Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll Essay

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Introduction
The novels 'Oliver Twist' and 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' present Victorian counter worlds. In certain situations, the society is controlled by criminals, schemers, pickpockets, prostitutes and murderers. There are two child-protagonists in the two novels: Alice and Oliver Twist. They are brought up in wicked environment yet they are curious to know what is taking place around their world. This article tries to examine the comparisons and contrasts between the challenges faced by Alice and Oliver Twist in an effort to understand their world.
Comparison between Oliver Twist and Alice in Wonderland
Both Alice and Oliver Twist are treated horribly and of ten insulted by other characters in the respective novels. For instance, Alice is made to feel miserable and confused about who she actually is. Consequently, the Wonderland is not really a wonderful place to stay in. People and creatures in the wonderland are violent and rude to her. This is evidenced when Alice is at the Duchess’s house at the moment when the cook is hitting her with pans and pots. This causes Alice to scream and ask the cook to mind what she was doing, causing her to jump up and down in agony and terror.
Oliver is also mistreated by the people who take care of him after his mother has died. He is brought up with little food and low comfort. Mr. Bumble removes him from the baby farm and makes him work as oakum picker in the main workhouse. The boy works with very little food and stays in the workhouse for six months. Due to the gravity of his situation, he decide to demand for more in the next meal by coming foreword with a bowl in his hands and demanding "Please sir, I want some more". This causes an uproar in the workhouse and the gentleman who administer the workshop asks for anybody who is willing to take Oliver as an apprentice for five pounds. When Oliver is taken to Mr. Sowerberry's place, his wife develops dislike for him because their marriage is unhappy one and her husband seems to like him. He is tormented by another apprentice, Noah Claypole and Sowerberry's maidservant who is in love with Noah. When Oliver falls out with Noah because he had insulted him about his mother, Mrs. Sowerberry takes Noah's side and assists him beat up Oliver and compels her husband into beating Oliver again. This makes Oliver weep while he is in his room for the night, an act he had never doe before since his babyhood. As a result he decides to run away wandering towards London.
The creatures in Wonderland also make Alice feel like she does not really know what she knows. They insult her and make he feel like she does not know herself. For instance, the Duchess makes her confused when she says, “You donna know much and that’s a fact" (Carroll, 61). Rather than helping her about what she knows, this only makes her unsure of what she already knows. They downgrade her because of her knowledge and the way she is unable to memorize poems and verses. She is teased whenever she does something wrong.
Oliver is also mistreated while he is on his Journey to London. When he encounters Artful Dodger, he believes they are good people who make handkerchiefs for their living. Little does he know that this is a gang of pickpockets. Oliver develops trust in them to the extent that he does not run when these people steal from Mr. Brownlow. He is consequently arrested and is taken before magistrate. However, because of Brownlow's observant nature, he manages to understand that Oliver did not intend to steal the handkerchief from him. Oliver is cleared of the charges by a bookstall owner who saw Dodger commit the crime. This is an indication that the society was trying to force both Oliver and Alice to believe certain things in certain ways, yet they knew the right way of living.
Both Alice and Oliver Twist are good mannered. Alice shows good manners when she enters the rabbit hole and the rabbit tells her to go fetch his gloves and fan. Alice says that she had rather take his fans and gloves if she can find them. When she runs into the caterpillar, she calls it ‘Sir’. This shows that she has respect for the creatures of the Wonderland. Another situation that shows Alice’s good manners is when she enters Duchesses house. The Duchesses throws a baby at her. Alice starts to take care of the baby. She is ordered to nurse the baby if she can. Alice catches the baby with some difficulty. This is an indication of her maternal side. Because of these actions, Wonderland proves illogical and confusing to Alice. Nothing seems to make sense to her.
When Alice meets the caterpillar, she is asked who she is and she replies that she doesn’t know herself at present just but knew herself when she woke up. This shows that Wonderland has confused her to an extent that she does not know who she is.
When she goes to the Duchesses, she knocks n the front door. A conversation that takes place with a creature is as follows,’ There is no need in knocking…’ Alice asks, ‘How am I to get in? This shows the illogical beliefs in Wonderland that the creatures there find logical but appears illogical to Alice.
Oliver Twist is also good mannered. When he was still at the baby farm, he manages to live with poor diet few comforts. When he is transferred to Mr. Bumble, he still manages to work hard in the baby farm picking oakum at the main workhouse for six months. When he cannot stand the little food he gets from Mr. Bumble’s place, he says his complain truthfully rather than keeping quiet.
Also when he has been invited by Artful Dodger and Fagin, he maintains his good manners. He does not participate in their pick pocketing activities but still remains friends with them. Dodger and Fagin steal a handkerchief from Mr. Brownlow and run away while they are with Oliver. Due to his good manners, he does not run away because he did not have the intentions of stealing the handkerchief.
The major theme in the story ‘Alice in Wonderland’ is identity crisis and an attempt to find her new identity. The story is a symbolic journey of universal growth and self-discovery. Each new encounter in the Wonderland provides her with a lesson about herself. She discovers that these new experiences distort her original stable character. Acceptable norms become irrelevant to Alice and she even looks like an outcast. This is discovered when she is questioned by ...