III

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………I Abstract (Chinese)………………………………………………………………………………II Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………III Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………IV Part One Introduction…………………………………………………………………………1 Part Two An Introduction to the Author…………………………………………………1

2.1 The Author: Charles Dickens…………………………………………………………1

2.1.1 The Definition of Critical Realism…………………………………………2

2.1.2 Dickens‘ Life …………………………………………………………………2

2.1.3 Dickens‘ Writing Style …………………………………………………………3

2.2 The main story of Oliver Twist ………………………………………………………4 Part Three An Analysis of Nancy‘s Double Character………………………………………5

3.1 Nancy Hold a Candle to the Devil ………………………………………5

3.1.1 Nancy is to Bug and Intercept Oliver…………………………………………5

3.1.2 The Protection of Theft Gang ……………………………………………6

3.2 Nancy‘s Good Nature ………………………………………………………………6

3.2.1 Nancy Saves Oliver in Distress …………………………………………………6

3.2.2 Nancy Reveals inside Story of Oliver‘s Birth……………………………………7

3.2.3 Faithful to the Love………………………………………………………………8 Part Four The Reasons for Nancy‘s Complicated Characte r…………………………………9

4.1 Tragic Life of Nancy……………………………………………………………………9

4.1.1 Comparison between Nancy and Rose‘s Birth……………………………………9

4.1.2 Significant Contrast between Nancy and Oliver‘s Birth…………………………10

4.2 Influence of Feudal Society on Nancy‘s Character……………………………………10

4.2.1 Interpersonal Apathy Effects on Nancy‘s Character ……………………………10

4.2.2 The Heavily Fortified Hierarchy…………………………………………………10 Part Five Associated with Modern Society……………………………………………………11

5.1 The Call of Goodness …………………………………………………………………11 IV

5.2 Education System Needs to be Improved……………………………………………11 Part Six Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………12 Notes …………………………………………………………………………………………13 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………… 14

V

新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文

Part One Introduction

Charles Dickens was a prominent critical realist in the mid 19th century. He has a world of sympathy for the misseries and a srong feeling for the poor laboring masses. He cried flout loud against social injustice but he had never thought of overthrowing the existing social order. By exposing the social injustice and the vices of the upper class, he puts his heart into depicting the miserable existence of the common people. He gives a truthful picture of capitalist England of the time.Dickens‘ vivid description creates many lifelike characters which impress the readers deeply in their memory after reading.Oliver Twist is one of his masterpieces which marked the beginning of his literary life. This novel was famous for exposing the dark sides of people lived out of that time. In this novel, Nancy is a typical character who lived in the bottom of the society. She had the same suffering with Oliver Twist, but she didn‘t have a happy end like Oliver Twist. This thesis is provided to help readers appreciate this critical novel by analyzingNancy‘s complex character. I‘m going to explore the reasons of shaping her double characters from different aspects. By discovering the root of Dickens‘ mind and association with modern society, I hope that will be helpful to understand his work. First, the basic information will be introduced to you.

Part Two An Introduction to Oliver Twist

2.1 The Author: Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens, one of the most famous writers, is the founder of critical realistic literature in the 19th century. Most of his works all belong to the literary masterpieces at home and abroad, which have the far-reaching influence upon the literature. The age he lived was the rising period of English capitalism. The transformation and the development of the society provided rich materials for his writing. Dickens wrote many works, connecting his miserable experiences with the capitalist society. In addition, a part of Dickens‘ success was due to the influence of other critical writers. In that period, Dickens was ―the classics known by everyone‖ and ―the symbol of the mythic nationalism‖, which was described by the modern literature critic, Phil Collins. This thesis will introduce him from three aspects: what is critical realism, Dickens‘ life and his 1

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writing styles.

2.1.1The Definition of Critical Realism

As we all know that Dickens is a representative critical realist, but what is critical realism?

Critical realism is a philosophical view of knowledge. On the one hand it holds that it is possible to acquire knowledge about the external world as it really is, independently of the human mind or subjectivity. That is why it is called realism. On the other hand it rejects the view of na?ve realism that the external world is as it is perceived. Recognizing that perception is a function of, and thus fundamentally marked by, the human mind, it holds that one can only acquire knowledge of the external world by critical reflection on perception and its world. That is why it is called critical

2.1.2 Dickens’ Life

Charles Dickens, the greatest representative of English critical realism, was born in 1812 at

Portsmouth, where his father was a clerk in the Navy Pay Office. When he was about four years

of age, his family moved to Chatham, and the five years he spent there were the happiest of all

his boyhood. What schooling Dickens had he got at Chatham at a small day-school.

In 1821 the Dickens family moved to a poor quarter in London. Mr. Dickens was heavily in

debt and did not know which way to turn for money. The few possessions they had were sold

one by one, but things still went from bad to worse. Finally Mr. Dickens was taken to the

Marshalsea Prison, London, for debt. Shortly afterwards Mrs. Dickens and the younger children

went to the prison to join the father.

Meanwhile the 12-year-old Charles, weak and sensitive, was sent to work in an

underground cellar at a blacking factory in the East End of London. Work there began at eight in

the morning and ended at eight at night. His job was "to cover the pots of paste-blacking; first

with a piece of oil-paper, and then with a bit of blue paper; to tie them round with a string; and

then to clip the paper close and neat, all round, until it looked as smart as a pot of ointment from

an apothecary's shop". After this, he had to paste on the printed label. He worked thus at the

scanty wage of 6 shillings a week. It was the most unhappy time throughout his whole life. He

was lonely and hungry. He felt his early hope of growing up to be a learned and famous man

crushed in his heart. Years later he wrote: "I never said, to man or boy, how it was I came to be

there, or gave the least indication of being sorry that I was there. That I suffered in secret, and

that I suffered exquisitely, no one ever knew but me."

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新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文

Sundays he spent at the prison, and during the week he was out working all day. He had to

keep himself in food on his own wages. "I tried, but ineffectually, not to anticipate my money,

and to make it last the week through; by putting it away in a drawer … wrapped up in six little

parcels, each parcel containing the same amount, and labeled with a different day. I know that I

lounged about the streets, insufficiently and unsatisfactorily fed. I know that, but for the mercy

of God, I might easily have been … a little robber or a little vagabond."

Then his fortune took a turn for the better. He left the blacking factory and studied at

school again. But his miserable life at the factory left an everlasting, painful brand on the boy's

mind. Years later, when he was a man, he would not walk by the place where the factory had

been situated. All this had a deep influence on Dickens's thought and work in after years.

When Dickens was 15, he left school for good and became a lawyer's clerk. After work, he

learned shorthand and visited the British Museum Library, filling up the gaps in his education by

reading. The work at the lawyer's office afforded him the basis of a confirmed opinion of the law

of England, "which one is likely to derive from the impression that it puts all the honest men

under the diabolical hooves of all the scoundrels". Then he became a Parliamentary reporter for

newspapers. Thus Dickens gained first-hand knowledge of the parliamentary government under

capitalism and he never wavered in his understanding of it as an instrument for wielding and

disguising the power of the upper classes. In 1834 he was taken on the staff of a newspaper and

went all over the country getting news, writing stories, meeting people and learning about life in

general.

2.1.3 Dickens’ writing style

Charles Dickens has a very distinct writing style; he writes in a poetic way and uses a lot

of satire and consequently humor. Since Dickens's started off his literary career writing papers

for newspapers most of his stories are in an episodic form. He is a master using this method in

his stories, using cliff hanger endings he was able to keep his readers interested in his stories. Dickens use idealized characters in his books, but this in itself can be a very bad thing because

an idealized character does not have any room to grow throughout the course of the book.

However Dickens does not make all of his characters perfect, rather he uses his idealized

characters to contrast the ugly side of life that he so often portrays. Oliver Twist is an example of

one of his idealized characters, during the course of the book Oliver is put through many trials

3

新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文

including an evil orphanage and a small training center for thieves. Throughout all of this Oliver is naive and his values are never compromised even though he is put in very difficult situations. Seeing the ugly circumstances that Oliver so often occupies, it is no wonder that Dickens chose to idealize Oliver and give the reader something to love completely. If Dickens had not idealized Oliver the book would have been dark with very little joy in it.

Dickens also loves to employ incredible circumstances in his books. In Oliver Twist, Oliver turns out to be the nephew of the rich high class family that rescues him from the gang of thieves that Oliver had fallen in with. Using these incredible coincidences was popular for authors during Dickens's time, but he uses it in a distinct way. While other authors of the period would use the method to further their plot in their simple picturesque stories, Dickens's took the approach that good will triumph over evil sometimes even in very unexpected ways and he used the method of incredible circumstances to show his outlook.

2.2 The Main Story of Oliver Twist

"Oliver Twist", written in 1837-38, tells the story of an orphan boy, whose adventures provide a description of the lower depths of London. Oliver Twist is of unknown parentage. He is born in a workhouse and brought up under cruel conditions. The tyrant at whose hands he especially suffers is Bumble, the parish beadle. After serving an unhappy apprenticeship to an undertaker, he runs away to London, where he falls into the hands of a gang of thieves. The head of the gang is old Fagin, and the other chief members are the burglar, Bill Sikes, his mistress Nancy, and the Artful Dodger, a young pickpocket. Every effort is made to convert Oliver into a thief. He is rescued by the benevolent, rich Mr. Brownlow, but the thieves kidnap him, make him join them once again and participate in their foul dealings. A bad person named Monks, hand in glove with the thieves, has somehow a special interest in keeping Oliver in the gang. Then Oliver is made to accompany Bill Sikes on a burgling expedition, in the course of which he receives a gun-shot wound, and comes into the hands of Mrs. Maylie and her protégée Rose, by whom he is kindly treated. After a time, Nancy reveals to Rose that Monks knows Oliver's parentage, and wishes all proof of it destroyed; also that there is some relationship between Oliver and Rose herself. They make some inquiry about the matter. But Fagin discovers Nancy's action and tells Sikes, who, in a fit of rage, murders her. A hue and cry is raised. Sikes, trying to escape, accidentally hangs himself and the rest of the gangs are arrested and Fagin executed. Monks is 4

新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文

now compelled to confess what remains unknown. Rose is the sister of Oliver's unfortunate mother. Oliver is adopted by Mr. Brownlow. Monks dies in prison. Bumble, the cruel persecutor of Oliver, ends his career in the workhouse over which he formerly ruled.

Part Three An Analysis of Nancy’s Double Character

There are many different opinions on whether people are born well or bad. Chinese Confucianism says that all human are born with good nature. While the Bible says that people all sinned to Adam. In this novel, Nancy‘s character is complex and ambiguous, and she is just like a unit of angle and evil. On the one hand, she has done numerous crimes under control of Fagin as a young female thief. On the other hand, she tries all her best to help Oliver out from the thief gang with the awareness of disgrace in herself and evil in her fellow gang, gradually, she wakes up and regrets, stands up and defenses against evil and oppression. At last, she overcomes evil by making the sublimating of spirit and breakthrough of nature. It‘s just this double nature that well reflects the reality at that time.

3.1 Nancy Hold a Candle to the Devil

3.1.1 Nancy is to Bug and Intercept Oliver

The first thing which can prove her evil is her effort in the process of recapturing Oliver Twist. When Oliver Twist innocently goes out to ―make handkerchiefs‖ because of no income coming in, with two of Fagin‘s underlings: the artful Dodger and a boy of a humorous nature named Charley Bates, Oliver realizes too late that their real mission is to pick pockets. Dodger and Charley steal the handkerchief of Mr. Brownlow, and promptly flee. To the judge‘s evident disappointment, a bookstall holder who saw Dodger commit the crime and clears Oliver who now is sickness and faints in the courtroom. Mr. Brownlow takes Oliver home and along with his housekeeper Mrs. Bedwin cares for him. Sikes and Fagin worried that Oliver might inform on them. So decides that Oliver must be brought back to his hideout. They want to ask Betsy go out in search of direction in which Oliver has gone, but Betsy unexpectedly tactful and cleverly refused. Then they convinced Nancy to find Oliver and take him back, although she was reluctant to do this, she actually does a good job. She dressed like a gentlewoman so that she could easily get Oliver‘s information where Oliver is from the policeman. She tells to Sikes and 5

新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文

Fagin that Oliver wasn‘t accused of thieving and removed to a gentleman‘s house. Nancy knows that this means to bring Oliver back to the hell again, she winds up attending it, presumably after physically threatened by Fagin and Sikes as she has the mind of listening to the fate and she doesn‘t figure out of her expectation by her innocence. Nancy regrets deeply for her wrongdoings, but we can‘t deny that it is her that finds out where Oliver lives and it is her that draws Oliver back to the Fagin‘s gang, the social evil. Her twice courses of action can prove that the evil inside of her characteristics.

3.1.2 The Protection of Theft Gang

In the later part of the novel, when Nancy decides to help Oliver get out of Monks‘ trap, she also shows the protection of their gang by saying that she will not betray her companions. There is no doubt that it will cause negative social influence. More and more innocent children like Oliver will be hurt if theft gang doesn‘t get punishment. She encourages bad atmosphere, she just makes the world darker.

3.2 Nancy’s Good Nature

So far we have discovered her villainous facet. However, the conscience and sympathy for the poor child don‘t extinct in her nature. In this novel, Nancy first appears in chapter 19.

Dickens describes her from Oliver‘s point of view. ―She is not exactly pretty, but she has a great deal of color in her face, and looks quite stout and hearty.‖ This description shows that Nancy is a good girl. Her later behavior shows that she is clever, kind and cautious.

3.2.1 Nancy Saves Oliver in Distress

Nancy‘s good nature mainly embodies in her protection of little Oliver. After Oliver is

caught and taken to the dirty room again, he feels dismayed, flees and attempts to call for police assistance, but is ruthlessly dragged back by the Dodger, Charley and Fagin. Nancy, however, is sympathetic towards Oliver and saves him from beatings by Fagin and Sikes:

The Jew inflicted a smart blow on Oliver‘s shoulders with the club: and was raising it for a second, when the girl, rushing forward, wrested it from his hands. She flung it into the fire, with a force that brought some of the glowing coals whirling out into the room. ―I won‘t stand by and see it done, Fagin, ‖cried the girl, “you have got the boy, and what more would you have?‖

She seems to be reminded of her own long-lost innocence when she looks at Oliver. When Sikes shows his dog to Oliver, she jumps to his defense trying to help Oliver for the first time, 6

新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文

and yells at Fagin:

I thieved for you when I was a child not half as old as this (pointing to Oliver). I have been

in the same trade, and in the same service, for twelve years since; don‘t you know it? ①

Beyond doubt, it is her that finds out where Oliver is and catches him back. But when Fagin inflicts a smart blow on Oliver‘s shoulders with the club, she is shocked. She stands up for

protection of Oliver and cries out to Fagin and Sikes. It‘s the first time she has the courage to

stand up against her evil leaders and fellow gangs. These words are enough to show her kindness to shock the readers.

3.2.2 Nancy Reveals inside Story of Oliver’s Birth

Her later behavior is even more marvelous than we can imagine. As stated in last section,

Nancy has recognized evil in herself and her fellow gang. So she tries her best to help Oliver out from the hurt and corruption of the gang. The deserted child Oliver doesn‘t know who his

parents are, not to speak of his old brother. But Monks knows Oliver is his brother. It is Miss Rose and Mr. Brownlow‘s victory of justice over Monks, Fagin and Sikes with the help of

Nancy that reveals mystery of Oliver‘s birth. Monks comes to London not for the reunion of brothers but for his father‘s heritage. According to his father‘s will, if Oliver indulges in any crime in society, he would be denied the right of heritage. After investigation in secret, Monks finds Oliver is in the hands of Fagin. And he makes a deal with Fagin-if Fagin can hold Oliver tightly and train him to be a thief so that Oliver would be put into prison, he would get a large sum of money without dividing any part to his younger brother. In order to get his father‘s

heritage, Monks has destroyed all the subjects which can prove Oliver is his brother. All the things seem to be processed and be planned very well. But Nancy hears their conspiracy in a dark corner and is exceedingly shocked again. Before she is determined to tell Miss Rose the entire secret, while she experiences severe struggle in her heart:

When the girl got into the open street, she sat down upon a doorstep; and seemed, for a

few moments, wholly bewildered and unable to pursue her way. Suddenly she arose; and

hurrying on, in a direction quite opposite to that in which Sikes was awaiting her return,

quickened her space, until it gradually resolved into a violent run. After completely exhausting herself, she stopped to take breath; and, as if suddenly recollecting herself, and deploring her inability to do something she was bent upon, wrung her hands, and bursting into tears. It might 7

新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文

be that her tears relieved her or that she felt the full hopelessness of her condition; but she turned back. ②

From the quotations above, it is obvious that she suffers the struggle of whether she should tell Miss Rose of Monks and Fagin‘s conspiracy. But several days later, her goodness in her nature finally overcome her evil in heart. So she is determined to tell Miss Rose the entire secret at London Bridge. She shows her fearless self-sacrifice to prevent Oliver from being kidnapped a second time. As a member of Fagin‘s gang, she really has done a lot of thefts, but when Oliver is in danger, she immediately gives a hand to save this child‘s fate. It is her who reveals mystery of Oliver‘s birth and changes his fate. She cares for Oliver so profoundly that it results her death. She falls on blood and draws from her bosom a white handkerchief which Rose gives her.

Her image is so mixed and complicated for her special characteristics. In nature, she

finishes the baptism of her soul from evil to angle this time. With remorse and awareness, she finishes the great turning from evil to good and makes the remarkable breakthrough in her mind and action.

3.2.3 Faithful to the Love

In Oliver Twist, Nancy is the mistress of Sikes who is the second leader of theft. The

author has an ulterior motive when he named Nancy and Sikes while N and S are just like two poles of the magnetic needle. This suggests that these two people themselves are a pair of

irreconcilable contradictory unity which is both opposite and unitary, also live together. Maybe she knows that Sikes is just regard her as a maid, but she still treats him as her beloved at his mercy. She can‘t betray Sikes the man she loves deeply and blindly.

When Rose learns about Nancy‘s tragic fate, she shows great sympathy to her and tries to help her to find a new life. But Nancy declines over and over again. She says: ―I told you about a man who is the most ruthless of the outlaws. But I can‘t leave him, even if you can let me get out of the sufferings, I also can‘t leave him‖ Ironically, when Sikes mistakenly believes that she has informed on him, he killed her. In face of death, she pleaded: ―They can give me a house in abroad and let me live quietly and peacefully. Let me see once again with them and let me

kneeling in front of them, asking for their forgiveness for both of us. Then we leave this place. In addition to pray, we will no longer mention our past.‖ But the angered Sikes is unlikely to

forgive her, let alone together with her go away from the land. Nancy‘s love for Sikes suggests 8

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that the boundary between virtue and vice is not always clearly drawn. No matter what factors in support of Nancy‘s love, also ignore the result of her love, readers will be moved by her love and also feel sorry for Nancy‘s cost of her love.

Part Four The Reasons for Nancy’s Complicated Character

4.1 Tragic Life of Nancy

Though the author does not designedly give a detailed description and concrete information about Nancy‘s identity and age in the book, it might be transpired from the whole novel that Nancy was corrupted at the age of six by Fagin, the receiver of stolen goods who persuades downtrodden youths to do this bidding. When she made her first appearance she has already

been a young thief and has evidently been a prostitute and lived with Sikes for 12 years, so she is visibly in her teens. But where is her family? Where are her parents? Presumably she is a child deserted by parents for poverty or has no parents as Dodger and Oliver. There is a kind angle in the bottom of her heart while she has no choice but to steal just for surviving. She is not the result of Dickens‘ imagination, but it is the mirror and epitome of the nineteenth century.

4.1.1 Comparison between Nancy and Rose’s Birth

The meeting of Rose and Nancy represents that two girls hold the same purity and

goodness. It is not Nancy‘s choice to have the miserable life. Nancy‘s parentless background and living with criminals also determined her ruin. It‘s obvious that Nancy failed to avoid or run away from the cruel service and life. Nancy says this when she meets Rose:

― ?Thank heaven upon your knees, dear lady,‘ cried the girl, ? that you and friends to care for and keep you in childhood, and that you were never in the midst of cold and hunger, and riot and drunkenness, and-and something worse than all –as I have been from my cradle. I may use the world, for the ally and the gutter were mine, as they will be my death‘‖. ③

Nancy‘s words indicate that she feels the unbreakable bond with the underworld. It is apparent that the unavoidable fate is on Nancy‘s life when we compare Rose‘s birth with Nancy‘s. There is also illegitimacy and unhappiness in Rose‘s life. Rose is a sister who has different mother from Oliver‘s mother, Agnes Fleming, and their father died of a broken heart and left Rose and Agnes in his sister. Later Agnes gave a birth to Oliver as an unmarried mother 9

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and died alone in her youth. In contrast, Rose was fortunately saved by Mrs. Maylie after she was brought up by the poor cottagers. Despite Rose‘s illegitimate birth, as reed points out, Rose is clearly marked virtuous predominance and described as the moral excellence in the novel. Considering Rose‘s fortunes, I believe that Nancy‘s double character can be explained partly from her tragic life or being as a thief‘s instrument.

4.1.2 Significant Contrast between Nancy and Oliver’s Birth

Oliver is a boy who is born in a workhouse. He has no idea of his parents‘ identity. His mother Agnes died in childbirth. So he is a poor boy when he is a little boy. When worked in the workhouse, by a pure chance he is chosen as a scapegoat by the other starving boys to ask for an extra helping at a mealtime. So, he said ―Please, sir, I want some more.‖ As a result, he is sold by the workhouse as an undertaker‘s apprentice. The cruelty he suffers at the hands of an older

apprentice causes him to run away. He finds his way to London. So we can see that when Oliver Twist is a young boy, he lived in a world filled with dirty and criminal. Compared with Nancy, they are all tortured by the terror and violence but the difference is Oliver has gotten some warm help from good people such as Brownlow, Rose and Nancy. They are living in a similar

environment but have vastly different fate.

4.2 Influence of Feudal Society on Nancy’s Character

4.2.1 Interpersonal Apathy Effects on Nancy’s Character

When Dickens is writing the novel Oliver Twist, the whole England was in the first Industrial Revolution period. The Industrial Revolution was a time of dramatic change. Workers became more productive, and since more products were manufactured, prices of goods dropped. It makes more products available to the poor and the rich. Inventions and technological innovation have brought new forces to the national economy. England became a ―world factory‖. But under the mask of prosperity and wealth of the working class, lower class has experienced poverty and misfortune. In order to make a living, even women and little children should go to dangerous dirty factories to sell coolies. So in this situation, this novel is a reflection of the real life of England, especially the poor life of lower class. In this kind of realistic society, between the person and person‘s sentiment is getting much fainter. Just because of this apathy that formed a complex character of Nancy.

4.2.2 The Heavily Fortified Hierarchy

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新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文

A prodigal who returns is more precious than gold. Nancy advises Sikes that ―It is never too late to repent and start anew.‖ However, Dickens‘ is greatly affected by the concept of strict hierarchy which was popular during his period. It‘s just this kind of hierarchy that makes himself unconsciously think people are born different. In the novel, there are numerous references about Nancy‘s complains about her life, but she could not shake off her own yoke and enjoy a happy life. As she has said: ―A chain has locked me to the past life. Now I hate it, but I can‘t leave it. I have gone to far and never return.‖ In her mind, evil will have a bad end. Thus she is doomed to be punished because she did too many bad things to the community and others. Even in the face of death, she prayed for forgiveness. But this desire and prayer have brought her nothing because it is too late. So it is the concept of hierarchy that makes Nancy has so mixed character and finally leads to her death.

Part Five Associated with Modern Society

5.1 The Call of Goodness

Dickens depicts the battle between goodness and evil, beauty and dirt. Oliver Twist praised the basic goodness of people through description of Nancy. It reveals the hypocrisy of England charities. At the same time, the novel also has a color of romance and filled with concern of humanism. It is also significant for the modern society. At present, with the diversity of society, people‘s value varied in many aspects. People‘s behavior is more personalized. It leads to more and more undesirable phenomena. For example, people‘s spiritual world is blank. Most people are crazy about material benefits. They could sacrifice anything to get benefit. It leads to an indifferent and cold relationship between people. In my opinion, the nature of goodness is one of the most necessary characters for one person. Goodness is to humans just as water is to fish. A person who is without goodness is an utterly worthless person.

5.2 Education System Needs to be Improved

Dickens criticized the abnormal education system of England. At the same time, he pointed out that the society should meet the basic material needs of children, the basic education and the family love. It is the positive meaning of Dickens‘ novel image of children. Just as many writers, Dickens consider the social problems with abstract point of view about good and evil. He holds the idea that moral probation is the best solution to social contradictions. Therefore, non-violent 11

新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文

means of education is a desirable and effective way to make people turn away from crime and abandon evil. Dickens also claimed that education is reasonable and noble. Education is the best tool to establish people‘s mutual understanding. He believes that by means of the power of

education, children‘s hypocrisy, prejudice and stupidity could be eliminated. Based on this view, Dickens was very concerned about the education system and the educational methods of social impact on children.

Part Six Conclusion

As a great critical realism writer, Charles Dickens‘ novel is a great devotion to the world literature. Nancy in Oliver Twist has also become the most typical image in the literature field. Dickens depicted the sharp contradiction of labor and capital of United Kingdom capitalist society. He revealed miserable life of lower class people and the hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie. In Oliver Twist, he bitterly attacks the hypocritical and cruel side of the upper class and the bourgeoisie. He gives realistic pictures of the horrible existence in workhouse. One of the important characteristics of Nancy is the real and specific description of people who lives at the bottom of society. He puts deep sympathy to the low class, especially women and little children. Meanwhile, he sings the praises of truth, goodness and beauty in human nature with idealism and Romanism sentiments. Charles Dickens led readers into a real but terrible life of underworld. His is successful in depicting a miserable image of child from lower class.

The image of Nancy artistically reminds readers, people tend to be indifferent and selfish by the social reality darkness and far away from goodness. A girl from the bottom of the lower class maintains that she can‘t innocently establish herself in society even if she gets rid of theft gang. Hence she is subject to fate and has to go with the flow. She regards thief head as her destiny but killed by him as a result. Nancy is not just a signal of simple character but a vivid and unique figure which leaves deepest impression to readers. The significance lies in a scathing indictment of the capitalist society. In despite of the happy ending of Oliver painted a layer of bright color for the novel, it will never cover up critical significance of Nancy‘s double character.

Of course, this thesis is simply a trial exploration, since I am not qualified and therefore dare not attempt to offer a final and best answer. If only there is a little freshness in my work of exploration, which would be of my teacher‘s help and advice, and we would be duly rewarded. 12

新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文

Notes:

①：Bertels, N. How Teachers and Researchers Read Academic Articles [J]. Teaching and Teacher

Education, 2003, (19): 737-757

②：包惠南.文化语境与语言翻译[M].对外经济贸易出版社，2001:300

：曾维秀.论汉语广告翻译中存在的主要语用失误[J].重庆工商大学学报，2003(02): ③

125—

127

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新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文

Bibliography

[1] Johnson, K. & P. Golombek. Teacher’s Narrative Inquiry as Professional Development [M].

London: Cambridge University Press, 2002

[2] 包惠南，包昂.中国文化与汉英翻译[M].北京：外文出版社，2004

[3] 何恩.广告翻译的基本策略（英文）[J].大学英语（学术版），2006（01）

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