Lesson 1

Oliver Twist and the workhouse

Oliver Twist

Charles Dickens first published Oliver Twist in monthly instalments

between February 1837 and April 1839.

He intended to show the system's treatment of an innocent child born

and raised in the workhouse system, where the child had done nothing

wrong.

Over the next two lessons

We are going to learn about the

Workhouses that existed in 19th

century London.

We are going to think about how

Oliver must have felt in the

Workhouse.

Workhouses – The Background• Workhouses were common and they

had been going for a very long time.

• Anybody of any age could be sent to the workhouse for a lots of different reasons including no work, minor crimes and because they were very poor.

• The inmates of the workhouse were grouped into seven categories. Old or “useless” men Able-bodied men and youths older than 13 Youths and boys between 7 and 13 Old and “useless” women Able-bodied women and girls above 16 Girls between 7 and 16 Children under 7 years of age

• Families were not allowed to

stay together. One man

demanded the ‘release’ of his

wife and children. He was then

told ‘you may take your

children, but we buried your

wife three weeks ago’.

• The workhouses had a very

strong work ethic.

• In Oliver Twist we see a typical

form of work – corn grinding.

• Other forms included bone

crushing and picking oakum.

• The combination of this severe

workload and poor diet resulted

in many inmates dying in the

walls of the workhouse.

Here they are picking rope

In the workhouse

• The boys would have been fed on watery gruel and would have slept on the floor with nothing but sacks for covering.

• They did not have central heating, so the room was cold and there was a constant wind.

• There were plaques carrying religious messages "God is just", "God is good".

• The Guardians of the workhouse believed that they were improving the inmates’ morality and saving them from decline.

• There were no parents, no cuddles, no love. The boys had no-one.

Dickens Writes:

"For the next eight or ten months, Oliver was the victim of a systematic course of treachery and deception. He was brought up by hand. The hungry and destitute situation of the infant orphan was duly reported by the workhouse authorities to the parish authorities."

Let’s read an extract from Oliver

Twist by Charles Dickens

Think about what it might be like for the boys living in the

workhouse as we will be answering some questions after.

The room in which the boys were fed, was a large stone hall,

with a copper at one end: out of which the master, dressed in

an apron for the purpose, and assisted by one or two women,

ladled the gruel at meal-times. Of this festive composition

each boy had one porringer, and no more- except on

occasions of great public rejoicing, when he had two ounces

and a quarter of bread besides.

Rejoicing

The bowls never wanted washing. The

boys polished them with their spoons

till they shone again; and when they

had performed this operation (which

never took very long, the spoons being

nearly as large as the bowls), they

would sit staring at the copper, with

such eager eyes, as if they could have

devoured the very bricks of which it

was composed; employing themselves,

meanwhile, in sucking their fingers

most assiduously, with the view of

catching up any stray splashes of gruel

that might have been cast about. Boys

have generally excellent appetites.

Oliver Twist and his companions

suffered the tortures of slow starvation

for three months: at last they got so

voracious and wild with hunger, that

one boy, who was tall for his age, and

hadn't been used to that sort of thing

(for his father had kept a small

cookshop), hinted darkly to his

companions, that unless he had

another basin of gruel per diem, he

was afraid he might some night

happen to eat the boy who slept next

him, who happened to be a weakly

youth of tender age. He had a wild,

hungry eye; and they implicitly

believed him.

On a piece of paper, jot down a quick

answer to the following questions:

1) What did the workhouse look like

inside?

2) How were the boys treated in the

workhouse?

3) How might the children be dressed?

4) What was the overwhelming feeling

of the boys?

5) What might they do next?

Diary entry: Entering the workhouse

Today’s task:

I have been brought to a Workhouse. This place is…

1) What did the workhouse

look like inside?

2) How were the boys

treated in the workhouse?

3) How might the children

be dressed?

4) What was the

overwhelming feeling of the

boys?

5) What might they do

next?

Use your answers to the workhouse

questions to help you write a short diary

entry about life in the workhouse as a

small boy.

Lesson 2

Oliver Twist and the workhouse

Yesterday we learned a little bit

about life in the workhouse.

Who would like to share their diary

extracts?

Watch the beginning of the film ‘Oliver’,

which shows the part that we read in

yesterday’s lesson (0mins - 4.30mins)

We know the boys need more

food. How would you convince

Oliver Twist to ask for more?

Let’s read the next part of the

story together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jOIKFCkapU

A council was held; lots were cast who

should walk up to the master after supper

that evening, and ask for more; and it fell to

Oliver Twist.

The evening arrived; the boys took their

places. The master, in his cook's uniform,

stationed himself at the copper; his pauper

assistants ranged themselves behind him; the

gruel was served out; and a long grace was

said over the short commons. The gruel

disappeared; the boys whispered each other,

and winked at Oliver; while his next

neighbours nudged him. Child as he was, he

was desperate with hunger, and reckless with

misery.

He rose from the table; and advancing

to the master, basin and spoon in

hand, said: somewhat alarmed at his

own temerity:

"Please, sir, I want some more."

The master was a fat, healthy man;

but he turned very pale. He gazed in

stupefied astonishment on the small

rebel for some seconds, and then

clung for support to the copper. The

assistants were paralysed with

wonder; the boys with fear.

"What!" said the master at

length, in a faint voice.

"Please, sir," replied Oliver, "I want

some more."

Let’s watch the rest of the clip!

(4.30mins – end)

Would you have been as brave as Oliver Twist?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jOIKFCkapU

Could you have

been convinced

to ask for more?

Write the next diary entry – you

can decide whether to be Oliver

or one of Oliver’s friends

We are all so hungry. Today we drew lots to see who would ask for more food. I drew the losing lot. The boys said…..

Today’s task:

You can email it or bring it

into school tomorrow!