What Saved Oliver from Becoming a Chimney Sweeper?

Oliver Twist, the main character of Charles Dickens’ self-titled book, is a young orphan kid who endured many difficulties throughout his life. One of his most terrifying futures was that of a chimney sweeper. Oliver nearly spared this destiny in the book because to Mr. Brownlow’s intervention, who took him in as his ward.

The bleak reality of the era is reflected in Oliver Twist’s portrayal of chimney sweepers. Young boys were frequently sold into the trade of chimney sweeping in Victorian England. They were compelled to climb chimneys to clean them, frequently in perilous and confined spaces. Due to the nature of their jobs, many of these young boys experienced respiratory illnesses and accidents.

Dickens’ books are frequently referred to as “Newgate novels” because of how accurately they capture the social inequities and situations of the day. Numerous characters in Dickens’ works were either inmates of or connected to the infamous Newgate jail in London. Oliver Twist is no exception, since it portrays the widespread illiteracy, criminality, and corruption in Victorian England.

Today, chimney sweeping is a regulated occupation with safety guidelines and licensing requirements. Denying a chimney sweep access to a chimney so they can clean it is, however, against the law in Germany. This is due to the fact that chimney fires frequently occur and must be avoided by routine cleaning.

The poverty of youthful chimney sweepers in London served as the inspiration for William Blake’s poem “The Chimney Sweeper.” The poem emphasizes how these young lads, who were coerced into a life of hardship and peril, were innocent and vulnerable. Like Dickens’ book, Blake’s poem highlights the societal inequalities of the day and advocates for reform.

Various techniques were used in the past to clean chimneys, including sending a young lad up the chimney to scrub it with a brush. However, this approach was risky and frequently led to harm or death. Later techniques entailed cleaning chimneys from the bottom up using specialized tools and equipment, making the job much safer for the chimney sweep.

In conclusion, Mr. Brownlow’s intervention allowed Oliver Twist to avoid becoming a chimney sweep. The novel, however, illuminates the horrific reality that many young boys who were sold into this trade suffered. Social reform is crucial, as demonstrated by Dickens’ depictions of chimney sweepers and other social inequalities in Victorian England.