Victorian Literature: Women's Nature In Oliver Twist

Martyrs and whores: Women's true nature in Oliver Twist

The women of Oliver Twist play an important function in the novel, both symbolically as well as in terms of the plot. The novel begins with the title boy being given birth to by a women in poverty and is subsequently consigned to a workhouse. Later, as a result of a series of strange circumstances, he is found to be of noble birth. Nancy, a 'whore with a heart of gold' sacrifices herself so Oliver can move on to a new life. Women in the novel are primarily seen as nurturers, and that nurturing function enables Oliver to survive. When that nurturing function is perverted, as in the case of prostitution or the scheming Mrs. Mann, Dickens uses this as evidence of the corruption of larger society. Similarly, when male figures like Fagin attempt...
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